Figures released under Freedom of Information laws have showed that a British serviceman dies in a training accident every six weeks, and there have been 125 deaths during armed forces exercises in the past fifteen years. Compare this to the Iraq War, when 179 British service men and women died. Troops have been shot dead in mock battles, crushed by armoured vehicles and drowned during river crossings. The death toll reflects the need to prepare for war with dangerous equipment and hostile conditions, but it also reflects the need for more care to be taken. A military injuries specialist said, ‘This is a shocking number of deaths. It is not enough to say, well, they are using guns, or we put them in hazardous situations. There are detailed guidelines which stress the fact that, if the risk factors are assessed properly and appropriately managed, nearly all injuries can be prevented.’