killed in action
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"Killed in action" is a military classification for service members who die while on duty, whether from combat, accidents, or illness. It matters because it distinguishes these deaths from other casualty types and helps the military, government, and families understand how personnel were lost.
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The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, near Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy, France
Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA did not need to have fired their weapons, but only to have been killed due to a hostile attack. KIAs include those killed by friendly fire during combat, but not from incidents such as accidental vehicle crashes, murder, or other non-hostile events or terrorism. KIA can be applied both to front-line combat troops and naval, air, and support forces.