By The Numbers: Today's Military The number of Americans serving in the military is a small slice of the U.S. population. Here, a graphical look at the makeup of the military and the sacrifices those troops have made.

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By The Numbers: Today's Military

July 3, 201111:30 PM ET

The number of Americans serving in the military is a small slice of the U.S. population. Here, a graphical look at the makeup of the military and the sacrifices those troops have made.

2,266,833 troops serve in the U.S. military -- less than one percent of the total U.S. population

Data for World War II casualties runs from Dec. 1, 1941, through Dec. 31, 1946, when President Truman officially terminated hostilities. A few battle deaths and wounds were incurred after the Japanese surrender in 1945. Data on deaths in Vietnam covers the period from Nov. 1, 1955, through May 15, 1975, when the last American service member left Southeast Asia. Data on those wounded excludes 150,332 people not requiring hospital care.

Source: Department of Defense, U.S. Census Bureau

Credit: Alyson Hurt, Erica Ryan and JoElla Straley / NPR

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Those Who Serve

NPR looks at those who have made the decision to fight in America's wars.