Killed in action

Killed in action, usually abbreviated to k.i.a., is the term used widely by the military to denote a casualty classification that describes a combatants death as a direct result of engagement with an enemy or hostile force. It was a term used widely throughout the First World War that established a soldiers death on the battlefield in actions against the enemy. Those that were injured on the battlefield but died as a result their injuries at a later date were classed as d.o.w. (died of wounds). This distinction separated the casualties into two specific casualty types. The term also relates to air and naval forces and is still in use today.