Spike In Combat Casualties Blamed On Life Insurance Benefits

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Shortly before deploying to Afghanistan, Marine Cpl. Zachary Pace asked his platoon sergeant what seemed like a routine question: would his Servicemembers Group Life Insurance policy, popularly known as SGLI, cover him if he was killed in combat.

Three months later, Cpl. Pace was killed after stepping on an improvised explosive d…