Baghdad or Philadelphia?

Today's Washington Post has an analysis of the Department of Defense's data on the risk exposure of troops serving in Iraq. One statistical comparison stood out.

The death rate for African American men ages 20 to 34 in Philadelphia was 4.37 per 1,000 in 2002, 11 percent higher than among troops in Iraq. Slightly more than half the Philadelphia deaths were homicides.

That just seems impossible. A young black guy in Philadelphia would actually be safer if he joined the army and served in Iraq than he is if he just stays home.