Actually, I don't think it works that way any more. It's not that the more experience you have the more likely you are to survive, it's that those who have survived longer BY DEFINITION have more experience. You can't get experience if you''re dead. Skill as a warrior has less and less to do with it these days, you don't die because your enemy is a better shot, or better at camouflaging himself, or better with a bayonet. Most people in combat die from artillery or mines or snipers. Mostly artillery and mines. You rarely see your enemy, whether you prevail or not. All the skill in the world won't help you much. War is like a massive industrial accident, whether you live or die is mostly luck. Skill may be a deciding factor in some combat roles, like fighter pilot, but what difference does it make to a boiler tech on a warship, or a cook behind the lines who gets caught in a mortar attack, or a truck driver who gets hit by an IED?

The military spends a lot of time and effort training and disciplining people, but this is to allow you to function effectively, both on your own and as a member of a team. Once the shooting starts, you're just as likely to buy it if you're fighting brilliantly as if you're cowering in a foxhole. You're just more likely to be useful to your unit if you're in the former category. Sure, knowing how to keep your gear functioning and how to use it, and knowing your communications protocols and how to take cover and protect yourself are important, but I don't think it's as important as when you carried a spear and shield.

I'm curious to see the military statistics on this sort of thing (you can bet they collect them religiously!). I bet they don't publicize what they've learned too much, either.