More than 100 US troops are diagnosed with brain injuries from Iran missile attack after Trump dismissed their symptoms as 'headaches'
- US officials told Reuters that more than 100 Americans have traumatic brain injuries sustained Iran's missile attacks on troops in Iraq last month
- It's up 50% from previous estimates that 64 soldiers had been injured
- President Trump initially said soldiers injuries in the attacks were 'not serious'
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More than 100 soldiers have traumatic brain injuries stemming from Iran's missile attack on a base in Iraq last month, US officials told Reuters on Monday.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there has been a 50 percent jump in TBIs from the attack, up from the 64 that had been previously reported last month.
The Pentagon declined to comment.
President Donald Trump initially said that Iran's attack had not led to serious injuries for American troops, instead saying that the soldiers involved had 'headaches.'
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'I heard they had headaches and a couple of other things...and I can report it is not very serious,' Trump said at a press conference in Davos, Switzerland of the January 8 attacks.
He said that potential traumatic brain injuries are less severe than, say, missing limbs.
But these injuries can be debilitating, increasing lifetime risks for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicide - leading causes of veteran disability. Some 8,000 military personnel sustained 'severe or penetrating' head injuries between 2010 and 2015.
'No, I don't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I've seen,' the president said, and described meeting previously with US troops wounded by roadside bombs. 'I've seen people with no legs and with no arms. I've seen people that were horribly, horribly injured in that area, that war.'
'No, I do not consider that to be bad injuries, no,' he added.
Yet 11 service members were flown out of Iraq on January 10 and 15 after on-site medical screening flagged them for concussion-like symptoms.
And the forthcoming report suggests that many more were injured in that attack.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that no Americans were harmed in the Iranian missile strikes on January 8, which came in retaliation for a US drone strike that killed Qassem Soleimani, Iran's top general.
And Trump had said that outcome drove his decision not to retaliate further and risk a broader war with Iran.
That movement was not reported to Defense Secretary Mark Esper until the day it was publicly announced last month - in line with the usual practice of not reporting injuries to the Pentagon unless they involve the loss of life, limb or eyesight.
In addition, defense officials said that about 10 more service members were flown to Germany in recent days. Most were being treated for symptoms related to possible traumatic brain injury.
A smaller number may have been suffering from psychological trauma, according to two defense officials who discussed the matter on condition of anonymity.
The exact nature and severity of the apparent brain injuries has not been publicly released.
Speaking in Geneva (pictured), President Trump dismissed the injuries sustained by US troops during the Iran missile attacks as 'headaches.' Now, more than 100 are diagnosed with TBIs
And at the Pentagon, the deputy commander of US military operations in Iraq and Syria told reporters that the extent of potential brain injuries was not clear in the first days following the Iranian attack.
Air Force Major General Alexus Grynkewich, who visited the troops at Ain al-Asad air base a few days after the attack, said the days and weeks immediately following the attack were to know the severity of injury suffered by those who have been evacuated to Germany and Kuwait.
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, has been an increasing cause of concern in the military since the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan began, with the Department of Defense reporting more than 375,000 incidents between 2000 and 2018, according to a National Academy of Sciences report released last year.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the effects of a TBI can vary significantly depending on the severity - ranging from short-term symptoms to life-long debilitating impacts on cognitive and motor function and behavior, including significant changes in thinking and behavior, depression, anxiety and aggression.
In 2014 alone, TBIs resulted in approximately 288,000 hospitalizations and were related to nearly 57,000 deaths.
'Each year, TBI causes a substantial number of deaths and leads to life-long disability for many Americans. In fact, TBIs contribute to about 30 percent of all injury deaths in the United States,' the CDC reported.
It added that, 'The consequences of severe TBI can affect all aspects of an individual's life, including relationships with family and friends, the ability to progress at school or work, doing household tasks, driving, or participating in other daily activities.'
US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said in a statement last month that given the nature of the reported injuries, 'it is possible additional injuries may be identified in the future.'
Trump told reporters he was informed of the concussion issue 'numerous days' after the attack.
