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First on CNN: 50 soldiers diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries after the Iranian missile attack

2020-01-29T00:43:17.340Z


Of the 16 newly disclosed cases, 15 service members remained in Iraq and have already returned to the service, according to the notification. A member of the service had been evacuated from Iraq ...


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Exclusive: This was the Al-Asad air base after attack 3:36

Washington (CNN) - Fifty US military personnel They have been diagnosed with concussions and traumatic brain injuries after the Iranian missile attack on US forces in Iraq earlier this month, according to a Pentagon statement on Tuesday.

That is an increase of 16 members, compared to the figure at the end of last week, when the Pentagon said 34 cases had been diagnosed.

“As of today, 50 members of the US service. UU. they have been diagnosed with TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), ”Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Thomas Campbell said in the statement.

  • US military were injured in Iran's missile attack (although the Pentagon said there were no victims)

Of the 16 newly disclosed cases, 15 service members remained in Iraq and have already returned to the service, according to the notification. A member of the service had been evacuated from Iraq several days ago, but a formal diagnosis of TBI was recently made, according to several Pentagon officials.

Officials told CNN that the number of cases diagnosed is likely to continue to increase. Approximately 200 people who were in the explosion zone at the time of the attack have been examined for symptoms.

Although traumatic brain injuries are not always apparent immediately after suffering them, the revelation of injured US service members indicates that the impact of the attack was more severe than the initial assessments indicated. Tuesday's announcement is the third one made by the Pentagon to update the numbers of the injured.

The Pentagon and President Donald Trump initially said that no service member was injured or killed in the Iranian missile attack on January 8, which was a reprisal for the US drone attack on January 2, which killed a Iranian general of high rank.

Last week, Trump said he does not consider possible brain injuries to be as serious as physical combat injuries, minimizing the severity of injuries suffered in Iraq.

During the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump was asked to explain the discrepancy between his previous comments that no member of the US service was affected in the Iranian missile attack on January 8 at Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, and the latest reports that US troops are being treated for injuries sustained in that attack.

"No, I heard they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report that it is not very serious," Trump responded during a press conference.

An influential group of veterans demanded that Trump apologize for those comments.

"The VFW expects an apology from the president to our men and women on duty for his wrong comments," said William "Doc" Schmitz, national commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars, in a statement last Friday.

“And we ask that he and the White House join us in our efforts to educate Americans about the dangers that TBI damages have for these heroes while protecting our great nation in these difficult times. Our warriors require more than ever our full support in this challenging environment, ”added Schmitz.

The most common form of TBI in the military is minor injuries, according to the Veterans' Center for Brain Injury and Defense.

Ryan Browne and Veronica Stracqualursi of CNN contributed to this report.

attack

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-01-29

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