“We’ll continue to monitor them the rest of their lives, actually, and continue to provide whatever treatment is necessary,” Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a statement released with the report. “And we take great pride in the fact that these are our own and we’re going to take care of them.”
The announcement marks the fourth time in several weeks that the official injury toll has increased. Initially, hours after the Iranian reprisal for the U.S. killing of a prominent military commander, President Trump declared that “no Americans were harmed” in the attacks on Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops.
But the Pentagon later contradicted those remarks, first noting in a formal statement that 11 service members had been injured, then 34 — and, just earlier this week, 50.
According to Pentagon officials, 39 of those injured have returned to duty. An additional 17 are scheduled to return to the U.S. or have returned already, and several more are undergoing further evaluation in Germany.