At least 20,000 U.S. troops who were not classified as wounded during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan have been found with signs of brain injuries, according to military and veterans records compiled by USA TODAY.

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Iraq Vets May Suffer Depression, Stress. The data, provided by the Army, Navy and Department of Veterans Affairs, show that about five times as many troops sustained brain trauma as the 4,471 officially listed by the Pentagon through Sept. 30. These cases also are not reflected in the Pentagon's official tally of wounded, which stands at 30,327.

HIDDEN WOUNDS: Marine didn't recognize signs of brain injury.

The number of brain-injury cases were tabulated from records kept by the VA and four military bases that house units that have served multiple combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.


One base released its count of brain injuries at a medical conference. The others provided their records at the request of USA TODAY, in some cases only after a Freedom of Information Act filing was submitted.

USA TODAY ARCHIVES: Brain injuries from war worse than thought.

The data came from:

• Landstuhl Army Regional Medical Center in Germany, where troops evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan for injury, illness or wounds are brought before going home. Since May 2006, more than 2,300 soldiers screened positive for brain injury, hospital spokeswoman Marie Shaw says.

• Fort Hood, Texas, home of the 4th Infantry Division, which returned from a second Iraq combat tour late last year. At least 2,700 soldiers suffered a combat brain injury, Lt. Col. Steve Stover says.

• Fort Carson, Colo., where more than 2,100 soldiers screened were found to have suffered a brain injury, according to remarks by Army Col. Heidi Terrio before a brain injury association seminar.

• Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, where 1,737 Marines were found to have suffered a brain injury, according to Navy Cmdr. Martin Holland, a neurosurgeon with the Naval Medical Center San Diego.

• VA hospitals, where Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been screened for combat brain injuries since April. The VA found about 20% of 61,285 surveyed --
Kat

Brain injury is the signature injury of this senseless war.
When will it end....

When we get a President with some &*@#ing sense!!

Thank You for caring and posting this Kat

That makes me so sad.

All for a war that should have never been to begin with

And my favorite soldier boy is being deployed on Moday. I am so upset.

all those who voted bush in i hope you are all happy making money, for the lives of our troops

I was just in conversation with one in Iraq today. He is a sad man. I feel so sorry for him. I did not tell him that. I tried to make him feel better. I feel a little down right now myself. This war soooo sucks...

Kat

When I found this out...I wanted to prove a point that we are being hoodwinked by our admin., yet again. They are not telling us the truth. Lessoning the numbers of the reality.
Kat

Keep them home and safe.

You cant keep them home Jess!

They are men, and volunteers. They must do their job!

What we can do is oh so little, but it is all we can do!

Protest this war, daily, make your representitaves know that you are watching them and that their jobs are on the line!
Then back it up on election day!!!