US Soldiers Say Injuries From Iran War Were More Serious Than Army Reported

Several US soldiers were wounded in an Iran-linked drone attack, and their families have accused the US Army of downplaying the severity of their war injuries. 

According to a CBS News report, the soldiers said many of the wounded troops continue to suffer from long-term health problems, but the injuries were officially described as minor or not serious.

The allegations came after US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in March that nearly 90 per cent of the 400 American service members injured during the conflict with Iran had suffered only minor injuries and had returned to duty.

One of them is 37-year-old Sergeant First Class Cory Hicks, who suffered severe shrapnel injuries in the drone attack and had to undergo multiple emergency surgeries. Hicks said an Army official told his wife after the attack that he had only suffered a "minor jaw injury" and would soon be able to return to work.

He was among more than 20 US soldiers injured in what was the deadliest attack on American troops during the conflict with Iran.

Another injured soldier, Chief Warrant Officer Rodney Bearman, suffered multiple shrapnel wounds, a concussion, hearing and vision problems, and lung damage, according to medical records reviewed by CBS News. 

Despite this, the Army classified him as "not seriously injured." His wife, Amy Bearman, criticised the assessment and said it did not reflect the seriousness of his condition.

The US Army rejected the accusation. Army officials said families may be misunderstanding military terms such as "not seriously injured" and "combat casualty."

"What I can tell you is that SFC Hicks received the care and treatment necessary in theater to prepare him for evacuation outside of the US Central Command area of responsibility to receive a higher level of care as dictated by his wounds," the Army spokesperson said.

The US Army said that under its official rules, a soldier is classified as "seriously injured" or "very seriously injured" only if their injuries are so severe that there is a risk they could die within the next 72 hours.

In April, it was reported that there had been several warnings before the drone attack. The warnings suggested that Iran could target US troops stationed in Kuwait. Soldiers said military officials knew about the threat but did not take enough steps to protect them.