The casualty count from the January 8 Iran missile strikes on Ayn al-Asad continues to rise, with the Pentagon now saying that 64 US soldiers have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.
This is an increase over the most recent figure of 50, and the continuation of weeks of increases starting from no casualties at all and progressively rising. It is expected to continue to rise going forward.
Iran gave the US advance notice of the strike to allow them time to take cover, avoiding any deaths. The concussive blast, however, still caused brain injuries, and officials say it is not unusual that many didn’t present symptoms for awhile.
Many are considered “mild traumatic brain injuries,” and more than half are reported to have already returned to duty. More serious injuries, however, were sent to Germany for treatment, and many of them are still abroad receiving care.
it’s amazing what a little casus belli will do to expedite a diagnosis of TBI
Sure, they need to tough it out and remain spanky’s fodder. I think I can guess who gives them a “headache”
Unbelievable.
These are supposed to be battle hardened US troops.
What is described can best be called PTSD since there is no indication of any physical harm.
Are these guys serious?
If US troops suffer PTSD after a singe missile barrage landing in their proximity, there is no need for the enemy to even hit them, just send a few rounds in their vicinity and they will all be crawling off to the nearest psych rehab.
pathetic!.
“there is no indication of any physical harm”
And you know this how?
read the news, “President Trump initially told the nation during his January 8 address at the White House: “We suffered no casualties, all of our soldiers are safe, and only minimal damage was sustained at our military bases.”
The number of ” casualties ” keeps rising, either this is politically motivated, or it is non-traumatic brain injury, ie PTSD
I know that based on his stellar record this is unlikely, but has it occurred to you that Trump might have been either lying or just not knowing what the hell was going on?
Personally, when I hear “President Trump said,” I take whatever comes after with a grain of salt.
Absolutely, which brings us to the question, what can we actually believe. Are there in fact increasing numbers of injured troops or is this all “more lies” to build up to an unjustified attack on Iran?
And since US troops are not whimps, it is important for Trump to know that by falsely claiming increased number of “brain injured” troops (no other part affected-note) he is causing the troops to be seen as “pathetic”, and coming from the Commander in Chief, this is a stab in the back.
Didn’t the Don tell us so?
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The figure keeps rising because more and more of them are showing characteristic abnormalities on MRI scans. They indicate microdamage with edema, generally in the extensive white matter tracts in the brain. These are considered axonal shear injuries, the axon being the long process which relays the electrical signal from one region of the brain to another. Repeat. These are real, visible injuries to the brain, and yes, they are correlated with PTSD, which is a clinical, not an MRI radiological diagnosis. Anatomical recovery is slow if it occurs at all. Just as in common strokes, the patient can learn to use other, uninjured pathways alternatively.
For what it’s worth, a usually more extensive but similar MRI pattern is seen in the brains of punchdrunk fighters, and in those with developing dementia due to head impact and shaking in hockey players (especially the “enforcers”) and football players.
Those “troops” were brain-dead when they joined the US military.
“Iran gave the US advance notice of the strike to allow them time to take cover, avoiding any deaths. The concussive blast, however, still caused brain injuries”
Which means that if the troops have brain injuries, the morons that lead them were born brainless. They knew they couldn’t stop the missiles, they had more than enough advance notice to disperse away from the base… and waited for the shock instead.
I did 3 years in the army and “sick call” was always well represented. The military is no different than civilian life when it comes to people trying to game the system. Or has everyone been brainwashed by the propaganda machine’s premise that our troops are beyond this? I’m sure that a portion of the growing number of these “concussions” are from people who are just like society’s SSI disability whores and there isn’t a damn thing wrong with them.
Your SSI disability comment is pathetic and I take exception to your lack of compassion. My wife and thousands like her has a life long TBI due to a care accident sixteen years ago that ended her teaching career at age 52. She is not the person she was before the accident. If it was not for SSI Disability we would have had a hard time. TBI can be easily diagnosed, and any fakes would be easily verified. To blame the vast majority of honest people when a few bad actors are present is irresponsible and blatant ignorance.
I wasn’t talking about anyone deserving of SSI disability. Sorry if I offended you. I’m a g-damned socialist for Christ’s sake, I’m not against SSI disability. And as far as TBI being easily diagnosed and any fakes being easily verified, that doesn’t stop some from trying. I worked in a factory for 33 years and saw more than my share of workers compensation fraud. We called them “comp whores” No different from any other segment of society, including the military. I agree wholeheartedly that the majority of people are honest but there are plenty of fraud cases out there. Hence the word “portion” in my comment.
Actually SSI disability fraud is quite rampant and is why that part of the system is straining under current budgets. I believe this section of SSI is called “Part D”. In any event, many people along with their doctors have been gaming this system for years, which seriuosly hurts those in legitimate need.
To give you an example as to how serious such fraud is, my wife and I live on Long Island, NY. On the Long Island Railroad alone it has been increasingly reported how over 95% of the workers who ride the trains (ie: conductors) take early retirement illegally through disability claims. Though such disability may be a part of their Union benefits and not part of SSI, this demonstrates just how many people will game the system to simply get the money out of it. And like SSI, the Long Island Railroad is having severe budget issues because of the level of this fraud.
Another example; my wife has a friend who has been living of SSI disability payments for years fraudulently. Physically there is not a thing wrong with this woman and she is quite active in her son’s home schooling education, which in of itself was a ruse used to allow her to get monies by claiming that is disabled. The reality is that this woman belongs in an institution where crazy people who live in their own fantasy worlds belong as she has created quite the world of her own.
But there is a silver lining here; the SS Administration has now put her case under review, which could very well lead to a charge of fraud and jail time.
Unfortunately, the LIRR workers are still filching the system with rectification in the near future. Everyone knows about this and nothing is being done; someone is making money somewhere off this…
Depending on what site you visit, opinions differ drastically from rampant fraud to minimal fraud. I’m pretty sure Railroad workers supply their own disability and retirement. But if there is “over 95%” retiring early with fraudulent disability claims, I’d say that is on that particular Railroad for being clueless. Even the “rampant” claims I read about SSI disability were only in the 25% range for fraud.
Most of the statistics I have seen regarding SSI disability fraud place it as quite high. I have read continuously over the years that this part of SSI is what is causing a lot of the budgeting headaches. Like the opiod crises in this country there have been plenty of willing doctors involved.
As to the LIRR, you are quite correct on your observation. LIRR senior management has been historically very corrupt and incompetent. When John Lindsey was mayor of New York City back in the 1970s he tried to reign in the Union management during one of their first crippling strikes. It didn’t work and he eventually caved in to the Unions and the entire franchise went downhill from there.
For a short time we had a bright spot when attorney Helena Williams took the helm of the LIRR (she is the wife of one of the lawyers my wife works for).
She not only began to reign in the corruption in management but worked very successfully with the Unions to develop fair and equitable contracts. The result was that the Unions began to respect and like her to a degree that a lot of the issues that we had been experiencing with this transit line began to be mitigated.
And then suddenly after 6 years at the helm, completely out of the blue, Helen Williams was suddenly fired without explanation. It made the national headlines.
Things have since then returned to the normal state of corrupted affairs… 🙁
I have worked through mine w/o SSI and am damn proud of that, you need to educate yourself before commenting on stuff you know nothing about.
How the f*ck is that even relevant to what I said? I was talking about people gaming the system, not people who are legitimate recipients of SSI.
I have closed head TBI and take great pleasure in telling you that you are an ignorant jerk.
And it obviously affected your comprehension skills. There is no way in hell I was talking about anyone with legitimate TBI.
Anyone who joins the US military these days probably already has a damaged brain.
Mild traumatic brain injuries is an oxymoron. Like a little big wound, or a mild deadly infection, or a superficial serious fracture. Ridiculous newspeak.