US Troops Diagnosed With Traumatic Brain Injuries After Attacks in Syria

Pentagon spokesman Air Force Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder speaks at a briefing at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., on March 16, 2023. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Six U.S. troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following suspected Iranian-backed attacks at U.S. bases in Syria last week, according to the Pentagon.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters that four U.S. troops at the coalition base near Hasakah that was attacked by a suspected Iranian drone on March 23, and two U.S. troops at Mission Support Site Green Village that was attacked on March 24, were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury.

“As standard procedure, all personnel in the vicinity of a blast are screened for traumatic brain injuries. So these additional injuries were identified during post-attack medical screenings,” Ryder said.

The latest TBI diagnoses bring the total number of injured U.S. personnel due to the recent attacks in Syria to 13. But Ryder said that more TBIs could be diagnosed as medical screenings continue.

The March 23 attack in northeast Syria via the suspected Iranian drone had killed a U.S. contractor and injured another U.S. contractor and five U.S. troops. All are in stable condition, with two of the troops having already returned to duty, Ryder said.

“One service member was medically evacuated to Landstuhl to receive treatment and two U.S. service members and the U.S. contractor are receiving medical treatment in Iraq,” Ryder said of those who haven’t been discharged from medical care.

In response to the drone strike on March 23, the United States on the same day carried out retaliatory air strikes in eastern Syria against facilities used by groups linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

The strikes, which marked the first military action taken by Biden since taking office, killed eight terrorists.

“We now assess that eight militants were killed in our strikes against two IRGC Quds Force facilities near Deir ez-Zor by U.S. Air Force F-15E fighters assigned to U.S. Air Forces Central,” Ryder told reporters on Thursday. “Again, these precision strikes were taken to protect and defend U.S. personnel.”

President Joe Biden last week said the retaliatory airstrikes in Syria targeted those responsible for attacking U.S. personnel, adding: “Make no mistake: The United States does not—does not, I emphasize—seek conflict with Iran, but be prepared for us to act forcefully to protect our people.”

Following the U.S. air strikes, Iranian-backed forces carried out three more attacks on bases in Syria, which injured one person in one of the attacks.

“Separately, the U.S. service member injured in the attack against Mission Support Site Conoco on March 24 is also in stable condition and continues to receive medical care,” Ryder said of the casualty.

Iranian-backed forces have attacked U.S. forces in Syria around 83 times since Biden took office, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers on Thursday. Meanwhile, the United States has responded with strikes a total of four times.

“What kind of signal do we think it sends to Iran when they can attack us 83 times since Joe Biden has become president and we only respond four [times]?” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told Austin at the hearing.

He added: “Maybe it’s because they know that we will not retaliate until they kill an American, which emboldens them to keep launching these attacks which kill Americans.”

TBI is a type of brain injury caused by a blow or jolt to the head and symptoms can range from mild to severe. Mild symptoms include headache, confusion, dizziness, and ringing in the ears. More severe symptoms include memory impairment, blurred vision, behavioral changes, problems with thinking and learning, incessant nausea, slurred speech, weakness in limbs, and even death.