Wounded US Troops Say Army Covered Up Severity Of Iran War Injuries

Wounded U.S. service members and their families have accused the Pentagon of downplaying the severity of casualties sustained during the recent conflict with Iran.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated in March that nearly 90 percent of the 400 American troops injured in the conflict had sustained minor wounds and returned to duty.

Survivors of the conflict, who spoke to CBS News, contend these official designations obscure the true toll of the fighting.

Severe Injuries Labeled Minor

Chief Warrant Officer Rodney Bearman suffered shrapnel wounds, a concussion, hearing and vision loss, and lung damage during a March 1 Iranian drone strike in Kuwait.

The U.S. Army classified the 57-year-old soldier as “not seriously injured.”

Bearman’s wife, Amy, described the assessment as unacceptable.

She was initially informed by military officials that her husband had been treated and released back to duty, only to learn days later that he remained hospitalized and unable to return.

Similarly, Sergeant First Class Cory Hicks sustained severe shrapnel wounds and required multiple emergency surgeries following the same blast.

Military officials informed his wife that he had suffered a minor jaw injury.

Hicks remains in a soldier recovery unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with a severe traumatic brain injury. He expects to remain in the specialized unit for at least six months.

“They said your husband was injured, he has a minor jaw injury, and he’s going to be returned to duty,” Hicks said. He stated he believes the Army and the Pentagon have attempted to downplay the incident.

Military Defends Protocols

The U.S. Army firmly rejected allegations that it sought to minimize the severity of combat injuries.

A spokesperson stated that military classifications such as “not seriously injured” adhere to specific, technical definitions.

According to Army protocols, a soldier is only classified as “seriously injured” or “very seriously injured” if they are at risk of dying from their wounds within 72 hours.

The Pentagon also clarified its casualty tracking metrics. A spokesperson noted that soldiers assigned to recovery units are not counted as having returned to duty.

In a letter to Republican Senator Shelley Moore Capito, Major General Michael J. Leeney defended the injury designations.

He maintained that the technical classifications were not intended to minimize the sacrifices of wounded personnel.

Systemic Failures Investigated

The March 1 strike on the Port of Shuaiba killed six American soldiers and injured more than 20. It marked the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in the conflict and the most lethal strike since 2021.

Troops deployed at the site reportedly lacked adequate medical support.

Soldiers triaged themselves using makeshift bandages and commandeered civilian vehicles to transport the wounded to local Kuwaiti hospitals.

Major Stephen Ramsbottom indicated that one of the deceased, Master Sergeant Nicole Amor, could have survived if a fixed aid station or sufficient ambulances had been available.

The Army has completed an investigation into the attack and will release its findings after briefing the families of the deceased.