Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that President Trump is “very concerned” about the health of troops after he appeared to downplay brain injuries sustained during an Iranian missile attack.
When Iran fired more than a dozen missiles at Iraqi bases housing American troops, there were initially no reports of injuries, although since that time, 50 service members have been treated for brain injuries. Speaking last week, Trump appeared to downplay the severity of those injuries and said he “heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things.”
Esper, 55, pushed back on the notion that the president wasn’t concerned and said he has spoken to him about the matter.
“I’ve had the chance to speak with the president. He is very concerned about the health and welfare of all of our service members, particularly those who were involved in the operations in Iraq, and he understands the nature of these injuries,” Esper said during a Thursday press conference.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that the troops treated for traumatic brain injuries had mild cases, and Esper said that the delay in reporting was because of the nature of the wounds.
“[Traumatic brain injury] manifests itself over time. … I still believe that morning, there were no casualties reported,” Esper said.
The Iranian missile attack was a direct retaliation from Iran after the United States killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a Baghdad drone strike. Milley said earlier this month that Iran intended to “kill personnel,” but defense systems allowed for “a little bit of early warning” before the explosions.
