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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a traumatic brain injury (TBI) as \"a disruption in the normal function of the brain that can be caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or penetrating head injury.\"

In addition, service members and veterans potentially have additional exposure to blasts, from combat and from training.

TBI injuries have been treated as the \"signature wound\" and \"silent epidemic\" of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where insurgents used roadside bombs to significant effect. While the blasts from those bombs caused serious physical injuries to U.S. service members, they also caused a much larger number of TBI injuries that were not immediately visible.

\"PHOTO:
Ho/Planet Labs Inc. /AFP via Getty
PHOTO: This Jan. 8, 2020, satellite image released by Planet Labs Inc., reportedly shows damage to the Ain al-Asad US airbase in western Iraq, after being hit by rockets from Iran.
>

According to the VA, the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) \"reported more than 408,000 TBIs among U.S. service members worldwide between 2000 and early 2019.\"

The VA website adds, \"The majority of those TBIs were classified as mild.\"

On Tuesday, U.S. Central Command (Centcom) acknowledged that \"additional\" service members had been identified as having potential injuries and were transported to Germany for observation.

Centcom did not say how many additional service members had been affected beyond the initial 11 reported to have been transferred out of Al Asad last week.

Initially there had been no reports of injuries or deaths resulting from the Iranian missile attack on the base, but concussion-like symptoms may take time before they fully present themselves.

\"Given the nature of injuries already noted, it is possible additional injuries may be identified in the future,\" said Captain Bill Urban, a Centcom spokesman.

He added, \"The health and safety of all service members is the greatest concern for all department leadership and we greatly appreciate the care that these members have received and continue to receive at the hands of our medical professionals.\"

A Pentagon spokesperson restated the importance that the military places on identifying traumatic brain injuries in the wake of the conflicts of the last two decades.

\"Our research has been instrumental in the development of various breakthroughs to improve the lives of those individuals who have sustained brain injuries,\" said Lisa Lawrence, a Pentagon spokesperson. \"Our efforts must address the total picture - before, during and after any blast exposure or injury.\"

Lawrence said the future of warfare requires \"more advanced\" thinking.

\"We want to better mitigate risks and enhance cognitive function of our warfighters,\" she said. \"We must address physical and mental health together.\"

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