Nine U.S. service members wounded in what AP calls Iran's deadliest drone strike told AP reporters they encountered gaps in battlefield medical care, saying clinicians missed brain injuries, scans were delayed, follow-up care was hindered by red tape, and some wounded troops were housed in barracks rather than admitted to hospitals. Those soldiers spoke on the record to AP, an uncommon step for troops still in the Army. Family members told AP that delays and administrative barriers obstructed rehabilitation and specialist referrals. One soldier and family members described being moved on a cargo plane to Germany where wounded personnel sat on the plane floor secured with straps. The Pentagon told AP that care met standards, but the accounts from the wounded and their families have prompted public scrutiny and could affect upcoming internal reviews or congressional inquiries into military medical evacuation and treatment protocols.
