Pentagon’s Iran war death count moves 4 troops to new category
Four military service members who died in the Iran war have been listed in a category on the Pentagon’s defense casualty website other than the one that has been used for deaths in the war thus far.
The new category, titled “Overseas Operations,” appeared on the Defense Casualty Analysis System days after the four service members’ names were initially removed from the list of military casualties in Operation Epic Fury.
At least 18 U.S. service members have died in the Iran war, according to officials, but just 14 of them are listed under Operation Epic Fury as of July 27.
The additional four troops – Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, Lt. Tyler Feehan, Sgt. Michael Swinton and Sgt. Angel Rampersad – were listed under casualties in Operation Epic Fury as of July 22, when President Donald Trump honored them in a dignified transfer.
By July 24, the four service members’ names were no longer included in the data. The Pentagon said at the time it was fixing the issue, but by July 27, the names were restored on the website under the new category, rather than being included under the existing list for casualties in the Iran war.
The “Overseas Operations” list also includes a tally of 207 people wounded, though it’s unclear whether this refers to people wounded in the Iran war.
USA TODAY has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.
Pentagon initially cited ‘data disruption’ for military casualty website change
After the four troops’ names were removed from the website, Joel Valdez, acting press secretary for the Pentagon, issued a statement saying that the department was “aware of temporary data disruptions” related to the website.
“These site anomalies are currently being resolved in coordination with the Military Services,” he said.
A Pentagon website separate from the Defense Casualty Analysis System also includes news releases announcing the four troops’ deaths.
Valdez also said the Pentagon is “committed to ensuring the utmost accuracy of all casualty reporting.”
Eighteen service members have died in the Iran war so far, according to data from the Pentagon.
The Pentagon has faced scrutiny over the human cost of the Iran war.
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said July 20 that nearly 100 service members had been injured during the conflict since July 7, but most had returned to full duty. The Pentagon’s website said on July 24 that five service members were wounded in action in June.
What to know about the four troops recently killed in Iran war
Three of the four fallen soldiers most recently killed during the Iran war – Feehan, Gonzales and Rampersad – died in a July 17 attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Swinton, the fourth soldier, was killed during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone in northern Iraq, the Pentagon said.
