20,000 more Iraq and Afghanistan vets show signs of brain injuries

This was one of the great fears, that the "signature injury" of Iraq, traumatic brain injury, would often not be recognized until long after troops returned home.

At least 20,000 U.S. troops who were not classified as wounded during combat in Iraq and Afghanistan have been found with signs of brain injuries, according to military and veterans records compiled by USA TODAY.

The data, provided by the Army, Navy and Department of Veterans Affairs, show that about five times as many troops sustained brain trauma as the 4,471 officially listed by the Pentagon through Sept. 30. These cases also are not reflected in the Pentagon's official tally of wounded, which stands at 30,327.

These guys are going to need varying degrees of treatment, rehabilitation, and therapy, in some cases, for extended periods.

The worst part is that this number is only from Landstuhl, the VA, and three bases that did followup studies on returning soldiers.

There are likely lots more.