To: Members of the House and Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees

**We call on Congress to demand full transparency from the Department of Defense regarding the conditions, casualties, and injuries of U.S. service members deployed to the CENTCOM area of responsibility during the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Since Operation Epic Fury began in February 2026, the Pentagon has:
 

  •    Reclassified casualties occurring after July 7 under a new “Overseas Operations” category, separate from the original operation — a change multiple senators have flagged as obscuring the true human cost of this war.    

•    Left unanswered a formal request from 12 U.S. Senators, led by Senator Mazie Hirono, asking how many deployed service members have been screened for or diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries.    •    Declined to share with the Senate Armed Services Committee the Justice Department legal opinion justifying the President’s authority to continue this military action — a request Senator Tim Kaine has publicly stated was refused.

This isn’t a partisan issue. Republicans and Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee have jointly requested public hearings on this war’s objectives and conduct. Service members and their families deserve accurate information. Congress has a constitutional oversight responsibility it cannot fulfill without it.

We ask that Congress:

1.    Compel DoD to restore unified, transparent casualty reporting for this conflict.    

2.    Require full disclosure of TBI/concussion screening data for CENTCOM-deployed troops.    

3.    Hold a public hearing, with testimony from senior DoD officials, on the current strategy, objectives, and welfare provisions for deployed service members.

Signed by veterans, military families, and concerned citizens who believe the truth about this war belongs to the American people, not just to Washington.**