Army Veteran Who Survived Major Missile Blast in Iraq Sounds Alarm on TBIs
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Alan Johnson survived a ballistic missile attack while on deployment in Iraq. Now, he and others are encouraging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to swiftly reform how traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are detected and studied.
Johnson, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who served for over 27 years, survived an Iranian-fired ballistic missile on Jan. 8, 2020, while deployed to Al-Asad Airbase with the 34th Expeditionary Combat Aviation Brigade. He and his colleagues experienced the largest-ever ballistic missile barrage on U.S. forces, with 15 such missiles fired at their base. Each missile carried warheads weighing roughly 1,500 pounds.
Fast forward to March 5, 2026. Johnson provided sworn testimony to the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Subcommittee on Health, advocating for better efforts to detect TBI in addition to toxic exposure monitoring and providing long-term veteran care.
Members of the Headquarters Support Company, 834th Aviation Support Battalion stand in formation (maintaining physical distancing standards for COVID-19 prevention) on May 2, 2020, at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, during the Purple Heart presentation ceremony for Maj. Alan Johnson. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Morgan Maidl)
He outlined peer-reviewed research and post-attack environmental data that he said reveal the scope of injuries—which were initially underdiagnosed and insufficiently tracked—sustained by hundreds of service members. The Army eventually awarded dozens of Purple Hearts to soldiers who sustained TBIs.
For six years, we’ve gone through all the proper channels, and nothing happened. After I retired and could speak more freely, I decided to say more.
“Between the blasts, the toxic bomb site and the radiation testing of some, but not all, personnel affected by the missile attacks—we knew something was wrong almost immediately. I’m grateful Congress invited us to further discuss what’s happened to the men and women that were at Al-Asad,” Johnson added.
Along with Johnson, the following individuals also provided sworn testimony to lawmakers: Dr. Rachel McArdle, deputy executive director of rehabilitation and prosthetic services at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); Dr. Joel Scholten, executive director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the VA; Buster Miscusi, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran; and Dr. Russell Gore, chief medical officer at the Avalon Action Alliance.
Knocked Out Twice From Mega Blast
On the day of the record-breaking missile barrage, Johnson was attached to Delta Company, 2nd Battalion, 82nd Aviation Regiment, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division.
He testified to members of Congress that during the ordeal he was sheltered in an indirect fire shelter that was designed and intended to protect against rockets, small arms, grenades or mortar fire. It was not constructed to deter a hailstorm of ballistic missiles the likes of which reigned down that day.
Above-ground indirect-fire shelter at Al-Asad Air Base damaged in the Jan. 8,
2020 missile attack which lacked a protective door and offered limited protection
from nearby blast impacts. (Alan Johnson testimony)
“I have no memory of the first three missile impacts because the third missile impact knocked me unconscious,” Johnson recalled. “I woke up just in time to experience missiles four, five and six.”
All of these missiles were in close proximity to my position, with No. 6 impacting 60 feet away from me. The subsequent massive percussive wave knocked me unconscious for a second time.
The missiles caused “catastrophic damage” to mission-essential infrastructure, living quarters and support systems, according to Johnson.
Health issues Johnson sustained from the barrage led to diagnoses of TBI and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cranial nerve damage he suffered has caused lingering issues like double vision, broken teeth, chronic insomnia, ringing in his ears, neck pain, balance problems, and difficulty in word finding.
Specialist Patrick Ben, Staf Sergeant Costin Herwig and Specialist Gregory Sorensen stand in a blast crater at Al-Asad Air Base following the Jan. 8, 2020 missile attack. (House Committee testimony from Alan Johnson)
I feel more emotionally distant from my wife, children and friends. I worry about whether I will ever again be the husband, father and friend that I was before that attack, as I have experienced hypervigilance, paranoia and depression.
“I am also currently in a thyroid surveillance program due to a number of new thyroid nodules that have developed since the attack and exposure to the toxic environment,” Johnson added.
Post-Attack Studies, Findings
In an effort to discover how that day’s events plagued not only him but his fellow service members, Johnson set out to tie data to the health repercussions.
He co-authored research examining 583 service members exposed to the missile strike on that January day, finding that more than 80% of the U.S. military personnel at the airbase reported blast exposure while nearly half experienced persistent symptoms 4-6 weeks after the fact—including sleep disturbances, anxiety and headaches.
A follow-up cohort study found that 34 of 35 patients within 100 meters of a blast impact met criteria for mild TBI, as additional cases were identified weeks later through expanded screening.
Soil samples from the Al-Asad missile impact site show detectable radioactive isotopes
and heavy metals in crater soil. (Alan Johnson testimony)
Johnson told the committee that current field screening tools, such as the Military Acute Concussion Evaluation (MACE-2), failed to detect many mild or delayed TBIs immediately after the attack. The underreporting of symptoms was common among soldiers determined to remain in mission-essential roles, he testified, with many resuming duties “within hours” and even assisted in area cleanup operations later determined to be contaminated.
“These findings confirm what many of us experienced—that blast-related brain injuries are often delayed, subtle and easily missed in austere combat environments,” Johnson told the House committee.
Post-attack testing data of the environmental impact on these service members detected radioactive isotopes, heavy metals and toxic chemicals at the site. A propellant in the missiles contained another toxin, ammonium perchlorate, a powerful oxidizer and irritant linked to adverse health effects.
Johnson testified that multiple service members, including himself, later developed thyroid abnormalities. He is currently in a thyroid surveillance program after the development of new nodules.
Congressional Mandates to Detect, Limit TBIs
The Iranian missile blast had countless repercussions, not just for Johnson but others who served the United States.
One of the soldiers Johnson helped treat in the attack’s aftermath was Specialist Jason Quitugua, who suffered a TBI and died by suicide on Oct. 7, 2021. Quitugua had been diagnosed with a TBI that caused him headaches, insomnia, PTSD and severe depression as part of the attack that Johnson said “ultimately cost him his life.”
Another service member, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Thomas Caudill, had imaging appear normal under routine diagnostics even as he suffered significant cognitive symptoms.
Johnson proposed the following mandates for Congress to address:
Improved field TBI screening tools capable of detecting subtle and delayed injuries.
Brain MRI and MRV imaging after blast exposure.
Baseline and follow-up neuropsychological testing.
Thyroid ultrasound screening with annual follow-up.
Expanded cancer screening protocols for blast-exposed personnel.
Annual baseline laboratory testing to detect early disease markers.
Increased federal investment in research focused on restoring brain function, not solely managing symptoms.
Damage to barracks and operations facilities at Al-Asad Air Base following the missile attack. The arrow indicates the indirect-fire shelter where Lt. Col. Johnson was
located, approximately 60 feet from the impact site. (Alan Johnson testimony)
The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) has reported nearly 414,000 TBIs among U.S. service members worldwide between 2000 and late 2019, according to the VA. More than 185,000 Veterans who use VA for their health care have been diagnosed with at least one TBI, with the majority of cases classified as “mild.”
Johnson also warned of the potential negative repercussions to U.S. veterans who may not only develop adverse health conditions but also do not get blessed with the truth.
During his testimony he referenced Hansen v. Islamic Republic of Iran, where federal courts dismissed claims by 185 service members and families because the missile attack did not result in fatalities among plaintiffs and therefore did not meet the statutory definition of “extrajudicial killing” under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act terrorism exception.
“If we fail to diagnose and document these injuries early,” Johnson testified, “veterans lose access to care and lose the evidentiary foundation necessary for access to these medical resources.”
