Defense Secretary Ash Carter speaks with Army ROTC cadets about his Force of the Future initiatives during a visit to Fort Knox, Ky., June 22, 2016. (Department of Defense)
FORT KNOX, Ky. — The Pentagon will not disclose the details of U.S. forces wounded in a battle against the Islamic State group, a stand that Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said was consistent with Defense Department policy in previous conflicts.
“We made no change in policy with respect to disclosing information about wounded servicemembers, none whatsoever,” Carter said Wednesday.
This week, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook said he would not provide details on whether four servicemembers were injured in Syria earlier this month because it would aid the Islamic State group.
On Wednesday, Carter said there were a variety of reasons why the Pentagon would not disclose those details, including servicemembers’ medical privacy.
“We do not disclose all features of battlefield wounds . There are a number of reasons for that. We don’t disclose someone’s personal injuries. That is a very private personal matter. That and many other reasons (why) we don’t do that.”
copp.tara@stripes.com Twitter: @TaraCopp
