Pentagon Database Omits Two U.S. Service Member Deaths in Middle East, Report Says
By garrisonvance // 2026-09-22
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The Pentagon's public casualty tracking system has omitted at least two U.S. service member deaths that occurred in the Middle East during the U.S. war with Iran, according to the Washington Post. The omissions bring the minimum confirmed death toll to 22 service members, up from the 18 the Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) listed as of Friday, officials said. The two service members whose deaths were not included in the database are Maj. Sorffly Davius, who died March 6 in Kuwait, and Sgt. Devin Seibel, who died May 31 in Iraq, according to the report, which cited five U.S. officials. Both were deployed in support of operations that the Pentagon has described as separate from the Iran conflict. The Pentagon press office did not respond to a request for comment. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth responded to the article on social media, calling the report "DISGUSTING and FAKE" and stating that the Post is "worse than Iranian state media." The omissions were reported as the Pentagon faces congressional scrutiny over its public accounting of the conflict. The Pentagon's inspector general released its first report on the war with Iran this week, covering April 1 through June 30, finding that munitions expenditure during the war has resulted in inventory shortfalls [1]. The CBO has separately estimated the war cost approximately $38 billion in its first five months, a figure that could rise by another $2 billion to $3 billion for every additional month of fighting [2].

Details of Omitted Deaths

Maj. Sorffly Davius, a member of the 42nd Infantry Division, died March 6 at Camp Buehring in Kuwait of "undetermined causes." Davius deployed to Kuwait in the summer of 2025 in support of Operation Spartan Shield, the Pentagon said. He was 46 years old, according to CBS News coverage of the arrival of his remains at Dover Air Force Base on March 9 [3]. Pentagon said that Sgt. Devin Seibel, assigned to the Air Ambulance Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado, died May 31 at Erbil Air Base in Iraq during a "training-related incident." Seibel's death is under investigation, and he was deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The omissions follow a pattern of discrepancies between the Pentagon's public casualty data and the figures reported by active service members and independent outlets. As of September 8, the Pentagon's casualty database listed 18 killed and 820 wounded since the U.S. war on Iran began on February 28 [4]. The omission of Davius and Seibel would bring the minimum killed total to at least 22 service members, with some officials citing figures between 22 and 23 service members plus three contractors. Active service members have separately told CBS News that "major damage to our bases" has not been communicated to the American public, providing undated photos and video showing a severed radar jet, flattened trailers, and severely damaged buildings at U.S. sites in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait [5][3].

DCAS Database and Prior Controversy

The DCAS database came under scrutiny earlier this year after the names of four service members killed by Iranian strikes were temporarily removed and later restored. According to the report, the Post had published a story in July about critics describing the database as "inconsistent." As of Friday, DCAS listed 14 deaths under Operation Epic Fury and four under the category "Overseas Operations" that coincided with a July 7 ceasefire, according to the Post report. The database's public totals have moved repeatedly during the conflict, and comparisons between DCAS and the figures cited by officials, including the Pentagon's own inspector general, have shown differences. Senate Democrats on the Armed Services Committee pressed Hegseth in late July for a "full and accurate accounting," stating that DCAS "reported inconsistent casualty figures," according to the Post report. House Armed Services Committee Democrats have sent multiple Requests for Information about the discrepancy, and the Pentagon has not responded, sources said. This is not the first time the administration has faced similar criticism. The Trump administration was previously accused of withholding details on U.S. military casualties and civilian deaths from unauthorized airstrikes in Yemen, with over 1,000 conducted since March [6]. As many as 150 U.S. service members were wounded in the first 10 days of the war with Iran, a figure that represented a significant increase over initial Pentagon disclosures [7].

Conclusion

The discrepancies between the DCAS database and the actual casualties reported by officials raise questions about the transparency and reliability of the Pentagon's public reporting, lawmakers said. The Pentagon has not provided a full accounting despite congressional requests, and the death toll remains uncertain, with officials citing figures between 22 and 23 service members plus three contractors. The omissions underscore an ongoing debate over the accuracy of official casualty data during the war with Iran, a debate that has intensified over six months of conflict [10]. The issue reflects a broader pattern of contested public accounting during recent U.S. military operations. During the war in Afghanistan, the Pentagon's deputy director of operations told reporters, "We don't do body counts, nor actually do we head counts, but we know we haven't gotten them all" [11]. More recently, the Pentagon has faced accusations of underplaying the extent of damage to U.S. bases in the Middle East, with active service members providing imagery to CBS News [5]. The omissions in the DCAS database, combined with the inspector general's finding of munition shortfalls and the CBO's $38 billion cost estimate, have renewed calls for greater transparency in the Pentagon's public reporting of the war with Iran. Hegseth has not responded to specific questions about Davius and Seibel's absence from the database, and the Pentagon has not indicated when or whether it will update the public figures.

References

  1. Middle East Eye. "Pentagon watchdog says war on Iran led to 'strategic' US munitions shortfalls". September 15, 2026.
  2. RT. "Pentagon's Iran war costs hit $38 billion in five months - budget office". September 16, 2026.
  3. Middle East Eye. "New imagery reveals US underplaying extent of damage from Iranian attacks". September 16, 2026.
  4. Middle East Eye. "Thirty more US troops wounded in Iran war, Pentagon database reports". September 8, 2026.
  5. BBC. "Photos show widespread damage at US sites from Iranian attacks". September 16, 2026.
  6. Willow Tohi. "White House Conceals Casualty Figures in Unilateral Yemen Campaign Amid Policy Shifts and Growing Backlash". NaturalNews.com. May 6, 2025.
  7. Garrison Vance. "Pentagon Confirms 150+ US Casualties as Global Energy Markets Brace for Collapse". NaturalNews.com. March 13, 2026.
  8. NaturalNews.com. "Pentagon polygraph probe targets leakers amid Iran war tensions". September 7, 2026.
  9. ZeroHedge. "Hegseth's Polygraphs Return To Pentagon In 'Major Leak Hunt' Over Iran War". September 6, 2026.
  10. Middle East Eye. "'No end in sight': Democrats slam Trump after six months of Iran war". August 28, 2026.
  11. Norman Solomon. "War Made Easy".

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