The three soldiers were killed, and two other service members wounded, in the region of Lower Dir, which is close to the tribal areas.
Armed with pads, pencils and cameras, they had two hours to carry out their mission: making drawings of service members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some 20 percent of service members wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered blows to the face, neck or head, and the number of brain injuries has nearly tripled in the past decade, to more than 30,000 from 11,000.
A guard at the hospital – the name of which is a reference to the day in 1962 when Yemen's last monarch was deposed – was killed in one of the strikes, and 10 staff members wounded.
But this week Mr. Loosen got a new device that he, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pentagon hope will make a major difference for not just hundreds of service members wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, but also thousands of older veterans who have lost legs to combat or diseases like diabetes.
From the tour, and from disclosures in Washington on Friday, a new picture emerged of how it was possible for the attackers to sneak up on one of the Navy's newest and most sophisticated warships and detonate an explosion that, in addition to killing 17 crew members, wounded 39 others and did extensive damage.
On a patrol off Wotje Atoll, the ship was fired on by a shore battery that left nine of her crew members wounded.
Other changes expanding the eligibility criteria include the award of the Purple Heart to service members wounded while serving in any armed conflict in which the U.S. is engaged, even undeclared, for wounds received as a result of friendly fire and while held as prisoner of war or while being taken captive.
A policeman and a local militia member were wounded, the report said.
