Years of fighting in Iraq have left over four-thousand Americans dead, and more than 30-thousand wounded. While the death count may be accurate, those who came back wounded believe, official figures wildly understate the number of service members who've returned less than whole. CGTN's Jim Spellman reports.

In 2010, then U.S. President Barack Obama announced an end to combat operations in Iraq.

BARACK OBAMA FORMER US PRESIDENT "The United States has paid a huge price to put the futures of Iraq in hands of its people. We have sent our young men and women to make enormous sacrifices in Iraq."

In many ways, the war in Iraq has never really ended - and along with the war in Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism- all of it has taken a heavy toll on U.S. troops. According to the Pentagon, nearly seven thousand (6,949) U.S. troops and civilians have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and the larger so-called war on terror. While more than 50-thousand (52,644) have been wounded in action. But that wounded figure doesn't reflect the true impact on the troops who served. According to Brown University, more than two and a half million U.S. troops served in Iraq and Afghanistan. At least 970-thousand have registered disability claims with the U.S Veterans Administration. Disability claims cover everything from severe injuries like the loss of a limb to more modest injuries like ongoing back pain or hearing loss. Many veterans have also dealt with mental health issues.

BARBARA ROMBERG VETERANS ADVOCATE "No one expected these many men and women to come back with traumatic brain injuries, physical injuries, Post Traumatic Stress, so it's imperative that we come up with ways to provide care for them."

According to a 2015 report from the non-partisan Congressional Research Service more than 138 thousand (138,197) who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and related conflicts, have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder while more than 300 thousand ( 327,299) have suffered from traumatic brain injuries. Many of those wounded will need care for life.

JOHN NAGL CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN SECURITY "In addition to the immediate cost, the thousands of American soldiers dead and wounded, come the long term cost of taking care of them and taking care of their families for literally generations to come."

JIM SPELLMAN WASHINGTON "And many veterans are paying a price impossible to measure in dollars and cents. According to Brown University, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan face elevated rates of mental illness, drug addiction and homelessness. Jim Spellman, CGTN, Washington."