Five times as many soldiers returning from the war in Iraq suffer from brain injuries than were originally thought to have this problem, according to a report in USA Today . At least 20,000 veterans of the conflict who were not classified as being wounded at all show signs of brain injuries, the paper found.By the end of September, 4,471 men and women were officially classified as being wounded with brain injuries. (Just over 30,000 are counted as wounded.) The number of soldiers showing symptoms of brain injuries is actually closer to 25,000.The number of soldiers with long-term injuries should be of concern to rural communities and smaller towns. Both rural counties and smaller metro areas have higher percentages of residents serving in Iraq, according to studies published in the Daily Yonder.