In "200," it was revealed that JJ's transfer was a backstop and that she was actually put on a task force in the Middle East with Mateo Cruz (who later became the section chief of the BAU following Strauss's death). During this time, she witnessed a mission she had pushed for fail and discovered one of the task force's informants dead. In February 2011, while overseas, she discovered that she was pregnant. However, in April 2011, following the events of "Lauren," during an attack on the task force, she was wounded and miscarried the baby. She didn't initially tell Will of the pregnancy, and it remained a secret between her and Cruz. In "The Forever People," when she starts showing signs of PTSD, Reid calls her on it, and he tries to help her and talk to her. She eventually admits she had a miscarriage due to the attack on her convoy, and asks him to keep it between them.