Following a disturbing report showing that service members are sustaining crippling traumatic brain injuries as a result of firing their own weapons, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited VFW Post 9596 to announce legislation to address traumatic brain injuries among service members and veterans.
Service members who regularly fire heavy weapons are at increased risk of brain injury as a result of repeated exposure to explosions or blasts from their own weapons and explosives – otherwise known as blast overpressure. These brain injuries can cause depression, anxiety, cognitive problems, hallucinations, panic attacks, violent outbursts, suicidal tendencies, psychiatric disorders, dementia, and a variety of other serious health problems. At least a dozen Navy SEALs who have died by suicide over the past decade were later found to have suffered blast injuries, and many more service members have complained of health issues after blast exposure. Despite this, the Pentagon has struggled to properly investigate the impact of blast overpressure, effectively track the prevalence of blast overpressure-related injuries, or offer appropriate care to service members and veterans. Gillibrand is calling for more research and better treatment for those affected.
“After repeatedly being exposed to blasts from their own weapons during both training and combat, our service members are sustaining severe and crippling brain trauma,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This bill will require the DoD to investigate the prevalence and causes of these brain injuries; to track each service member’s exposure to blasts; and to help service members access care. This is a critical bill and I look forward to getting it passed in the NDAA.”
State Senator John W. Mannion said, “Congress needs to pass Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s bipartisan Blast Overpressure Safety Act to empower the Defense Department to better understand and mitigate the well-documented effects of long-term exposure to firing powerful weapons. Syracuse is the gateway to Fort Drum and the home to the 174th Attack Wing of the New York Air National Guard. I’m proud to stand with Senator Gillibrand to defend the health and safety of our local military heroes and all Americans who serve in the Armed Forces.”
“Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can be difficult to detect and often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed until it is too late. These injuries can be devastating. Our servicemembers put themselves in harm’s way to protect our freedom. In turn, it is our responsibility to provide care for them during and after their service. The Blast Overpressure Safety Act would help protect servicemembers by mitigating exposure to blast overpressure in the first place, mandating the collection of data so that we can better understand the issue, and ensuring those afflicted can get the care they need, when they need it. I am proud to support this bill and applaud Senator Gillibrand for cosponsoring it,” said Assemblywoman Pamela Hunter.
“Thank you Senator Gillibrand for coming to VFW Post 9596 to raise awareness for the Blast Overpressure Safety Act. This bipartisan legislation will lead to significant assistance for service members and veterans who are experiencing traumatic brain injuries as a result of their service. As a Post Commander, I am committed to ensuring that veterans have access to the care they need, and this is an essential step forward to ensuring the health and safety of our veteran and military community,” said Jeffrey Pierce, VFW Post 9596.
Gillibrand was joined by Director of the Onondaga County Veterans Service Agency Anne-Marie Mancilla, NYS Senator John Mannion, NYS Assemblymember Pam Hunter and NYS Assemblymember Al Stirpe.
Specifically, the Blast Overpressure Safety Act would:
- Mandate regular neurocognitive assessments over a service member’s career, including a baseline neurocognitive assessment before training.
- Create blast overpressure exposure and TBI logs for all service members.
- Increase transparency regarding blast overpressure safety in the weapons acquisition process. DoD must consider the minimization of blast overpressure during the acquisition process, require contracting entities to provide blast overpressure safety data, and publish blast overpressure safety data for weapons systems and its plans to better protect service members from in-use weapons systems.
- Improve data on concussive and subconcussive brain injuries service members sustain. This includes information on discharges related to and medical providers trained in these injuries, as well as efforts with allies and partners to better address these injuries.
- Enhance efforts to mitigate exposure and help service members access care. This includes retaliation protections for those who seek care; modifying existing weapons system to reduce blast exposure; updating and making publicly available blast overpressure thresholds and creating a waiver system for exceeding these thresholds; training high-risk service members to help them recognize exposure symptoms and creating strategies to mitigate their risk; and expanding the types of technologies in the Warfighter Brain Health Initiative pilot blast monitoring program.
- Support service member treatment by establishing a Special Operations Comprehensive Brain Health and Trauma program, making the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE) a program of record and requiring DoD to provide child care services to those seeking treatment there, and mandating training for medical and training personnel on blast overpressure and exposure and TBI.