Today, 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 stood with veterans at Wounded Warrior Project in NYC to announce the Blast Overpressure Safety Act, 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.”
“As Chair of the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs committee in the NYS Senate, I want to thank Senator Gillibrand for her work supporting our veterans and for introducing legislation to address the epidemic of traumatic brain injuries in service members and veterans. On a personal note, I want to also thank her on behalf of my military family for championing bipartisan legislation that would also directly help my family and so many military families across the country. Our service members go through so much to protect the freedoms we hold dear including regularly firing heavy weapons which can lead to increased brain injury. It is important that we address this issue. Thank you again to Senator Gillibrand and I’m looking forward to continuing to partner with you to fight for our veterans across the state and the country the way they’ve fought for us,” said New York State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton.
“According to Wounded Warrior Project’s (WWP’s) 2022 Annual Warrior Survey, 36.5% of WWP warriors self-reported experiencing TBI due to military service. Through our survey, and the programs we deliver, we have learned that TBI contributes to a decline in quality of life, presents as an elevated risk factor for suicide, and underlays increased mental health symptom and substance use dependence,” said LTG Walt Piatt, U.S. Army (Ret.), Chief Executive Officer, WWP. “That is why Wounded Warrior Project is proud to support the Blast Overpressure Safety Act which will help protect Service members from blast overpressure and TBI; improve research and data collection regarding brain health and safety; and expand access to effective treatments and support for veterans with a brain injury. WWP applauds Senator Gillibrand and fellow senators for their leadership and efforts to address this critical issue.”
“We know that proximity to explosions and blast overpressure has a detrimental effect on brain health, but these injuries can fly under the radar far too often, not only impacting a veteran’s well-being and quality of life, but their ability to secure their earned benefits,” said DAV National Legislative Director Joy Ilem. “The Blast Over Pressure Act would mandate baseline brain cognitive function tests before training, require the military to record individual blast exposures and regularly test exposed service members to check for signs of injury. DAV is proud to support this bill, and we thank Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for her leadership in co-sponsoring this vital piece of legislation.”
“This important legislation addresses the urgent need to protect our service members from the devastating effects of blast-related traumatic injuries,” said New York City Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner James Hendon. “It is an essential step toward safeguarding the well-being and future of our veteran and military community.”
Gillibrand was joined by New York City Commissioner of Veterans’ Services James Hendon, CEO of Wounded Warrior Project Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Walter Piatt, and veteran advocates.
Specifically, the Blast Overpressure Safety Act would:
1. Mandate regular neurocognitive assessments over a service member’s career, including a baseline neurocognitive assessment before training.
2. Create blast overpressure exposure and TBI logs for all service members.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.