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 American Legion Post 1610 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.”
“It has been well established that blast overpressure exposure from artillery and other explosives is linked to traumatic brain injuries, sensory injuries, and several other medical conditions. These injuries may not always be visible, but their impact on the lives of our Veterans can be lifelong. We have a responsibility to ensure that every Veteran affected receives the comprehensive medical care they need to ensure their recovery and well-being. This legislation lays the groundwork to better understand the full extent of these injuries and gives us the tools to develop more effective procedures and preventative measures. I thank Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and our other federal partners for their advocacy and wish to voice my strong support for this bill,” said Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, “Many of our veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq have been exposed to blast overexposure from U.S.-supplied weapons – blasts that have been known to cause traumatic brain injuries leading to seizures, hallucinations, and high risk of suicide. I commend Senator Gillibrand for working to both connect our impacted veterans with the care they need but also working to hold the Department of Defense to a higher standard so those who put their lives on the line in the future are not exposed to these harmful blasts.”
Gillibrand was joined by Commander of American Legion Post 1610 Jacqueline Jones, NYS Senator Neil Breslin, Director of the Albany County Veterans Service Bureau Scott Leslie, and NYS Assemblymember Pat Fahy.
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.