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 WNY Heroes 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.”
“We owe it to our veterans—who have defended democracy and preserved our precious freedoms—to prevent needless injury and suffering, including those sustained from long-term exposure to blasts from weapons,” Congressman Tim Kennedy said. “Far too many veterans, especially from the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, face debilitating symptoms, including depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and serious health problems like dementia and psychiatric disorders due to traumatic brain injuries. I will not stop working with Senator Gillibrand and my colleagues in Congress to pass the Blast Overpressure Safety Act to provide our veterans with the support and comprehensive care they need to treat and recover from injuries sustained while defending our nation.”
“As a staunch advocate for active service members and military veterans in Erie County, I support this legislation because it will allow the Department of Defense to properly investigate why these devastating brain injuries occur and will help ensure that our brave men and women in the military and our veterans receive the proper care they deserve,” said Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz.
“I personally and as President of WNYHeroes fully back and support this proposal. As we all know, TBI also plays a big part in suicide among Veterans. I myself contemplated it daily after returning home. Because of that, I created Pawsitive for Heroes, a service dog program to assist those going through the same nightmares as I have. Our Veterans are worth it,” said President and CEO of WNY Heroes Chris Kreiger.
Gillibrand was joined by Congressman Tim Kennedy and President and CEO of WNY Heroes Chris Kreiger.
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.