About Traumatic Brain Injury | Soldiers and TBI



		*Helping persons with TBI put their lives back together since 1983.*
		Soldiers and TBI
		Called the “Signature Wound” of the war, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) caused by explosions has become one of the most common combat wounds suffered in Iraq. Thirty percent of soldiers taken to Walter Reed Army Medical Center since 2003 suffered traumatic brain injuries, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. Soldiers sometimes walk away from explosions with no obvious injuries. But the concussion from the blast can have a lingering effect that is not always immediately apparent. The military estimates that one-fifth of the troops with mild brain injuries will have prolonged or lifelong symptoms requiring continuing care. As the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan continue, the number of severely wounded Armed Forces personnel continues to climb. The following links are articles, fact sheets, resources and current information about Soldiers and TBI. In this section there is information for Veterans on how to receive help and continuing medical care after discharge. If you have any questions that are not answered here, please call us at 562-938-9005 and one of our case managers can help you. Important Links for Veterans Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center http://www.dvbic.org/index.html The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) serves active duty military, their dependents and veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) through medical care, clinical research initiatives and educational programs. Military.com http://www.military.com/ Military.com is the largest military and veteran membership organization who connects service members, military families and veterans to all the benefits of service — government benefits, scholarships, discounts, lifelong friends, mentors, great stories of military life or missions, and provides headline news and technology updates. TRICARE http://www.tricare.mil/ TRICARE is the health care program serving active duty service members, retirees, their families, survivors and former spouses worldwide. U.S. Department of Defense http://www.defenselink.mil/ The Wounded Warrior Hotline http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/2007/walter_reed/ The “Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline,” 1-800-984-8523 provides information and services to wounded soldiers and their families. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs http://www.va.gov/ The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides patient care and veterans' benefits. News Articles, Press Releases & Web Sites Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq http://www.hbo.com/aliveday/index.html HBO produced this documentary which focuses on 10 Marines who reveal their feelings on their future, their severe disabilities and their devotion to America. The documentary surveys the physical and emotional cost of war through memories of their "alive day," the day they narrowly escaped death in Iraq. Bob Woodruff Family Fund http://www.bobwoodrufffamilyfund.org/index2.shtml The Bob Woodruff Fund helps to ensure that our young heroes and their families have access to a lifetime of state-of-the-art treatment options, education, employment opportunities, and other long-term support to help them reintegrate back into their communities. “Answers to your questions about Brain Injury” ABC News http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=1562175 Scientists and doctors have only just begun to unravel the mysteries of brain injuries. Here, some of the country's leading experts answer your questions about brain trauma. “Brain Injured Vets face gap in care” CBS News http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/12/cbsnews_investigates/main2561163.shtml Traumatic brain injuries are the signature war wounds in Iraq and Afghanistan, but as CBS reports, many vets don't know about the high-quality private treatment options available to them. CDC Fact Sheet: Blast Injuries http://www.bt.cdc.gov/masscasualties/blastessentials.asp Bombs and explosions can cause unique patterns of injury seldom seen outside combat. “TBI Common Wound of War” Marine Corps Times http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/08/marine_brainmain_070828/ Since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001, about 2,100 troops have been formally diagnosed with TBI. But officials estimate up to 150,000 troops may have suffered concussions — mild TBI — from roadside bomb attacks. “Care for Brain Injured Veterans carries high financial, emotional costs” PBS News Hour http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june07/wounded_04-12.html Among the worst injuries are the traumatic brain injuries. “Soldiers Story of Traumatic Brain Injury” WSOC-TV http://www.wsoctv.com/health/5392779/detail.html Military physicians are seeing a greater number of TBI’s in the Iraq war than in any other recent U.S. conflict. One of the reasons revolves around the protective gear used by the soldiers. The helmets are unable to protect the brain against the severe forces created by a blast from a roadside bomb or suicide bomber. “Traumatic Brain Injury in Combat Troops” by Kate Grossman, MD http://menshealth.about.com/od/conditions/a/TBI_Comat_Troop.htm Mild traumatic brain injury and concussion is the most common combat-related injury. “Traumatic Brain Injury on the Front Line” Neurophilosophy http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2007/05/14/traumatic-brain-injury-on-the-front-line/ Neurologists say that the Pentagon’s figures are based on the number of recorded penetrative head wounds, and exclude the closed head wounds also caused by Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), which are much more difficult to diagnose, and which may far outnumber the other types of brain injuries. The actual numbers of troops with TBI may therefore be much greater than the official estimates. “Troops Struggle to Cope with Brain Injuries” MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20612615/ As more young men and women return from the war, TBI is a growing burden — for them, for the too-few doctors and programs available to treat them, and for taxpayers, who pay for their care and disability if they cannot hold jobs or make their way in the world.
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