Mild brain injury could soon rate Purple Heart

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This is excellent news for this cause as a whole.

Mild brain injury could soon rate Purple Heart

By Andrew deGrandpre and Richard Sandza - Staff writers

Posted : Tuesday Mar 15, 2011 18:27:36 EDT

More U.S. troops who sustain combat-related brain injuries could soon be eligible for the Purple Heart.

Senior military leaders at the Pentagon are considering individual service proposals to change the guidelines for awarding the medal to troops who sustain mild traumatic brain injuries or concussions, Military Times has learned. The Purple Heart recognizes U.S. military personnel wounded or killed by enemy action.

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/03/army-mild-brain-injury-could-soon-rate-purple-heart-031511/

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This is excellent news for this cause as a whole.

FULL ARTICLE: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/03/army-mild-brain-injury-could-soon-rate-purple-heart-031511/

A mild TBI and a concussion are not the same thing. It will be interesting to see if they rate a concussion as Purple Heart eligible.

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A mild TBI and a concussion are not the same thing. It will be interesting to see if they rate a concussion as Purple Heart eligible.

A concussion can cause post concussive syndrome, and could be suffered in conjunction with a traumatic brain injury.

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A concussion can cause post concussive syndrome, and could be suffered in conjunction with a traumatic brain injury.

Of course it "can", but it doesn't have too. I have to be honest, I think this might be a tough sell. Perhaps some of our Veterans can chime in. Does awarding the Purple Heart for every concussion, perhaps numbering in the tens or hundreds of thousands, devalue the award for for more serious or more permanent injuries? My personal opinion is it may, but what do others think?

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As someone with a traumatic brain injury, it is hard to prove, especially because people can so easy manipulate and fake it.

I have had my TBI for 4 years now, and it's backed up by several tests that I've had done personally, as well as a battery of tests NYS has also put me through. NYS and my former department have spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on me because they don't understand TBI's, even if a CT scan or MRI or any other reconized test definetevly shows damaged bone and tissue and cognitive function. Their doctors and my doctors tell them over and over again that the injury is permanent, and nothing is going to change, in fact, it may get worse, and sometimes temporarily does. However, it is amazing to see the tax money NYS will piss away due to the way they do things. One of the worst parts is that I can never be a firefighter again. And my injury is exacerrbated by certain people and their malicous actions, and now NYS is looking at going after them to cover some of the cost, which I think is a very progressive move.

I agree with the devaluing of the award, but this is the signature injury of this war. Living near Fort Hood, and working even closer as a Medic, I've personally seen a lot of soliders coming back from war with legit TBI's and post-concussive syndrome. Just because it's not an obvious injury doesn't mean it's a serious one. There needs to be strict guidelines and testing procedures, which there will be. I know a family that has a son in a permanent near vegitative state due to a TBI from an IED, and he didn't get a purple heart. Another soldier in his unit lost an arm, and he got a porsthetic and a purple heart.The family inquired as to why, and it's because the Pentagon doesn't give the purple heart for victims of a closed head injury.

Also, combine that with the PTSD these 18 and 19 year old kids are coming back with. Any of us who have done jobs out of Montrose or any of the other VA's see how messed up some of these guys from Vietnam are.

I hope that this will lead to better protective and reative procedures in the military. Which will in turn better TBI treatment and clinical reconition on the civilian side.