Tag Archives: TBI

Sgt. Garrett Anderson never expected this feeling of betrayal. He loves his country. He supports this war. He believes in his president. He would fight again in Iraq, if he were able. But coming home has been hell for this … Continue reading →

Insult to InjuryNew data reveal an alarming trend: Vets’ disabilities are being downgraded In the middle of a battle in Fallujah in April 2004, an M80 grenade landed a foot away from Fred Ball. The blast threw the 26-year-old Marine … Continue reading →

“We can save you. But you might not be what you were.” Neurosurgeon, Combat Support Hospital, Balad, Iraq This is the new physics of war. Three 155mm shells, linked together and combined with 100 pounds of Semtex plastic explosive, covered … Continue reading →

Long before the uproar over the long-term medical care of troops returning home from Iraq made it fashionable to advocate for veterans rights, Sen. Patty Murray was on the front lines. The Washington Democrat’s father, a disabled World War II veteran, used … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, March 27 — The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense continue to have problems collecting and sharing medical data, hampering treatment for wounded soldiers, lawmakers said at a Congressional hearing today. The hearing before the Senate … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army’s new acting surgeon general said Tuesday she is concerned about long-term morale because the military lacks money to hire enough nurses and mental health specialists to treat thousands of troops coming home from Iraq and … Continue reading →

On the morning of Monday, Jan. 9, 2006, a 21-year-old Army specialist named Suzanne Swift went AWOL. Her unit, the 54th Military Police Company, out of Fort Lewis, Wash., was two days away from leaving for Iraq. Swift and her … Continue reading →

Story Highlights• Testimony paints picture of neglect and bureaucratic delays at VA facilities• Ex-official: Plan shelved to fix problems between VA, Defense departments• VA chief wasn’t behind move to abandon program, VA official tells House panel• Ex-official also says he … Continue reading →

After returning from Iraq in late 2005, Jonathan Schulze spent every day struggling not to fall apart. When a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic turned him away last month, he lost the battle. The 25-year-old Marine from Stewart, Minn., had … Continue reading →

Last year, I was invited by Gen. B.B. Bell, commander of the U.S. Army in Europe and Korea, to speak to a group of active-duty military men and women and their families in Heidelberg, Germany. My goal that day was … Continue reading →