The Military and TBI

I was lucky as an “Air Force brat”: my father never incurred a Traumatic Brain Injury during his enlistment, so my family didn’t have to deal with that. Unfortunately, too many modern military families have to.

According to information on BrainLine.org, TBI in military personnel has been called the “signature wound” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’d like to present some resources on TBI for military personnel, their families, and veterans, that I found on the BrainLine.org page “Finding Resources.”

The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center focuses on active duty military personnel, their dependents, and veterans. DVBIC offers medical care and education, and conducts clinical research. Call them at 1-800-870-9244. Also visit their links page, which is amazing. According to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center site, the DVBIC is headquartered there. Katie Piercy, of Fayetteville, NC, where I used to live, told me about the Fort Bragg DVBIC, located at Womack Army Medical Center. You may want to check a local military hospital for such a center.

America’s Heroes at Work, a project of the U.S. Department of Labor, focuses on employment challenges faced by returning service members who live with TBI and/or PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It’s designed for employers and the workforce development system, to help employees with TBI and/or PTSD succeed. It’s an excellent resource for this, and I haven’t seen anything else like it. American Veterans With Brain Injuries is a very interactive site with personal stories, slideshows, a blog, live chats, and a forum.

BrainLine.org also previews a new Sesame Street primetime special, “Coming Home: Military Families Cope With Change.” Queen Latifah, John Mayer, and Elmo appear. This program explores service members returning home with injuries, physical and psychological, and their families’ challenges in finding a new way of life. It premiers April 1 at 8:00 (check your local listings).