Congress poised to slash funding for brain injuries/research

mommabear · Joined: Feb 20, 2003 Posts: 6319

Quote:

USA Today:

Congress appears ready to slash funding for the research and treatment of brain injuries caused by bomb blasts, an injury that military scientists describe as a signature wound of the Iraq war.

House and Senate versions of the 2007 Defense appropriation bill contain $7 million for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center -- half of what the center received last fiscal year. ...

The center has clashed with the Pentagon in recent months over a program to identify troops who have suffered mild to moderate brain injuries in Iraq from mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and roadside bombs — the most common weapons used by insurgents.

Preliminary research by the center shows that about 10% of all troops in Iraq, and up to 20% of front line infantry troops, suffer concussions during combat tours. Many experience headaches, disturbed sleep, memory loss and behavior issues after coming home, the research shows.

The center urged the Pentagon to screen all troops returning from Iraq in order to treat symptoms and create a database of brain injury victims. Scientists say multiple concussions can cause permanent brain damage.

The Pentagon so far has declined to do the screening and argues that more research is needed.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-08-08-brain-center_x.htm

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Next year, we're projected to spend over $84 billion on new weapons. We'll spend ten times that $19 mil for "Star Wars" ballistic missile defense alone -- a program with almost no chance of ever working and designed to counter one of the least likely post-Cold War threats.

http://www.veteransforamerica.org/index.cfm/Page/Article/ID/7788

Here's information about an organization trying to protect our troops since our government won't.

Quote:

OPERATION HELMET provides helmet upgrade kits free of charge to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as to those ordered to deploy in the near future. These helmet upgrades do three primary things:

* Protection - Shock-absorbing pads keep the helmet from slapping the skull when hit with blast forces, fragments, or being tumbled along the ground or inside a vehicle. This decreases the chance of brain injury from bombs, RPG's, vehicle accidents, falls, etc.
* Comfort - If it is more comfortable, it will stay on troop's head longer and more often.
* Stability - Keeps the helmet firmly on the head and out of the eyes.

http://www.operation-helmet.org/

xavierx · Joined: Nov 06, 2004 Posts: 5427

I can't reply to much here, because I know things I can't explain. But I can tell you that the bolded part is a lie, and the last part is disingenuous at best:

Quote:

We'll spend ten times that $19 mil for "Star Wars" ballistic missile defense alone -- a program with almost no chance of ever working and designed to counter one of the least likely post-Cold War threats.

As far as the first article goes, this is the first I've heard of it - I'll wait until I read more before I jump to a conclusion.