As discussed in the previous post, brain injuries are the signature wound of soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the military may not be doing enough to help soldiers recover from these injuries so that they can return to work and life. According to an in-depth series by ProPublica, one man was helped greatly after he and his wife received media attention for his lack of care.

He then was sent to a special brain injury treatment center called the National Intrepid Center of Excellence where specialized care is tailored to the individual. Only a small number of soldiers can go to the center at a time so each soldier receives help from about 10 doctors, rather than each doctor helping at least 10 patients. Brain injuries are different in each person and it takes a specialized program that is intensive and extended to best recover from an injury.

Most people will not be able to receive this kind of care and, thus, will have trouble overcoming their injuries to the fullest level possible. About 230,000 veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered a traumatic brain injury and about 200 have been treated at the special brain injury center in Maryland.

The man's wife would like to see all soldiers receive the standard of care that her husband received at the NICOE, but it is unknown how much better the military will get at treating soldiers with brain injuries, particularly since the Defense Department can't account for where $2.7 billion went that had been designated for treating soldiers with brain injuries and PTSD and other psychological health issues.

Source: ProPublica, "One Soldier's Progress Against Traumatic Brain Injury," Joaquin Sapien and Daniel Zwerdling, Jan. 30, 2012