Sept. 17, 2006
 
BYRD’S EYE VIEW: Meeting Needs of Injured U.S. Troops
 
From the desk of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-WV
 
Washington, DC (HNN) -- For many of the troops who serve in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, their sacrifices do not end with their deployments.
 
Those who are injured in battle often return home in need of specialized medical care. Their recoveries are many times long, difficult, and have lasting effects on the victims and their families. These brave men and women risk their lives for their country, and we owe them nothing short of the best medical care available.
 
The weapons of choice in today’s wars have changed and so have the injuries. Our forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are under attack by grenades, bombs, land mines, and artillery shells. These explosive devices have made brain injuries the “signature wound” of the war in Iraq, and the health care we provide to returning troops must adapt.
 
That is why I have championed funding in the Senate for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. The center provides medical evaluation, treatment, and long-term care for active duty military members, their dependents, and veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
 
The DVBIC estimates that approximately one in ten service members in Iraq, and two in ten troops on the front lines, return from combat tours with concussions. As of March 31, 2006, the Pentagon reported about 1,200 traumatic brain injuries as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
Experts say the real total is much higher because internal head injuries -- in which there may be no obvious wound -- often go undiagnosed.
 
The DVBIC’s leaders asked Congress for additional funding for the coming year, due to the growing number of patients with brain injuries, the cost of long-term care, and the need for research to improve treatment and prevention. Yet, the center was at risk of having its budget cut by 50 percent.
 
The facility is critically important for rehabilitating injured servicemembers, and I could not let its funding languish. I went to work on legislation that would fully fund the DVBIC for the coming year. The funds were recently approved by the Senate and are now one step closer to becoming law.
 
America’s fighting forces put their lives on the line when they report for duty. They have earned the respect of their nation as well as access to high-quality medical care for as long as they need it. I will continue to work to ensure that our troops receive nothing less.