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Military Deployment and Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the signature injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If you were exposed to a blast, were in a vehicle crash, or had your head hit or jolted while you were deployed, you might have a brain injury.

Mild to moderate brain injury, also called a “closed head” injury, may not reveal itself with noticeable symptoms at the time the injury happens. A person can become symptomatic many months after the injury occurred. Changes in behavior and mood, sleep patterns, and the ability to concentrate or remember things might be affected. This can have long-term consequences for you and your family.

Learning how your brain might have been affected will give you important information for diagnosis and treatment. Family members, friends, and colleagues often observe changes in service members returning from combat, even if you are not aware of the changes yourself. These changes may indicate that you have a TBI or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

If you can answer “yes” to any of these questions, you may have a combat-related traumatic brain injury.

Have you ...

• Had persistent trouble sleeping?
• Experienced memory loss?
• Found yourself confused or disoriented?
• Had difficulty concentrating?
• Been depressed, anxious, or irritable?
• Had a headache, ringing in your ears, blurred vision, or neck pain?
• Felt dizzy or suddenly lost your balance?
• Experienced blackouts?
• Felt unusually tired or fatigued?
• Experienced increased sensitivity to bright light and noise?

While you were deployed, were you injured by a ...

• Bullet, fragment, or shrapnel, etc.?
• Vehicle accident (any type)?
• Blast (IED, RPG, land mine, grenade, etc.)?
• Were you near an IED, RPG, land mine, or grenade when it exploded?

Did any injury you sustained while you were deployed result in any of the following:

• Feeling dazed or confused?
• Not remembering the injury?
• Loss of consciousness?
• Having any symptoms of concussion afterward (headaches, dizziness, irritability, light and noise sensitivity, ringing in your ears)?
• Injury to the head or face?

If you’re not sure who to turn to, let the Brain Injury Association of NYS help you. Call us at 1-800-228-8201 for more information.