Are brain injuries from IED blasts causing the military suicide crisis?
March 05, 2013
WASHINGTON -- Traumatic brain injuries sustained by more than 200,000 U.S. troops during combat explosions may be fueling the military's suicide crisis, according to a letter co-signed by 53 congressional members who are seeking additional data to investigate the new theory.
In the letter, sent Tuesday to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, the lawmakers urged both agencies to provide Congress with a raft of figures, including the number of Iraq and Afghanistan service members and veterans who committed suicide or tried to end their lives after being brain injured by the detonation of an improvised explosive device — "the weapon of choice" in both wars.
Click here to read the full report by Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor, including this quote from U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna:
"There is particular evidence linking suicide to those wounded by IEDs," added Rep. Richard Hanna, R-N.Y. "It is my hope that through additional research we will be able to identify and reverse this painful trend. One suicide is too many and we should do all we can to address this as quickly as possible."
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