Question for Vets RE: Purple Heart

[C-grunt]

Ok first Id like to clarify that this goes out to veterans only. No offense to non vets but your opinion is usually swayed to one side regarding this. Ive been debating asking this here but here it goes.

Back in June/July 2005 my Bradley I was in was struck by a 3 count 155mm IED. It was a direct hit on the side. During the blast I was thrown into the interior wall of the vehicle and knocked out. I was unconscious for about 30 seconds to a minute depending on which guy you ask that was with me. When I woke up I had a horrible headache and was dizzy for a few days.

The Doc back at the FOB diagnosed me with a concussion. I got out of the Army after that deployment and continued to have problems afterwards with headaches, migraines, memory loss and occasional vertigo/dizziness. I went to the VA and was diagnosed with a TBI.

Last year I was told by someone that there is a way to get a Purple Heart since I have proof I was injured by enemy fire.

Half of me thinks I deserve it but the other half is saying "you have all your limbs quit being a bitch". I know guys that were shot and missing body parts and I look at myself and know that Im lucky.

So what do you guys think?

[murphy j]

As a fellow Grunt that came up 'old school Army' and has been on the 2 way range a couple times, I'd say you earned it. It may not be a visible injury, but it is an injury that stays with you for life. Maybe the VA can tell you the process, but I don't know it.

[Iraqgunz]

You need to look at MILPER message 11-125. The issue was addressed a few years back because of the type of situation you are discussing and because of the recognition that TBI is something to be taken serious.

[steyrman13]

From Purpleheart.org...the Military of the purple heart-"The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of wounds received in action. It is specifically a combat decoration."

You were injured in combat by an enemy action and required medical treatment for the injury, therefore you deserve it. I understand where you are going....if you were to be injured by a paper airplane thrown by the enemy and you received a papercut and you recieved treatment, you could qualify (although you might feel not well "deserved"). The award is an honorable award, but it isn't awarded for valor, bravery, or above the call or even equal to the call of duty, but rather for an injury attained from combat. By you receiving it does not take away from more serious injuries others' have attained and does not keep someome else from recieving the award. Even the slightest of injuries attained while in combat already means you went above and beyond what many in our country would do and even within the military because not everyone deploys to a combat zone, and even if they do, not everyone sees or engages in combat or receive engagements form combatants.

[kry226]

As a former Bradley guy myself, I concur. Apply for it. You earned it.

[sinister]

It's been going around and around -- TBI is as serious as a heart attack and will change your life.

Although you rate the Heart you may not get one the way the regs are currently written -- you required medical treatment but if you didn't bleed, suffer a broken bone, or have fluid go in or out there's no outside physical signs of a wound (I know, but I didn't write it).

Apply for it. You damned sure earned it.

3. CLARIFYING GUIDANCE ON AWARD OF THE PURPLE HEART FOR CONCUSSIONS. WHEN RECOMMENDING AND CONSIDERING AWARD OF THE PURPLE HEART, THE CHAIN OF COMMAND WILL ENSURE THE CRITERIA IN PARAGRAPH 2-8 OF REFERENCE B IS MET, AND THAT BOTH DIAGNOSTIC AND TREATMENT FACTORS ARE PRESENT AND DOCUMENTED IN THE SOLDIER’S MEDICAL RECORD BY A MEDICAL OFFICER. PARAGRAPH 4C BELOW DEFINES MEDICAL OFFICER.

A. THE FOLLOWING NON-EXCLUSIVE LIST PROVIDES EXAMPLES OF SIGNS, SYMPTOMS OR MEDICAL CONDITIONS DOCUMENTED BY A MEDICAL OFFICER OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL THAT MEET THE STANDARD FOR AWARD OF THE PH:

(1) DIAGNOSIS OF CONCUSSION OR MILD TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY;

(2) ANY PERIOD OF LOSS OR A DECREASED LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS;

(3) ANY LOSS OF MEMORY FOR EVENTS IMMEDIATELY BEFORE OR AFTER THE INJURY;

(4) NEUROLOGICAL DEFICITS (WEAKNESS, LOSS OF BALANCE, CHANGE IN VISION, PRAXIS (I.E. DIFFICULTY WITH COORDINATING MOVEMENTS), HEADACHES, NAUSEA, DIFFICULTY WITH UNDERSTANDING OR EXPRESSING WORDS, SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT, ETC.) THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE TRANSIENT; AND,

(5) INTRACRANIAL LESION (POSITIVE COMPUTERIZED AXIAL TOMOGRAPHY (CAT) OR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING (MRI) SCAN).

B. THE FOLLOWING NON-EXCLUSIVE LIST PROVIDES EXAMPLES OF MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR CONCUSSION THAT MEET THE STANDARD OF TREATMENT NECESSARY FOR AWARD OF THE PH:

(1) LIMITATION OF DUTY FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT (LIMITED DUTY, QUARTERS, ETC.);

(2) PAIN MEDICATION SUCH AS ACETAMINOPHEN, ASPIRIN, IBUPROFEN, ETC. TO TREAT INJURY, SUCH AS HEADACHE;

(3) REFERRAL TO NEUROLOGIST OR NEUROPSYCHOLOGIST TO TREAT THE INJURY; AND,

(4) REHABILITATION (SUCH AS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, ETC.) TO TREAT INJURY.

C. COMBAT THEATER AND UNIT COMMAND POLICIES MANDATING REST PERIODS OR “DOWN TIME” FOLLOWING INCIDENTS DO NOT CONSTITUTE QUALIFYING TREATMENT FOR CONCUSSION INJURIES. TO QUALIFY AS MEDICAL TREATMENT, THIS REST PERIOD MUST HAVE BEEN DIRECTED BY A MEDICAL OFFICER OR MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AFTER DIAGNOSIS OF AN INJURY AS INDICATED IN B(1) ABOVE.

[HES]

'Nother former grunt here. You qualify in my book.

[Iraqgunz]

A good friend of mine, who is now on the list for Major suffered TBI and other issues when being struck by an IED and he received a Purple Heart.

It's been going around and around -- TBI is as serious as a heart attack and will change your life.

Although you rate the Heart you may not get one the way the regs are currently written -- you required medical treatment but if you didn't bleed, suffer a broken bone, or have fluid go in or out there's no outside physical signs of a wound (I know, but I didn't write it).

Apply for it. You damned sure earned it.

[Army Chief]

Stop debating visible versus less-/invisible injury. You took a hit for the team, and more than meet the intent for which the award was created.

Get some.

AC

[Failure2Stop]

I saw less get it.
If you can receive the award and look the other men in the vehicle with you when it happened in the eye without then raising protest, I would not be able to doubt the legitimacy of it.




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