A disturbing repercussion of military service

Opinion editor’s note: Editorials represent the opinions of the Star Tribune Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom.

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Veterans’ elevated suicide risk is a reminder that some of the fiercest wounds inflicted by war are often invisible to family and friends.

Tragically, the suicide risk in those who have served has long outpaced the general public’s. A 2021 RAND analysis reports that there were 28 suicides per 100,000 veterans vs. 18 per 100,000 in the general population. While rates in both groups have risen, the increase is steeper for former members of the military.

In 2021, 6,392 veterans across the nation died by their own hand, an increase of 114 from the previous year. In Minnesota, “suicide has claimed more than 100 Minnesota Veteran lives per year during the past five years,” according to the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

The numbers are both sobering and a call to action. Those who served their nation deserve compassion and the best care possible. That commitment must include a sustained, coordinated effort to better recognize the physical and emotional damage that puts veterans at increased risk.

It’s a dauntingly complex challenge, with multiple risk factors needing to be identified and better understood, particularly with an estimated 16.2 million veterans in the U.S., and more than 265,000 in Minnesota. It’s for that reason a recent New York Times story merits both the spotlight and follow-up action by the U.S. Congress and the Department of Defense.

The story focuses on a relatively new and distinctive type of brain damage found in U.S. Navy SEALs who died by suicide. The cause appears to be a surprising one: their own weapons. “The damage pattern suggested that years of training intended to make SEALs exceptional was leaving some barely able to function,” military reporter Dave Philipps wrote.

The damage appears to be caused by repeated exposure to blast waves, the “vast majority” of which for SEALS “comes from firing their own weapons, not from enemy action.” For those who want a better understanding of how this occurs, there’s a video in which Philipps uses a beer bottle to demonstrate the physics of how a blast shock wave can ripple through brain tissue, causing damage.

Other troubling findings uncovered by Philipps add to concerns. A grieving widow of one SEAL who died by suicide has led a campaign — one that should have instead been spearheaded by the military — to persuade families of other SEALs who died by suicide to donate their brains to a Uniformed Services University laboratory.

At least a dozen SEALS have taken their own lives over the last decade. Eight of their families donated their brains to the lab. Researchers found blast damage in all eight of them, Philipps reported. Disturbingly, until the Times “told the Navy of the lab’s findings about the SEALs who died by suicide, the Navy had not been informed.”

The lack of communication is unacceptable when the armed forces have an urgent and moral obligation to understand the reasons why veterans too frequently die of suicide. The SEALs are an elite fighting force, but the blast brain damage documented sheds new light on the injuries sustained in combat and training for it. This may be one piece of the puzzle that, when completed, will offer more comprehensive and targeted prevention and treatment for all veterans. The findings can also help families better understand why their veteran may be struggling years after returning to the home front.

The Star Tribune Editorial Board shares the outrage over this lack of coordination voiced by U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden, a retired SEAL and Republican who represents western Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District. Contacted by an editorial writer, Van Orden provided this statement Friday:

“The first Special Operation Forces Truth is ‘humans are more important than hardware.’ The Department of Defense failed to acknowledge this for far too long. The DoD needs to proactively engage in brain blast exposure research so our troops understand the risks they are accepting, and mitigation measures can be developed to preserve the Force. It is unconscionable that those for whom we demand the most from are met with a complacent DoD that leaves our heroes to struggle with their mental and physical health. We will drag the DoD kicking and screaming if need be to ensure they and Veterans Affairs make significant investments in our warfighters’ health so that that their service and sacrifices are truly honored.”

Unfortunately, there’s no way currently to diagnose this damage in those who are still living. Nor is there a recognized therapy to reverse this type of damage, though symptoms like sleepless and anxiety can be treated. That makes prevention, such as minimizing unnecessary blast exposure during training, critically important.

In Congress, legislation has been introduced in the House and Senate that would “direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to enact a variety of measures to help mitigate and protect service members from blast overpressure.” Its chief authors are Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., in the House and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in the Senate.

The legislation has bipartisan supporters but has failed to gain momentum at the U.S. Capitol. That needs to change. When those who have served their nation are struggling instead of thriving on the home front, the nation needs to understand why.