Editorial: Don’t cheat test, buddies

Editorial: Don’t cheat test, buddies

The latest disturbing news from Iraq: troops have cheated on problem-solving tests used to spot traumatic brain injuries in order to avoid being pulled out of their units for treatment.

TBI has emerged as the signature injury of the current wars, ironically because of improvements in body armor; explosions that often would have been fatal in past conflicts are now survivable.

But while the bodily injuries are less severe, the concussive effects from roadside bombs and other munitions are taking a heavy toll. The exact number of troops with TBI is unknown, but estimates place it easily in the thousands, probably in the tens of thousands.

The list of TBI symptoms includes headache, confusion, dizziness, lightheadedness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, fatigue, changes in sleep patterns, behavior or mood changes, and trouble with memory and concentration.

Whether you’re a Navy bomb disposal expert, a security forces airman guarding a base perimeter, or a soldier or Marine patrolling a narrow, dusty back street, those are not symptoms you want to have in the field, where clear thinking and split-second reactions can mean the difference between life and death for you and your buddies.

From a medical standpoint, TBI is especially challenging because it leaves no visible scars. So the only way for doctors to spot and treat it is for troops to shoot straight about their conditions.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/community/opinion/airforce_editorial_ptsd_071119/