GRP 87-Combat Concussions: The cause and effects of blast wave injuries on veterans of combat arms

 

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GRP 87-We have a very special and powerful episode for you guys. Back on the podcast is retired SARC Dan Brown, and retired Army Special Operations veteran Kevin Tretter. Dan served with Force Recon and the Marine Raider Battalions as a highly trained Corpsman. Kevin started out as a Combat Engineer 12 Bravo then went into Special Forces as an 18 Charlie Engineer Sergeant. He got picked up by a special unit to serve as a heavy breacher. He then went back into Special Forces in the Commanders in Extremis Force (CIF) which is the counter terrorist arm of the Green Berets.

During his time in the CIF he survived a helicopter crash in Iraq eventually retiring after 20 years of service. This episode is important because we discussed Traumatic Brain Injury in a deep and honest way as both Dan and Kevin have brain injuries due to the culmination of training in tight spaces with live rifle fire, explosives, airplane jumps and combative training. They have both received blast injuries in combat. We talked the negative effects of having physical brain damage, and how the government protocols for diagnosing PTSD and TBI are flawed. Discussed the positive effects of Cannabis on healing brain injuries. We talked about some problems and solutions with veterans who don’t need care for TBI or PTSD taking advantage of the government and sucking up resources from service members who need the treatment.

0:00-Intro

4:48-Kevin Tretter’s background. Combat Engineer 12 Bravo. 18 Charlie (Engineer Sergeant) with 3rd Special Forces Group. Worked as a Heavy Breacher with a special unit within the Army Special Operations Command.

8:08- Tretter joined the Commanders in Extremis Forces. Survived a helicopter crash in Iraq.

9:25-Understanding the compounding struggles of all of the concussions. Prolonged exposure, retirement, and realization

14:20- Medical Marijuana and creative output.  

20:20-Issues with memory and placing memories in proper chronological order.  

25:08-Difference between sports concussions and concussions received by blast waves.

27:00-New York Times article on PTSD being misdiagnosed most likely being TBI. Area’s of the brain damaged by TBI.

32:29-Doctors misdiagnosing TBI, and not factoring the cumulative effects of the blast waves on the brain.

44:05-Servicemembers who claim PTSD falsely, sucking up resources for induvial who need it.  Solutions to fixing this issue.

1:02:28-Changing our approach to care for TBI. Potentially changing the name to Post Blast Wave Concussion Syndrome.

1:25:51-Finding a sense of purpose. Getting back to the basics. Utilizing creativity.

1:34:02-The positive effects of Cannabis on the brain, and the politics behind keeping Marijuana illegal when it heals.

Below are links for some of the articles referenced by Dan Brown during the podcast:

https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/12/magazine/what-if-ptsd-is-more-physical-than-psychological.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/us/military-misconduct-ptsd.html

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/25/sports/football/nfl-cte.html

Hemingway's Brain

http://whqr.org/post/coastline-hemingways-suicide-incorrectly-attributed-alcoholism-and-bipolar-disorder#stream/0

Brain/Vestibular Therapy in Dallas

http://cerebrum.com/

CBD/Canabis for Seizures sited research studies within article

https://www.projectcbd.org/article/medical-marijuana-seizures-sulak-saneto-goldstein

Penn State Neuroscientist and Engineers find link between Seizures and Migraines

http://news.psu.edu/story/332549/2014/10/30/research/link-seen-between-seizures-and-migraines-brain

Hormone therapy for TBI

http://waftbi.org/

Introduction audio is from the NRA series “Patriot Profiles” with Army Special Operations veteran Scot Spooner speaking: https://www.nratv.com/series/patriot-profiles/episode/patriot-profiles-season-3-episode-11-forward-march

Kevin Tretter:

https://warriorwoven.com

https://www.instagram.com/warrior_woven

Dan Brown:

The Dangerzone Podcast on Sound Cloud, ITunes, and YouTube.

https://www.instagram.com/danielthebarbarian

Global Recon:

www.Globalrecon.net

https://www.instagram.com/igrecon

https://www.instagram.com/blackopsmatter

www.twitter.com/igrecon

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalReconPodcast/

Chantel Taylor:

https://www.instagram.com/mission_critical

https://www.instagram.com/altern8rv

GRP 85-A Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman through combat| Traumatic Brain Injury

Click the buttons below to access the full episode on ITunes (Apple users), or Sound Cloud (Android users). Be sure to like, share, subscribe, and download the episodes. Thank you.

GRP 85- On for this week's podcast is retired Navy Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman (SARC), and the host of "The Dangerzone" podcast Dan Brown. SARC's are highly trained Special Operations Medical personnel who deploy mainly with the Force Reconnaissance companies and the Marine Raiders. There have been instances where SARC's have deployed with Naval Special Warfare Teams and Army Special Operations Teams. SARC's are trained as amphibious special operations personnel going through various schooling alongside Recon Marines to include: Army Basic Airborne School, Marine Combatant Diver school, Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman Course, and the Special Operations Combat Medicine Course.

Dan continued on to complete the second half of the Special Operations Medical Course that typically only the Green Beret Medics complete. SEALs and SARC's will also complete the full course to become Independent Duty Corpsman, but only the senior Corpsman go through the rest of the course. We talked about Dan running Village Stability Operations (VSO) in Afghanistan during his deployment with the Raider Battalion, and how that type of mission is incredibly complex as it requires the war fighter to play the role of a diplomat and warrior. Dan was wounded during an attack in Afghanistan resulting in a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). We discussed TBI in some detail which is a topic I plan to cover extensively in future episodes. 

0:00-Intro

11:00-SARC Pipeline

13:30-Special Operations Combat Medicine Course

16:28-SARC employment

17:34-Force Recon Battalion, Marine Raider Battalion

19:16-Independent Duty Corpsman

21:14-Prolonged Field Care

26:49-The positive effects of 15 years of war for trauma medicine in the United States

39:03-Village Stability Operations (VSO)

58:13-Running operations in Afghanistan, wounded in Afghanistan, Traumatic Brain Injury.

1:31:00-Outro

Dan Brown:

The Dangerzone Podcast on Sound Cloud, ITunes, and YouTube.

Instagram: DanielTheBarbarian

Global Recon:

www.globalrecon.net

IgRecon – Instagram

BlackOpsMatter- Instagram

Mission_Critical – Instagram

IgRecon- Twitter

Chantel Taylor:

Instagram: Mission_Critical

Facebook: Battleworn