Inking up the blogosphere. And no, I don't glow in the dark. But thanks for asking.
Traumatic Brain Injuries in the Military
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is becoming a common wound of modern warfare. It has even been coined the “signature wound” of the War on Terror. While TBI is becoming more prevalent in wartime activity, many service men and women continue to go undiagnosed. Institutions, like the US Department of Veterans Affairs, are working to make quick and accurate diagnoses in order to prescribe appropriate and effective treatment.
TBI is caused by forced trauma to the head, either by being shaken or hit. The severity of a TBI varies from case to case, but symptoms range from mild concussions to a debilitating state. The majority of TBI’s acquired by military personnel are classified as mild traumatic brain injuries (MTBI). Initial symptoms of MTBI consist of loss of consciousness, disorientation, loss of memory, headache, and temporary loss of hearing and vision. They are often partnered with anxiety, irritability, difficulties processing information, limited concentration amongst other problems experienced down the road. While MTBI is most common amongst the men and women of the armed forces, more severe cases of TBI are happening much more frequently and often require the victim to attended specialty rehabilitative nursing centers, like CareMeridian.
The most common cause of a TBI in the military is due to blasts. There are three degrees of blast injuries where a TBI is common; Primary (due to blast itself), Secondary (due to objects being propelled by a blast) and Tertiary (due to a collision with a third party object). According to the Veterans Health Initiative, active male members of the military from the ages 18-24 are hospitalized with a TBI at a rate of 231 per 100,000 and females 150 per 100,000. Based on military force projections this would mean that 4,141 military personnel are hospitalized on average each year with a TBI, and these numbers often rise during wartimes.
The best prevention for veterans to avert the long-term effects of a brain injury is to recognize the symptoms of a TBI. Once the symptoms are identified an individual should take basic precautionary measures in order to begin the healing and recovery process until a more specific diagnosis can be made.
Service men and women give so much to protect this country and they deserve to come home to a happy and healthy life. Creating awareness about TBI will help ensure their long term health. By helping our veterans, their friends and their families recognize the early warning signs of a TBI, treatment can be sought as early as possible.
Lone Survivor Foundation's Mission: Honor and Remember American Patriots by providing unique educational, rehabilitation and wellness opportunities. In memory and honor of the Lost Heroes of Operation Redwing and all Fallen Warriors, Wounded Warriors, and their Families.
Vision: Provide financial support for unique recovery and rehab opportunities, wellness events, and resource other unmet needs for wounded warriors, their families, and surviving families.
What this Foundation will specifically do:
Lone Survivor Ranch - Marcus has a vision of an all encompassing, phased in facility that will not only support hunting, fishing and many outdoor activities, but other rehab/wellness as well. The primary intent is to create a safe haven for warriors and their families to heal. He plans to identify a BEAUTIFUL piece of property in TX and build a multi-phased ranch/rehab complex. The ranch will have an on-site gym complete with coaches, trainers, etc. He intends to build it with significant expansion capability, and ultimately support warriors, their families and kids. He'd like to have a counseling aspect interwoven into all activities which could include team building, obstacle courses, horseback riding, bowling, rock climbing, art therapy, journaling, fishing, yoga, spa services, etc.
Long term he sees the need for a physician, nurse, and social worker/therapist on staff. He'd like the physician to be trained in pain mgmt, because that is an issue that affects almost all of our wounded warriors. He also plans to have benefits counselor come there during everyone's stay to conduct a government benefits brief and help get whatever is lacking.
Unique Rehab Opportunities for Wounded Warriors: Fund people to go to Athlete’s Performance www.athletesperformance.com or other appropriate rehab facilities that don’t have a government source of funding due to the unique nature of how they do business.
Other things falling into this category is funding invitro-fertilization for those who have lost their ability to naturally reproduce due to combat wounds, hyperbaric oxygen therapy for wounded warriors with TBI, providing adaptive athletic equipment such as recumbent bikes, etc.
Until the ranch is fully operational, Lone Survivor Foundation will fund wounded warrior and family attendance at other sporting and hunting events.
The Foundation is set to officially launch on 28 June 2005 - the 5 year anniversary of Operation Red Wing. There will be a kick off event in Houston on June 26th - more information will follow once it's available.
Please visit www.lonesurvivorfoundation.org for more information.
The website is in its very EARLY stages of development, and the Foundation is currently solely reliant on volunteers, so please be patient while we develop the content.
neverquit@lonesurvivorfoundation.org
Lone Survivor Foundation is pending 501(c)(3) approval, and expects to obtain it within the next few months.
Pentagon Looks to Breed Immortal ‘Synthetic Organisms,’ Molecular Kill-Switch Included
The Pentagon’s mad science arm may have come up with its most radical project yet. Darpa is looking to re-write the laws of evolution to the military’s advantage, creating “synthetic organisms” that can live forever — or can be killed with the flick of a molecular switch.
As part of its budget for the next year, Darpa is investing $6 million into a project called BioDesign, with the goal of eliminating “the randomness of natural evolutionary advancement.” The plan would assemble the latest bio-tech knowledge to come up with living, breathing creatures that are genetically engineered to “produce the intended biological effect.” Darpa wants the organisms to be fortified with molecules that bolster cell resistance to death, so that the lab-monsters can “ultimately be programmed to live indefinitely.”
Of course, Darpa’s got to prevent the super-species from being swayed to do enemy work — so they’ll encode loyalty right into DNA, by developing genetically programmed locks to create “tamper proof” cells. Plus, the synthetic organism will be traceable, using some kind of DNA manipulation, “similar to a serial number on a handgun.” And if that doesn’t work, don’t worry. In case Darpa’s plan somehow goes horribly awry, they’re also tossing in a last-resort, genetically-coded kill switch:
'Develop strategies to create a synthetic organism “self-destruct” option to be implemented upon nefarious removal of organism.'"nefarious removal of organism"....Bwahahaha!! Wow, I just inked a little bit. Curse you, Moose and Squirrel!
I haven't had time to dissect the letter to fully understand its meaning, but it appears as if the Ranch is still going ahead--albeit privately, divorced from the Warrior Legacy Foundation. (NB: I'm trying to withold judgement regarding why the WLF has been removed, there has to be a good reason that's sub rosa)
Washington DC 08 February 2010
Recently the Board of Directors at the Warrior Legacy Foundation was informed by Marcus Luttrell's business management that they no longer wanted Marcus’ name attached to WLF’s for the "Marcus Luttrell Warrior Legacy Ranch” project.
"Regardless of whose name is attached to the project, Marcus Luttrell will have a world class ranch retreat and we are very proud to have been partnered with him,” said Warrior Legacy Foundation Executive Director David Bellavia. He continued, "At this time we will no longer be sharing a title with Marcus Luttrell on his ranch, we will no longer have any fiduciary responsibility regarding the ranch and WLF will NOT offer a competing ranch product.”
Warrior Legacy Foundation’s Chairman Matt Burden went on to say, "There is far more work out there to be accomplished and even more opportunity for the skill set of this great organization. It is my sincerest desire that Marcus’ ranch not only build a top notch facility, but I envision it to be as unique and special as its namesake.”
All funds donated to: to WLF’s "Marcus Luttrell Warrior Legacy Ranch” up until the account is closed on March 1, 2010, will be sent to the management team of Marcus Luttrell for the explicit purpose of his ranch.
WLF deeply regrets not having had the opportunity to see this project meet its full potential. Stay tuned for continued status reports of the project and where future support can be given to Marcus. Please reach out to info@warriorlegacyfoundation.org with any questions regarding this format change.
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