Does a Veteran injured with a brain injury from a road side bomb deserve a Purple Heart?

SSG EriK McDonald - I did the same as you and later volunteered for more missions after dealing with the residual side effects, I wanted to die fighting the enemy instead of seeking help. A doctor pulled me off my last mission in 2011.

SSG Jim Blunt and MSGT Ronald Stacy thank you both for replying back to my question. Its ok I wouldn't have got one from my unit anyway. I did mot get a handshake or anything from my unit.

The VA regional office and the BVA put in writing that I was denied a service connection for a spinal cord tumor because an MRI was not performed while I was active duty. The neurosurgeon performed surgeries at a VA hospital and a university hospital where he was a professor of neurosurgery. Based on the size and scope of the major part of the tumor and the clusters in the spinal column, he wrote the tumor started during my 9 years in. Oh, the MRI wasn't INVENTED until 8 years after I was disability separated. Go Figure !

LCDR Michael Pumilia - I feel ya. Fighting the VA myself for a severe injury and getting the same royal run around.

I think that's what he's done. Time for some Holy Hell Raising!

FOR MARINES WOUNDED OR INJURED WHILE ASSIGNED TO COMUSMARSOC BEGINNING 19 APRIL 2007 TO PRESENT, SUBMIT TO:
U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
ATTN: ADJUTANT
BUILDING H11FN, FLOOR 1
CAMP LEJEUNE, NC 28542
PHONE: [login to see] /DSN 484-0954
B. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR RECLAMAS BASED ON RETROACTIVE REVISED PH CRITERIA FOR MTBI/CONCUSSIONS. ALL PH RECLAMAS BASED ON DOCUMENTATION IN THE MEDICAL RECORD THAT THE MARINE MET THE REVISED PH CRITERIA FOR MTBI/CONCUSSIONS IN PARAGRAPH 3C MUST BE SENT TO CMC (MMMA) FOR ADJUDICATION (ADDRESS IN PARAGRAPH 8B(4) AND(5) BELOW). RECLAMAS MUST BE ENDORSED BY EACH LEVEL OF THE ORIGINAL CHAIN OF COMMAND AT THE TIME THE WOUND OR INJURY OCCURRED UP TO THE BATTALION/SQUADRON COMMANDER. TO ENSURE FAIR AND CONSISTENT ADJUDICATION OF RECLAMAS FOR MTBI/CONCUSSIONS UNDER THE RETROACTIVE CRITERIA OUTLINED IN PARAGRAPH 3C, SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE NECESSARY INFORMATION TO APPROVE AN AWARD OF THE PH.
(1) WHEN PROVIDING A CERTIFIED TRUE COPY FROM THE MARINE'S MEDICAL RECORD OF A MEDICAL OFFICER'S DISPOSITION THAT THE MARINE WAS "NOT FIT FOR FULL DUTY" FOR A PERIOD GREATER THAN 48 HOURS, THAT DISPOSITION MUST HAVE BEEN DOCUMENTED IN THE MARINE'S MEDICAL RECORD WITHIN THE FIRST SEVEN (7) DAYS FOLLOWING THE CONCUSSIVE INCIDENT IN ORDER TO DISTINGUISH IMPAIRMENT CAUSED BY THE MTBI/CONCUSSION FROM SYMPTOMS OF PTSD. ASSIGNMENT TO ADMINISTRATIVE LIMITED DUTY SOLELY TO COMPLY WITH MANDATORY OBSERVATION PERIODS, IN THE ABSENCE OF PERSISTENT SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, OR FINDINGS OF IMPAIRMENT, WILL NOT MEET THE NEW CRITERIA.
(2) INCLUDE AN EMAIL ADDRESS WHERE THE MARINE CAN BE CONTACTED BY CMC (MMMA) TO ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT AND, IF NECESSARY, REQUEST ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
(3) THE SUBJECT LINE SHOULD READ "RECLAMA BASED ON REVISED PURPLE HEART CRITERIA FOR MTBI/CONCUSSION" TO EXPEDITE CMC (MMMA) ROUTING AND PROCESSING.
(4) MAIL COMPLETE RECLAMA REQUESTS BASED ON REVISED CRITERIA FOR PH FOR MTBI/CONCUSSION TO:
COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS (MMMA)
HEADQUARTERS, U.S. MARINE CORPS
3280 RUSSELL ROAD
QUANTICO, VA 22134-5103

Richard, Thank you I was medically retired Jan 2015 with mild TBI residual effects from 2008, after paper work was lost for three years, but have been embarrassed to seek a Purple Heart. In 2011 I applied for one more mission to end it all but the ARMY doc removed me from deploying. Thank You.

SFC James Sczymanski - Just shows that we do have a brain injury. In fact I got into a new relation ship Household 6 too and can not remember how, in fact every morning when I wake up, I look around and say Who is She!