The leading organization within the Department of Defense for treating military men and women afflicted by this injury is the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center located at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Several other sites across the country also serve as treatments centers in Texas, California, Virginia, Florida, North Carolina, and Minnesota.

Durbin said, "I am very pleased that the Senate supported our troops who have sustained brain injuries by approving this amendment. While money is tight, this is what many are calling the 'signature wound' in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and treatment for these debilitating wounds should be fully funded," said Durbin. "These funds will enable the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center to give every soldier the treatment they deserve and decrease brain injury related disability."

The Brain Injury Center’s current budget is $14 million, but the Defense Appropriations bill reduced the funding for Brain Injury Center by 50%, leaving the center $7 million short. According to Durbin, the situation is even worse because the Brain Injury Center has requested $19 million for the coming year, citing the growing number of patients, the cost of long-term care, current staffing requirements, and the need for research to improve treatment and prevention. Durbin’s amendment adds $12 million, bringing funding up to the full $19 million level.

“The nature of combat in Iraq, where insurgents often use roadside bombs instead of bullets, produces more frequent brain injuries than we have seen in previous wars. In Vietnam and previous 20th Century wars, brain injuries accounted for just 12 percent of injuries; in Iraq and Afghanistan, brain injuries account for 22 percent of injuries,” noted Durbin. “More than 1,700 of those wounded in Iraq have sustained brain injuries. Half of these injuries are severe enough to permanently impair thinking, memory, mood, behavior and the ability to work.

According to a recent study by researchers at Harvard and Columbia, it is estimated that the cost of medical treatment for those individuals with brain injuries from the Iraq war will be at least $14 billion over the next 20 years.

Durbin said the Brain Injury Center is completely different from other Brain Injury programs and initiatives because it focuses on the well being of those who put themselves in harm’s way for our country. While the focus is treatment, it links injured soldiers to clinical studies where cutting edge treatments are developed. And it does this with all members of the military - both active duty military personnel and reservists. No other brain center combines treatment and clinical studies for the immediate benefit of American servicemembers. The Brain Injury Center also focuses on the unique needs of military and veteran beneficiaries including return to duty considerations, continuity of care with military and veterans’ hospitals, and the TRICARE health system.

Durbin was joined by U.S. Senator George Allen (R-VA) and others in offering the amendment. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the National Military Families Association, the American Legion, and the Blinded Veterans Association all support an increase in funding for the Brain Injury Center.

“Our military men and women have made tremendous sacrifices for this country. We owe them the best medical care possible,” said Durbin.