The article explains in depth the many reasons for their troubles, including delayed screening efforts for T.B.Is by the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs (it was not until 2006 that the DOD and the VA began monitoring head injuries.) Furthering the difficulties is the lack of medical knowledge about head injuries. Because the brain is such a sensitive part of the body, little is known medically about how it is affected by bomb blasts ( a common cause of T.B.I.) In addition, the many symptoms of T.B.I., which include memory loss, headaches, sleeplessness, and even mood swings, kick in only after a soldier is redeployed.
To me, this article is an example of what great journalism ought to be. It is timely, informative, thoroughly researched, and compassionate.
It provides a fresh story within the larger context of the Iraq war and its human cost. It leaves no questions unanswered. Not only does it provide us a snapshot of what life has been like for the three veterans, but explains why their injuries have gone unrecognized by the military. The story explains the types of investments and research done by the DOD and the VA in the two years since they began diagnosing soldiers with T.B.I. It explains why there exists so little medical knowledge about T.B.I., and what research is being done to learn more about it. And it explains why the symptoms of T.B.I. are delayed.
Lastly, the article puts us in the shoes of the veterans. It successfully articulates their struggles in coping with T.B.I; their inability to function in society as they once did. One of the profiled veterans commented that his injury has hurt his chances of finding a good job, stating specifically that he is scared his best opportunity for employment is as "a greeter at Wal-Mart."
If anyone has any comments on this article, I would enjoy to read them.
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