Washington, D.C. — Today, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Salud Carbajal (D-CA) wrote to United States Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday about brain injuries and threats to servicemembers’ long-term brain health. This letter comes following New York Times reporting of a disturbing trend of traumatic brain injuries in boat crews.
“Every day, members of the Coast Guard put their lives on the line to save others,” the Ranking Members wrote. “While servicemembers are aware of the immediate dangers of their job, many are unaware of the impacts their bodies are exposed to that may cause long-term, underlying health issues that do not surface for decades.”
“Protecting the lives and health of our Coast Guard servicemembers is of utmost importance to the Committee,” they continued.
Ranking Members Larsen and Carbajal concluded by asking how the Coast Guard is studying the brain health risks of its various missions and the care it is providing servicemembers with brain injuries, both short-term and long-term. They also called for the Coast Guard to commission a third-party study regarding traumatic brain injuries among servicemembers.
To read the entire letter, click here.
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