Purple Heart For Tbi

[Metoo]

I have a TBI rating of 10% amongst other things. I know that a while ago the military started granting Purple Hearts for a TBI injury. Has anyone been sucessful in getting the Purple Heart Award for TBI? I'm currious about the process.

Thanks

[paulstrgn]

Follow Vync advice, it is good. I use google for everything and use the quotes when I want it to find certain words. It is amazing what you can find with google.

[Dustoff1970]

Okay folks/vets if you have a copy or copies of any type of medical treatment or even a sick call slip for a TBI/concussion or other type of injury due to IED or other enemy actions then you can use this as evidence to contact the Army or Air Force or Navy Board For the Correction of Military records and request they correct the record and award you the PH. 

Even tho they are suppose to have all your information in the archives at the National Personnel Records center you should be proactive and send them at a minimum copies of your DD214, combat unit orders, Mos orders and anything and everything that proves you were in the combat zone area, etc that will support your request.  I know as it worked for me in about year 2003 or 2005. They use a panel of active and former military officers, NCOs to decide upon your request.

YOU DO NOT NEED ANY LETTER OR NOTE FROM FORMER COMMANDER/S as long as you have the solid type proof I just mentioned above.  I believe that a military medical doctor must have signed or initialed the treatment note but I may be wrong there but the rules and regulations will tell you this that is referenced on the Board's website.

ARBCMR (Army Board) will send you the proper forms to fill out for your request and this is when you send copies only of the above proof evidence to them.  You can find their forms to fill out ahead of time by looking up their DOD webpages on the internet (easy) and they will display requirements and forms for you to go by. 

Each branch of service will have their own Board For Correction Of Military Records.  If and when they issue you your PH they will send you an updated DD214 form known as a DD215 (corrected) and you may be surprised as I was that you have been issued additional medals and ribbons that they place on the DD215 and send you free of charge.  After I left Vietnam for TDY patient duty at Japan and before leaving Japan I got copies of all my Army medical records thanks to a medical clerk at the hospital and all I had to do was ask for them.

I did all this myself without aid of any damn VSO.  My info is not legal advice as I am not an attorney, paralegal or VSO.  Good luck to all and HO HO HO.

Edited January 18, 2020 by Dustoff 11

[blahsaysme2u]

well i actually have an update on this. funny  you answered today after this topic being quiet for so long. 

i went to my congressman to get assistance. they actually sent in all my paper work to the army board for correction. i got a letter back that is very disheartening. 

after reading this over, it looks like unless i can find some kind of LOD that my platoon medic wrote up on his evaluation of me(shining light in my eyes and asking me if i knew where i was what my name was etc and then taking me off missions for a week-all which seem to just be oral and nothing was written down) i will never be awarded the purple heart i rightly earned. i am SC for my injury, they assessed me right before discharging me with a post deployment health assessment that says i was in an IED blast and sustained brain injury and concussion. but none of that is good enough because i dont have any records from in country? makes no sense.

what if i was on a mission and got injured by the enemy and the medic gave me stitches in the field. no chance i would ever see an LOD or any medical records for that. its just another way to deny that TBI are real injuries that veterans sustained and the military was not evaluating. now, if you are involved in any kind of blast, you are given mril's and evaluated for concussions and TBI. but in 2007-08 no one was talking about this! 

remember folks:

PURPLE HEART DIFFERS FROM ALL OTHER DECORATIONS IN THAT AN INDIVIDUAL IS NOT "RECOMMENDED" FOR THE DECORATION;RATHER HE OR SHE IS ENTITLED TO IT

anyone have thoughts?

[Dustoff1970]

Well things may have changed with ARBCM since you last applied.  You are allowed one more try I believe with new evidence.  If you have not done so already send them copies of your VA decision granting you SC for the injury and other evidence new or old you may not have sent them in previous request.  I would not count to much on Congressmen or VSOs going all in and get to involved with your request as you yourself would/should.  Also of course send them your VA medical records and C&P exam results (if favorable) about treatment for your injury.

Standards for awarding same medals change over long and short times.  As with VA claims you are and must be your own best advocate.  It never hurts to try again as I have done in the past with some success. 

[blahsaysme2u]

5 minutes ago, Dustoff 11 said:

Well things may have changed with ARBCM since you last applied.  You are allowed one more try I believe with new evidence.  If you have not done so already send them copies of your VA decision granting you SC for the injury and other evidence new or old you may not have sent them in previous request.  I would not count to much on Congressmen or VSOs going all in and get to involved with your request as you yourself would/should.  Also of course send them your VA medical records and C&P exam results (if favorable) about treatment for your injury.

Standards for awarding same medals change over long and short times.  As with VA claims you are and must be your own best advocate.  It never hurts to try again as I have done in the past with some success. 

i actually did send them both of those things(SC letter, medical records showing TBI dx. i also sent the CIB award letter i got for the event and my personal statements as well as a post deployment assessment done during demobilization showing i had tbi symtoms from the IED attack)

they want something from the a medical doctor, but i only saw the medic and he didnt write anything down. even if i contacted him now i doubt he would remember this event enough to write a statement, as we were hit nearly ever time we went out the wire. so i am very lost on what to do. i know i deserve the medal. it just seems that the required documents are not in a vets favor who had leadership that failed to identify this injury or even document it properly. heck, they didnt even submit my CIB award and it wasnt on my dd214 for years until i noticed it last year and submit to have it corrected. 

[fangjian]

On 1/18/2020 at 10:11 AM, blahsaysme2u said:

well i actually have an update on this. funny  you answered today after this topic being quiet for so long. 

i went to my congressman to get assistance. they actually sent in all my paper work to the army board for correction. i got a letter back that is very disheartening. 

after reading this over, it looks like unless i can find some kind of LOD that my platoon medic wrote up on his evaluation of me(shining light in my eyes and asking me if i knew where i was what my name was etc and then taking me off missions for a week-all which seem to just be oral and nothing was written down) i will never be awarded the purple heart i rightly earned. i am SC for my injury, they assessed me right before discharging me with a post deployment health assessment that says i was in an IED blast and sustained brain injury and concussion. but none of that is good enough because i dont have any records from in country? makes no sense.

what if i was on a mission and got injured by the enemy and the medic gave me stitches in the field. no chance i would ever see an LOD or any medical records for that. its just another way to deny that TBI are real injuries that veterans sustained and the military was not evaluating. now, if you are involved in any kind of blast, you are given mril's and evaluated for concussions and TBI. but in 2007-08 no one was talking about this! 

remember folks:

PURPLE HEART DIFFERS FROM ALL OTHER DECORATIONS IN THAT AN INDIVIDUAL IS NOT "RECOMMENDED" FOR THE DECORATION;RATHER HE OR SHE IS ENTITLED TO IT

anyone have thoughts?

The lines that are highlighted, 

"...documentation of diagnosis and treatment...immediately after, or close to the incident date...."

-I actually do not see this in AR 600-8-22 para 2-8. 

 

Edited July 9, 2020 by fangjian
corrected spelling