Top Tools Guide
Invisible Wounds of War
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The Rand Institute’s 2008 report on traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in returning soldiers remains the single most comprehensive look at the issue of so-called “invisible wounds.”
Although the study has been criticized by some for not being statistically sound, it contains a wealth of information and is a great overall introduction. Read online. |
| Military Medical Information nat-sec.me/qkLxAh |
This is the main portal into the military medical system. Good starting place for navigating the bureaucracy. |
| VA Medical Stats nat-sec.me/o2vVal |
This site contains an astounding amount of information, especially if you are interested in localizing a story. Breaks down injuries, expenditures, etc. by VA facility.
 Spending vs. Veteran Population |
| Traumatic Brain Injury Facts | The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury is the main portal for soldiers and families injured with PTSD or a TBI. It’s mostly background information on the injury and recovery, with not much in the way of statistics. Though the center has been criticized, its site is good for basic research.Twitter: @DCoEPage |
| Traumatic Brain Injury Statisticsnat-sec.me/od3eqy |
 Incidents by Branch The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center is part of the Defense Centers of Excellence. It has existed far longer, however, and is more specialized in brain injury, as opposed to psychological wounds such as PTSD. |
Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center
 Medical Surveillance Monthly Report |
A source of monthly and annual data and statistics for illness, injuries and a range of health issues within the military, often available by branch. Reports include monthly injury reports by base; the “Medical Surveillance Monthly Report” with “evidence-based estimates of the incidence, distribution, impact and trends of illness and injuries;” annual reports on such diseases as HIV, Dengue Fever and West Nile Virus; and monthly reports on communicable diseases. |
Casualty Statistics  nat-sec.me/r1emzC |
The main DOD site for keeping track of dead and wounded is www.defense.gov/news/casualty.pdf. However, I find more useful a popular, non-official site called icasualties.org. They use news accounts plus DoD numbers to track deaths and casualties in very data-friendly way. You can download information into spreadsheets and track casualties over time, place, by branch, nation, etc. It includes contractor casualties. |
| TBI Documents nat-sec.me/r3NBkt |
Though this is not a well-organized site, it contains a lot of the history of the military’s efforts to combat traumatic brain injury. |
