Don’t keep that near-miss – or repeated - blast off your medical record

2025-07-03T07:50:20-04:00

Have you ever been on a patrol where you took mortar or RPG fire, or maybe an IED-blast – but no shrapnel – and just continued mission like it was another day on the job?

What about time spent at the range or a shoot house with lots of high caliber rounds or other explosives detonating near you?

I did all of the above… and my first thoughts were, “it’s not that big of a deal. I don’t want to see the medics and leave my guys behind.” I never gave a second thought to go get these things noted in my medical record.

Pride and inexperience can be a dangerous thing for “future you.”

It turns out that our brains don’t forget as many things as we seem to [citation: https://rly.pt/ScienceDirect].

I’ve been out of the military for a while now and I deal with sleep and other issues that may have come from these past incidents.

If this sounds similar to your experiences, some other symptoms you may want to look for include unexplained vision, balance, hearing, headaches, memory issues, emotional challenges, or incidents losing your temper with your team, family, or friends.

If you are still actively serving in the military, make sure you raise your concerns to your doctor and mention the concussive events so they are documented in your medical records. If you don’t want to bring it up now because you are not sure if you really have these symptoms and don’t want it to keep you from your next promotion, I get it. Just make sure you have these issues documented the moment you drop your papers to end your military service.

That single piece of documentation – made while you are still serving – will be key for the VA to determine benefits and treatment available to you later in life.

If you, like me, are already out of service, and you didn’t have anything documented and are looking for a path forward, then go talk to your doctor. If your doc is not at the VA, consider getting VA care as their docs see a lot more brain trauma patients than most of their civilian counterparts: https://rly.pt/VAapply.

Also, for many reasons (see my last post here: https://rly.pt/ReactToContact), stay in touch with those who served with you. It can be their eyewitness accounts of things you experienced together that can help you if you don’t have the things I mentioned above documented to get the benefits you have earned.

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 3 at 2025 8:17 AM

2025-07-03T08:17:26-04:00

Thank you SSG Clint Romesha for speaking out on this!

Response by SFC Jimmy Arocho made Jul 3 at 2025 11:10 AM

2025-07-03T11:10:34-04:00

https://support22project.org/, The 22 Project, here is more support for TBI: SPECT Brain Imagery, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), and other Supplemental Therapies.

Support 22 Project – Healing The Invisible Wounds of War

Healing The Invisible Wounds of War

Response by SGT Ruben Lozada made Jul 3 at 2025 2:37 PM

2025-07-03T14:37:58-04:00

Good afternoon SSG Clint Romesha. Excellent post. Thank you for sharing this Brother Clint. :->

Response by CPT David Gowel made Jul 3 at 2025 2:42 PM

2025-07-03T14:42:52-04:00

Great points. And if you add in all the concussions received from our frequent combatives training, high contact PT (boxing, football, "no blood, no foul" basketball games to name a few I've enjoyed), and jumps with hard landings to the undocumented blasts and I'd say that any Vet who has at least one of the symptoms you mentioned above should get a presumptive claim approved for a TBI by the VA. It's really part of the job description to get our heads banged around early and often for most military career fields.

Response by SSG Eric Blue made Jul 3 at 2025 11:55 PM

2025-07-03T23:55:31-04:00

Oh, don't worry. All of that is well-documented.

Response by SSgt Richard Kensinger made Jul 4 at 2025 10:32 AM

2025-07-04T10:32:01-04:00

IED's also impact the pulmonary and circulatory systems
rich

Response by Cristina Johnson made Jul 7 at 2025 3:28 AM

2025-07-07T03:28:37-04:00

Absolutely agree with you especially on something you said-getting things documented in your file is everything.
When it comes to getting care or VA benefits later on, if it’s not in your file, it’s like it never happened. The VA puts a lot of weight on service medical records. If there’s no mention of the, symptoms, or issues while you were still in uniform, it becomes a lot harder to prove that what you're dealing with now is service connected. That one quick visit to medical, that note in your record, or even just telling your doc about what happened it can make a difference later.
Now, I get it, there’s always that fear that going to medical might hurt the career. And in some cases, it could have an impact but here’s the truth, if something is affecting your body or your mind, it’s already affecting your performance, whether it’s documented or not. You might be protecting your current role by staying quiet, but you're putting your future self ,your health, benefits at risk.
Personally ,I think just put it on record. It doesn’t hurt the file to have that documentation; it only helps. Think of it as a safety net. Whether you’re filing a claim or just need care later, that paper trail is gold.

Response by CW2 Christopher Roberts made Jul 9 at 2025 10:06 PM

2025-07-09T22:06:03-04:00

The issue that I encountered was that I was the only medic on scene when I was blown up back in Iraq nearly 20 years ago. No PH due to no visible external injuries, no one evaluated me in the days after the blast, but I had a concussion and brutal headache that lingered a few weeks after that blast.

Took VA about 3.5 years to recognize the TBI and place it in my records even though the blast was documented during my post-deployment physical. I experience a lot of those symptoms mentioned nowadays. It's not fun.

Response by SGT Lorenzo Nieto made Jul 12 at 2025 7:04 AM

2025-07-12T07:04:02-04:00

Only when you’re in a fox hole.

Response by 1stSgt Ronald Sheps made Jul 30 at 2025 5:17 PM

2025-07-30T17:17:59-04:00

Funny how you think you are one way but you are not. I read this and the first thing that popped into my mind was the squib round that blew my M16 up in my hands decades ago. Yeah, lottsa other stuff sucked, but funny how that was the one that one jumped out at me reading this. Hadn't given it a minutes thought in decades, and there it was. Thank you for sharing. You gave me something to think about.

Response by CPT Gerald Adams made Aug 6 at 2025 5:56 PM

2025-08-06T17:56:36-04:00

So question when will the military finally get off there ass and put the Purple heart they should have award for those before 08. To those who have tbi and was exposed to multiple IEDs...

Response by SMSgt Ds Martin made Aug 6 at 2025 7:23 PM

2025-08-06T19:23:31-04:00

I concur with all this. I have to also think that behind an M-2 or Mk-19 might not be much but beside either, or mortars/arty, would be qualifying blasts. Hadn’t thought about shoot houses though.

Response by SP5 Zeno Potas made Aug 6 at 2025 8:34 PM

2025-08-06T20:34:22-04:00

I bring this up during my VA appointments and it is like deer in the headlights. They are not well informed about this from what I have seen so far. Who feeds them this information?

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 6 at 2025 9:46 PM

2025-08-06T21:46:04-04:00

I’ve never considered it until it was put this way. Thanks

Response by PV2 Steven Yarborough made Aug 7 at 2025 7:04 AM

2025-08-07T07:04:07-04:00

Very good advice, I didn't report anything during my military carrier and now 43 years later I'm dealing with neurological issues that could Very easily be tied to near misses but I have no documentation. The VA Hospital in Albuquerque has walked away from trying to treat me for my symptoms because of no documentation.

Response by PO2 Christopher Smith made Aug 7 at 2025 11:38 AM

2025-08-07T11:38:52-04:00

Very sage advice! It took me 30+ years to get the VA to admit I had these symptoms!

Response by SSgt Spencer York made Aug 7 at 2025 12:19 PM

2025-08-07T12:19:01-04:00

Make a full copy of your medical records as well. The VA will purge information from your file if not careful.

Response by Sgt William R Henson made Aug 25 at 2025 7:07 PM

2025-08-25T19:07:32-04:00

When I joined the Marines I had had a concussion playing high school football and one playing junior college football.
Received a concussion from a motor round and head hitting a tree in Vietnam.
Have constant head pressure, frequent dizzy spells, sleep apnea
Handwriting affected and VA refuses to recognize TBI.
When I went to VA first time I was told I had never been in Military. Had to write my Senator to get recognized.

Response by PFC Lisa McDonald made Aug 27 at 2025 12:06 PM

2025-08-27T12:06:46-04:00

I was exposed to a fair amount of concussive force in the early 80's "Peacetime Army". Firing the 90mm recoiless rifle was eye opening to the power of concussive force. Anyone wearing a watch while firing it from a bunker ended up with a watch with the crystal blown off.
Then there were trips to the demo range. Our training was also heavily tilted to urban warfare. Our urban warfare training site was concrete buildings. Any training explosives used inside magnified the noise and concussion from them. Then going training in the West stood next to tanks firing on the range.
I kind of laugh at calling anytime post WW2 "peacetime". The early 80's were pretty active militarily and terror attacks on military bases and military members was very much in vogue. If you look at the in service fatality rates from the early eighties they are as bad as the worst years of post 911 war on terror figures.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 28 at 2025 3:50 AM

2025-08-28T03:50:48-04:00

I can only concur based on my own experience that everythig SSG Romesha says here is absolutely valid, and very important if it applies to you. This is a great and very important and useful post- thank you so much SSG Clint Romesha, both for this and your service to our country, and to your brothers and sisters here on RP! Documentation, as always in the military, is especially important here.
-Ed

Response by SFC William Phillips made Oct 23 at 2025 12:27 PM

2025-10-23T12:27:28-04:00

Great information for the combat types of the newer generation.
Those of us (getting fewer by the day) of the Viet Nam war, are getting this a bit late.
Concussive events were just something that came with the job. No one thought that a crash and burn jump that knocked you out for a couple of minutes was an event worth noting if you came to and got up. Firing six to eight hundred rounds from your M-60 in a fire-fight, or a claymore incorrectly set up that busted your ear drum in an ambush and stung your body all over, was not an issue, especially since you could still move and be affective. Totally different mind set back in the day....

Response by SMSgt Jeff Kyle made Oct 23 at 2025 12:36 PM

2025-10-23T12:36:10-04:00

When I was in the Marine Corps I got dropped on my head. At 6’6”, it was quite a drop. I walked out of my barracks room into one of our memorable hallway wrestling events. Normally I would have joined it but I had stuff to do. Unfortunately, the guy on the bottom of the stack wanted out so he grabbed the first thing he could grab, which was my feet. He grabbed and yanked. I fell straight back on my head bounced a couple times… I think. Not real sure as my recollection from then on wasn’t. There were other bonks to the noggin, some pretty severe but those weren’t recorded. The one from the barracks was the one that was recorded. I was going through my records from back then and found a paper from the local hospital indicating I had a “head injury”. Cool. At some point, post-retirement, I started having really bad issues with migraines, severe memory issues and nightmares. I talked it over with my VA PCM who asked if I had any head injuries. I told her about the non documented hits but I forgot about the barracks injury. Then, once again, I was going through my records and I found the discharge form from the hospital. I took it straight away to a nurse call and got it added to my record. They had me tested in less than three months. Their testing confirmed my symptoms. As an aside, I take multiple prescriptions daily. It’s a bitch remembering them. I talked that over with the PCM, who sent me to occupational therapy. They reviewed my history and determined I needed a memory aid. That’s when they issued my first cell phone. It was an early I-phone in which I used to record everything I needed to do every day and all appointments. Since then I’ve been issued phones whenever my current one dies. I average 4-6 years with each phone.
If you have memory issues, migraines and/or nightmares, get help. Don’t pass go, do not collect $200.00. Go to the nearest VA and go through the wickets. Having my phone has been a life savior. I rarely miss appointments or miss medicine times and I keep in touch with my PCM team.
Do give up, get the help you earned.

Response by CPL Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 23 at 2025 10:06 PM

2025-10-23T22:06:36-04:00

There is also emerging evidence that these impacts may actually change our DNA. I learned that when I listened to the audio book "The Dead Drink First". It was a tough listen for me because the parallels between my father and the authors father were eerily similar even though my dad was army in Germany and his dad was marine corps Japan.

Response by SFC James Lussier made Oct 24 at 2025 10:17 AM

2025-10-24T10:17:37-04:00

Unconscious 5 times. Medical records were lost and no docs. VA not allowing TBI. Been taking meclizine since I retired in 97.

Response by CPT Stephen Feldman made Oct 24 at 2025 3:33 PM

2025-10-24T15:33:04-04:00

I was hit in the head by the step of a C-130! At the time I was jumping out of said C-130 and was hanged by the static line of the jumper in front of me. That was in 1976 and I have been disabled and compensated by the VA since 1977.

Response by PO1 Charles Mitchell made Oct 25 at 2025 5:12 PM

2025-10-25T17:12:16-04:00

Getting hit on the head by a box dropped over 30 feet that knocks you to your knees will also cause these issues. Bringing stores onboard shipp and one was dropped on my head.

Response by MSG William Wold made Oct 25 at 2025 9:02 PM

2025-10-25T21:02:30-04:00

In Vietnam I was in the pier in QuiNhon delivering some equipment to be uploaded onto a ship. There was an explosion just under the surface of the water, explosives planted in a tire bumper blew a hole in the ship, took in water and partly sunk tied to the pier. I was knocked over and some flying debris stuck in my boot sole . My ears were ringing. There’s no way I didn’t hit my head. Anyway the four required stitches. Was told I was put in for a Purple Heart, but it was denied because it wasn’t a bullet. Life went on. Fast forward to 2002 when I was encouraged to file a claim. Apparently my medical records were found as in my numerous conditions listed was a foot puncture wound at 0%. I had forgotten all about it. When the PACT Act was passed my VSO suggested filing for a few other things that got me to 90%, but the foot is still at 0%. Unfortunately at 74 I’ve never brought up the concussion it would be challenging to do so now.

Response by BG Jim Drago made Oct 25 at 2025 11:27 PM

2025-10-25T23:27:15-04:00

Step one, minimize exposure as much as the mission allows. Number 2, document any major exposures or long term exposures. Preferably by an LOD used as “for record”. Three, seek medical help if required. It’s also addional documentation. Four, keep copies of the above and never assume the big system in the sky has your back.

Response by BG Jim Drago made Oct 25 at 2025 11:30 PM

2025-10-25T23:30:38-04:00

I had two documents showing my injuries. the orginal and follow on Aid Station visit. Both for head aches, and “my eyes hurting”. The second was 6 months after the first.

Response by SPC Terry Martin made Oct 26 at 2025 6:31 AM

2025-10-26T06:31:22-04:00

In Basic, I was crawling through the simulation battlefield. A pit blew when I was close by and injured my back. I was driven to the dispensary for treatment.

Response by SSG Clyde Rainey made Oct 26 at 2025 3:56 PM

2025-10-26T15:56:33-04:00

That so true I was an older Soldier stationed at Fort Hood and was bounced around pretty hard was riding a five-ton semi during training and reported the head injury. When I retired many years later it was documented in my records. In the end after 22 years of service I ended up with 80% disability. Remember to report everything.

Response by SPC James Seigars made Oct 28 at 2025 12:28 AM

2025-10-28T00:28:19-04:00

I’m not sure if it was put in my records or not, but I went through the gas chamber once with one of my eyelets having something wrong with it unbeknownst to me. So when I went in the gas got inside my mask and I ended up having three stitches in my forehead because I couldn’t see and there was a doorway that was shorter than I am which I hit pretty hard on my way out.

Response by PO3 Thomas Lawrence made Oct 28 at 2025 12:41 AM

2025-10-28T00:41:35-04:00

Mine was very minor but, I was face to face with an E2 or E3 unrated sailor and he jacked my jaw enough that the ships MAAs sent me to sickbay because he drove my lip into my canine tooth. I don't think I have any problems relating to that incident. I went to sick bay he went to the brig.

Response by Pvt Theresa Westbrook made Oct 28 at 2025 6:55 AM

2025-10-28T06:55:38-04:00

Don’t believe it, I have a documented head injury and the VA has refused to allow me service connection saying it is 50/50 liklihood of service connection and I took it all the way to the judge; I have major depression, tinnitus, sleep apnea and hearing loss and even though the head injury is stated in my discharge document it is less likely service connected because I never sought treatment until I got hooked up with the VA and they only see me cause my private insurance reimburses them.

Response by Cpl Jeff Ruffing made Oct 28 at 2025 11:10 PM

2025-10-28T23:10:55-04:00

Yeah, there is A LOT of stuff I wish I would have reported, however, our era was “suck it up, deal with it, stop goldbricking”

Response by SFC Lyle Green made Oct 29 at 2025 11:39 AM

2025-10-29T11:39:13-04:00

Well that's just a kick in the teeth, to find out 55 years later this condition even exists! That must be a joke, Documentation? Man, I could write a book of every incident of getting my bell rung during Vietnam. following a APC that hit a road mine came to later, bell rung, medic: you're ok? just shake it off! Ears rang for 2 days. dang! No computer in the bush, better yet no such thing as, only made a document (pencil and paper) if dust off / hospital was involved. Live action, fired a law in prone, left ear drum busted, deaf as a post for a week, oh but medic supplied cotton balls to stuff in ear. Later field aid station DR ? reply : " Don't worry it will heal itself in a few weeks", where's the documentation? On a note pad!. Lost my hearing in that ear 45 years later, but the computer was down. (joke). Eyewitnesses? Was in a vehicle bumming a ride to base camp, have no clue who with. There goes that documentation. Ever been 50 ft directly in front of a 175mm while in a perimeter bunker all night, several times? Once injured by incoming rounds required hospital treatment, Drs made note in my file to allow for a profile "no prolonged sitting, standing , running or walking" till ETS 6 months later. Returned to US, required to have exam by VAMC in Memphis to access my disability, examination DR response was," I was deformed", I asked if deformed how the hell was I inducted into the military? That's just a brief tale of my 45 year battle with the VA to get help. Not to mention eye injury in VN and later blind in one eye, Sorry, we don't have the required documentation for that, must have lost that record on the medic's note pad. Oh! Forgot, The first 5 years after I ETS, was treated at the VAMC Hospital in Memphis, averaged 3-4 <> visits per month, 10 years later due to worsening symptoms, vision, skin rot from Agent Orange, (5 documented areas exposed to AO during operation Ranch Hand), with the help of Congressman Pat Williams (1989) discovered all records, documentations of the prior treatments At the VAMC Hospital were DESTROYED. RE: BS, Director testified before Congressional Hearing on my behalf, "That was their Policy after 5 years of no contact with the Veteran to destroy their records". Duh... moved to another state, another VAMC care. At 77, still gets me going on the subject. Presently, still fighting the system. Good luck.

Response by PVT Edward Roselle made Oct 31 at 2025 3:52 PM

2025-10-31T15:52:01-04:00

Been fighting the VA for this for 25+ years, and they still just tell me no... I'm tired of it, and just quit trying.

Response by Sgt John Branca made Nov 20 at 2025 6:48 PM

2025-11-20T18:48:21-05:00

So what are they doing about it?
Why did rally point ask??
I answered yes and got this.

Response by Sgt Chuck Barber made Nov 26 at 2025 10:09 PM

2025-11-26T22:09:43-05:00

yes

Response by SGT Larry Deal made Nov 26 at 2025 10:52 PM

2025-11-26T22:52:37-05:00

OIF I - March 24, 2003 while preparing for movement from Objective Rams. Started taking incoming mortar rounds. One landed about 30 or so meters from me. I can remember seeing the explosion and being dazed for a bit. I was enrolled in VA care in ‘23 after the PACT act passed and have yet to get screened for possible TBI.

Response by PFC Clifford Kelley made Nov 27 at 2025 6:04 AM

2025-11-27T06:04:22-05:00

I definitely know what you mean. I had a severe TBI in the service. It was severe enough that I spent 3 days in ICU and another week in the hospital. While there I had a seizure severe enough that it stopped my heart. So mine was documented but I didn't get a copy of my medical records. A few years after my separation I had a minor headache injury. Not even hard enough to be hospitalized but I started having seizures daily. When I filed for my VA Disability they kept saying that my records burned in the fire of 1976 that destroyed a lot of military records. When I pointed out the facts that I was born in 1965 and was only 11 in 1976 and hadn't signed up until 1984 they said they didn't care. So I fought with them for 20 years before I could get my disability. We lost everything. We had to move in with family and the VA still didn't care. So I recommend for everyone to get a copy of your records especially your medical records before you are discharged!

Response by CW4 Peter Wendt made Nov 27 at 2025 10:44 AM

2025-11-27T10:44:16-05:00

In 1969, during my 1st Tour in Vietnam, as an Army Helicopter Pilot, I was in a serious helicopter crash and knocked unconscious. I was med-evacked, and hospitalized at an Air Force Clinic at Phan Rang AFB. I was returned to my unit, 192nd AHC and back to flying duty in a couple months. Currently Retired Status....90% Disability but not for head injury.

Response by PO2 Rusty Scanlan made Nov 27 at 2025 11:00 AM

2025-11-27T11:00:17-05:00

I was a seabee, and was continually exposed to loud engines, banging and clanging, typical construction sounds all without hearing protection. I can't count the number of times my haed hat got knocked off and minor impacts to my head occurred. None of this was ever documented in my jacket. Weapons training with those foam earplugs for protection, night fire demonstrations of "final protective fire" , etc. I have extreme hearing loss and several other issues that my doctor attributes to my service. What can I do to get assistance or help.

Response by SGT Brian Kelly made Nov 27 at 2025 11:41 AM

2025-11-27T11:41:06-05:00

I was in a vehicle rollover in Qatar in 2005.
Although it is medically documented with the VA, the problem I run into is my inability to effectively communicate what's really going on with me.
It seems like anytime I'm having an issue and get in front of my doc, my brain freezes up or I miscommunicate what I'm trying to say, which, leads me to believe that it's just something I have to deal with because, well, people aren't psychics.
Adapt and do what I can to drive on is a day-to-day.

Response by CSM Thomas Ray made Nov 27 at 2025 11:43 AM

2025-11-27T11:43:41-05:00

It is nice to be able to address these issues. When I was in combat in 1970 there was no way to address any of these issues, I don't even know if I had or where my medical records were, we moved around and was never in one place longer than a couple of months. Everything was "in the rear" and we got to go there once during my deployments. The only records were when you were medivacted

Response by MAJ Jay Callaham made Nov 27 at 2025 6:50 PM

2025-11-27T18:50:47-05:00

24 years a tanker and one in field artillery. No combat tours, but plenty of range time - lots of blast waves. I remember thinking how cool it was sitting on the hatch of my tank on static ranges and the others around me were firing. I felt the waves and thought it was awesome. Even with earplugs and the limited protection of the headphones in the CVC helmets - - hearing loss and who knows what else?

Response by SFC Kandi Temple made Nov 27 at 2025 8:38 PM

2025-11-27T20:38:06-05:00

I went through the TBI clinic, was having daily migraines, couldn't sleep, etc. Was told I had 20+ brain bleeds, but they were only going to call it migraines because I was "still too high functioning." I was eidetic begore the injury. Got 10%. It was moved up to 30% for migraines last year, and I got 100% cummalatively from a host of problems. Was never able to redo the TBI clinic for the comp exam because Optum kept scheduling during the time I told them I was unavailable in another state. I still deal with stroke-like symptoms and aphasia, but at least I'm independent again for the most part. My rep told me not to re-file since I got the 100 anyways. I definitely should have had the TBI diagnosis back in 09 when I was medically retired.

Response by SMSgt Willie Edney made Nov 27 at 2025 11:52 PM

2025-11-27T23:52:42-05:00

Hit my head numerous time s on the leading edge of my plane while doing work

Response by PO3 Phyllis Maynard made Nov 28 at 2025 5:34 AM

2025-11-28T05:34:05-05:00

SSG Clint Romesha thank you for putting this out here, to help those coming behind us.

Response by SPC Robert Hendrickson made Nov 28 at 2025 12:34 PM

2025-11-28T12:34:12-05:00

I was at my unit's guard site and one day while on duty, I was monitoring the site's front entrances and at that same time ,, a German terrorist was about to do grave damage to our site.. he seen me moving .. took a hotshot at me and missed me by about a foot or so..next he sees me coming after hjm..he had a Peugeot car,,I had a bicycle..I was about to catch him and he supposedly got away..I had to write a report on what happened along with my sgt/guard and a officer on duty..also I had a few falls with three/four of my bikes..whether weather related or otherwise .. jumping curbs, riding in/on places i was not allowed, like in a shopping plaza only for pedestrians..I got a warning ticket only, several times like one particular time, I was in a weather-related accident..riding in on ice and snow..I hit a big Mercedes-Benz .. skinned a little mark on that car..as for me I hit that car had two skinned up knees I bump on my head, and had to walk back to my unit .. bike was history and I was hurt..had to walk 5 miles to my unit hurt and mad at myself..
That era was in the 70s..I am now total and permanent disabled this is now almost 2026
I do hv ptsd and anx disorder, a bum knee and right shoulder and back issues..all chronic since the 70s

Response by Col Dan Ketter made Nov 29 at 2025 10:32 PM

2025-11-29T22:32:34-05:00

Still doesn't matter to the VA. I've appealed 3 trimes and it means nothing

Response by COL Scott Pacello made Dec 15 at 2025 5:23 PM

2025-12-15T17:23:59-05:00

Agree with all of your comments. I always tell my friends leaving service that later in life things start coming about with your body, especially the things you mention in your above note. Training, combat, etc all have an affect on you. It is especially evident over 50 years old. I retired in 2011 and deal with it now at 62 and have found yoga, fitness and no drinking help me quite a bit.