LANSING – State Representative George T. Darany’s (Dearborn) House Concurrent Resolution 29 passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support today. This resolution urges the U.S. Department of Defense to apply uniform standards when awarding the Purple Heart so that it applies to individuals with traumatic brain injuries.
“Despite the type of injury, every veteran who has been wounded in combat has displayed an heroic amount of devotion to defend our country,” said Darany, who is a member of the House Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee. “Without a doubt, these brave men and women are deserving of recognition for their sacrifices.”
For many years, the eligibility requirement for the Purple Heart has been interpreted to pertain to injuries that are mainly visible in nature. However, the weapons found on today’s battlefields are designed to cause life-altering damage and traumatic brain injuries are becoming more and more common. Thankfully, continued advancements in our medical capabilities on the battlefield are keeping more of our injured soldiers with traumatic brain injuries alive.
Although the Army has recently set new guidelines for awarding Purple Hearts, and other branches have been examining their own practices, the fact remains that the application of these standards is still uneven.
“With Veterans Day right around the corner, many of us will pause to remember and thank our veterans for their service,” Darany said. “I am thankful to my legislative colleagues for supporting this resolution and it is my hope that our brave military members coping with these types of injuries will receive the respect and admiration they deserve by receiving this recognition.”