Military & Combat-Related Brain Injuries

What Service and Combat Can Do to the Brain

Military service can change the brain in ways most people never see.
Blast waves, repeated weapons fire, vehicle accidents, training injuries, and falls can all cause traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) – even when there is no visible wound.

Some injuries are obvious right away. Others build slowly over years of exposure and only show up later, when the uniform is hanging in the closet and life is supposed to be “back to normal.”

Blast Exposure & Breacher’s Syndrome

Breaching, artillery, mortars, IEDs, door charges, and heavy weapons all create intense overpressure waves.
Service members who are repeatedly exposed to these blasts – even in training – can develop symptoms that look like:

• Memory and concentration problems

• Slowed thinking and decision-making

• Headaches, dizziness, or balance problems

• Noise and light sensitivity

• Fatigue that never fully lifts

Many veterans describe it as their brain feeling “foggy,” “scrambled,” or “not firing like it used to,” even if they were never knocked fully unconscious.

What Families See at Home

On the outside, a veteran can look completely “fine.”
At home, families may notice:

• Irritability, quick anger, or emotional shutdown

• Mood swings or depression that don’t match the situation

• Forgetfulness or getting lost in familiar places

• Trouble following conversations or instructions

• Sleep problems, nightmares, or sleeping at odd hours

• Sensitivity to noise, crowds, or bright lights

• Pulling away from friends and activities they used to love

These changes are often blamed on stress, PTSD, or “just adjusting to civilian life.”
But for many, there is also a brain injury underneath.

Why Military Brain Injuries Are So Often Missed

• Many service members are trained to push through pain and avoid “complaining.”

• TBIs and blast injuries often don’t show on standard scans.

• Symptoms can appear months or years after the last deployment.

• Stigma, pride, and bad past experiences make it hard to ask for help.

• Systems are complex, slow, and exhausting to navigate when you’re already struggling.

Families can end up feeling gaslit – knowing something is wrong, but being told everything looks “normal.”

You Are Not Weak. You Are Injured.

Brain injury from service is not a character flaw, a lack of discipline, or a failure of willpower.
It is an injury. It changes how the brain processes information, emotion, and stress.

If this sounds like you or someone you love, you are not alone and you are not imagining it.

How Robbins Nest Alliance Supports Military Families

Our work is shaped by families living with service-related brain injury and invisible disability every day.

We focus on:

• Clear education about blast injuries, TBIs, and conditions like breacher’s syndrome

• Caregiver tools – simple ways to track changes, prepare for appointments, and communicate what you’re seeing

• Connection and validation – so veterans and caregivers don’t have to keep explaining from scratch to people who don’t get it

We don’t replace medical care or legal advice, but we help you feel more prepared and less alone while you fight for answers.

Learn More About Military Brain Injuries

Want to go deeper? Start here:

• Brain Injury 101 – Military & Blast TBIs (overview guide)

• Caregiver checklists for mood and memory changes

• Stories from military and combat families living with brain injury