The War Inside: Understanding the signature injury of a generation.

This episode of the DAV Podcast explores the urgent and evolving landscape of military brain health through a partnership between DAV and the Invisible Wounds Foundation. Host Brian Buckwalter is joined by Dr. James Kelly, a leading expert in brain health, to discuss the signature injury of post-9/11 service: traumatic brain injury (TBI) and repetitive blast exposure. The conversation dives into the critical need for objective diagnostic tools—such as bloodborne biomarkers—to replace subjective clinical assessments and move past the myth that a brain injury requires a loss of consciousness. While addressing the specific challenges faced by veterans, including the high rates of undiagnosed TBIs among women who have experienced military sexual trauma, Dr. Kelly emphasizes a message of hope: specialized, personalized treatment programs are already demonstrating long-term, objective improvements for those living with these invisible wounds.