{"id":14965,"date":"2020-02-09T17:46:05","date_gmt":"2020-02-09T17:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/09\/navy-seals-family-pushes-for-recognition-of-brain-injuries\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:53:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:53:48","slug":"navy-seals-family-pushes-for-recognition-of-brain-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/02\/09\/navy-seals-family-pushes-for-recognition-of-brain-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"Navy SEAL\u2019s family pushes for recognition of brain injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">ANNAPOLIS, Md. \u2014 As a decorated Navy SEAL operator and explosives breacher, Ryan Larkin was regularly exposed to high-impact blast waves throughout his 10 years of service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Struggling with the psychological effects of serving in four combat tours and an undiagnosed brain injury, Larkin died by suicide on a Sunday morning in 2017 dressed in a SEAL Team shirt with the medals he earned in service next to him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cRyan died from combat injuries, just not right away,\u201d Frank Larkin, Ryan\u2019s father, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan Larkin\u2019s repeated exposure to blast waves severely damaged his brain by causing microscopic tears in the tissue, internal lining and blood vessels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan Larkin told his father in the months before his death that he wanted his body to be donated to traumatic brain injury research. The 29-year-old\u2019s brain was examined at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where a doctor discovered that Ryan had a severe level of microscopic brain injury that was uniquely related to blast exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sixty-four U.S. service members have been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2020\/02\/04\/nearly-60-service-members-could-be-eligible-for-the-the-purple-heart-following-iran-ballistic-missile-attack\/\" target=\"_blank\">diagnosed with traumatic brain injury <\/a>as a result of an Iranian ballistic missiles attack on American troops at Iraqi air bases in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">President Donald Trump dismissed the concussion injuries as \u201cheadaches\u201d and \u201cnot very serious\u201d injuries relative to other injuries he\u2019s seen. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/01\/27\/advocates-demand-apology-from-trump-for-troop-concussion-comments\/\" target=_blank>His comments were criticized by veteran advocates<\/a>, including Frank Larkin, a former Navy SEAL and retired Senate sergeant of arms.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2020\/01\/30\/secdef-says-he-personally-briefed-trump-on-the-seriousness-of-tbi\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"179\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/ptsd-brain-scan.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Esper says he personally briefed Trump on the seriousness of TBI after Iran attack, now at 64 cases<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he told the president that TBI is serious.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Frank Larkin, who stood beside Trump when he signed an executive order to prevent veteran suicides, wrote a letter to the president about the \u201cinvisible wounds\u201d Ryan sustained from the concussive effects of high-powered weapons during his time as a sniper and explosives breacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Larkin asked Trump to heighten the sense of urgency around the need for scientific research in traumatic brain injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of people that do not understand what this means and the impact it\u2019s having on our society,\u201d Larkin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each year in the United States an estimated 1.5 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury, according to the CDC. These injuries can range from mild concussions to severe disabilities that result in death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A CHANGE IN HIS BRAIN<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan Larkin enlisted in the Navy and volunteered for the SEAL program shortly after he graduated from Severna Park High School in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He was known as a loyal friend, an intelligent abstract thinker with a dry sense of humor. He loved the water and was a frequent wakeboarder. Larkin\u2019s attributes made him a respected and relied upon special operations combat medic, sniper and explosives breacher. Ryan Larkin received the Bronze Star, Army Commendation and Navy-Marine Corps Achievement medals with valor, among other awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a combat medic, he volunteered to serve in back-to-back tours in Iraq and then Afghanistan for a total of 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Larkin deployed on four heavy combat tours between 2008 and 2013, where he would blow through thick walls and doors, fire weapons with a powerful blast and be exposed to improvised explosive device, known as IEDs. In a video, Larkin stands by, his fingers in his ears, as a troop blasts a rocket launcher a few feet away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe would say to me, \u2018Mom, it would just clear out my sinuses and you could feel it.\u2019 It was so unbelievable,\u201d Jill Larkin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1852\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725368128.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"traumatic brain injury\" class=\"wp-image-32924\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725368128.jpg.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725368128.jpg.jpg?resize=300,232 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725368128.jpg.jpg?resize=768,593 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725368128.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,790 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725368128.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1185 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725368128.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1580 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An uninjured brain, left, contrasts with traumatic brain injury, theoretically caused by being near explosive detonations. The photos are on the computer of Frank Larkin, a former sergeant of arms at the U.S. Senate, whose son Ryan Larkin, a decorated Navy SEAL committed suicide after suffering from undiagnosed  traumatic brain injury. (Joshua McKerrow\/The Baltimore Sun via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vibrations left microscope tears in Larkin\u2019s brain so small that MRIs and PET scans can\u2019t detect the damage on a living person. Survivors of explosive attacks often report problems of headaches, difficulty sleeping, trouble concentrating, irritability and memory problems. A 2017 study of eight deceased military personnel found that blast exposure produces lesions in the human brain called astroglial scarring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Larkin returned home after his third tour, his brain had changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe was a different kid. Totally,\u201d Jill Larkin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan Larkin started having trouble sleeping. He complained of headaches and became short-fused. He stopped smiling and his relationships started to erode. Larkin deployed on his fourth tour in Afghanistan\u2019s Helmand Province, an area with a high rate of enemy contact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When he returned home, he was more anxious and confused. He was hard to talk to, his parents said. When he was able to sleep, he would have nightmares. Larkin began teaching other SEALs explosive breaching techniques in San Diego, where he was exposed to blast waves daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Larkin was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The Navy referred Larkin to several programs, some were helpful, others destructive. The common theme was a prescription for medication, his parents said. Boxes of medication would arrive at their house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEvery time we turned around, somebody was writing a new prescription for some type of drug,\u201d Frank Larkin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">LOOKING FOR ANSWERS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over a two-year period of seeking help, Ryan Larkin was prescribed over 40 medications, his father said. The drugs made him feel worse and he was labeled operationally unfit and mentally unstable. Without a customized care plan, Ryan Larkin started losing trust in the institution he loved above all else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe\u2019s the only one that said something is wrong with my head,\u201d Frank Larkin said. \u201c(Ryan) would say \u2018Something is wrong with my head. I don\u2019t know what it is. But they keep telling me I\u2019m nuts. I\u2019m crazy.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan Larkin was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2016. He was referred to a Veterans Affairs hospital for treatment, which felt like being abandoned, his parents said. The lack of science surrounding traumatic brain injuries led the Larkins to countless doctors and therapists, but they never got a definitive diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou become very vulnerable with a lack of good science to help support your decisions,\u201d Frank Larkin said. The Larkins almost spent themselves into bankruptcy on different treatments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen you see someone like Ryan circling the drain, you will do anything,\u201d Frank Larkin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryan Larkin would have likely retired after a lifetime of Navy service if he was not discharged, his parents said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe knew that he wasn\u2019t going to get better and that there was no turning back,\u201d Frank Larkin said. \u201cThe system he trusted failed him and turned on him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2400\" height=\"1578\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725184267.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Jill and Frank Larkin\" class=\"wp-image-32929\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725184267.jpg.jpg 2400w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725184267.jpg.jpg?resize=300,197 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725184267.jpg.jpg?resize=768,505 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725184267.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,673 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725184267.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,1010 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP20037725184267.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1347 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2400px) 100vw, 2400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This photo taking Feb. 2, 2020, shows Jill and Frank Larkin, a former sergeant of arms at the U.S. Senate, talking about their son Ryan Larkin, a decorated Navy SEAL who committed suicide after suffering from undiagnosed Traumatic Brain Injury.  (Joshua McKerrow\/The Baltimore Sun via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s now Frank Larkin\u2019s mission to advocate for more research in traumatic brain injuries and educate the public in hope that one day the disease can be diagnosed before death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SEAL community and the Special Operations Command now collects exposure data, promotes a brain donation program to advance the research and has changed tactics to reduce exposures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his letter, Frank Larkin called on the president to make TBI and the veterans suffering from it a priority and to address a medical enterprise that he says is unresponsive and too bureaucratic.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/commentary\/2020\/01\/31\/debate-over-brain-injuries-in-us-military-a-teachable-moment\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/34051669376_0c66970b32_k.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Debate over brain injuries in US military: A teachable moment<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Having some of our leaders label TBIs as less serious than other injuries runs the risk of deterring service members from seeking the treatment they need, says the author of this commentary.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With advanced research and a holistic approach to care, Larkin hopes more appropriate therapies will give patients suffering from invisible wounds the opportunity to identify the biological connection to mental health issues and the chance to improve their brain health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt least we had some answer, not saying that was any better, but it at least gave us an answer why our son became the way he was,\u201d Jill Larkin said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a decorated Navy SEAL operator and explosives breacher, Ryan Larkin was regularly exposed to high-impact blast waves throughout his 10 years of service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":32915,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":68,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[100,23,93,12,25,68],"tags":[],"coauthors":[7927],"class_list":["post-14965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-pentagon-congress"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"Y6STBJTG4BG6ZCH6WBZZGW2ZVE","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/02\/09\/navy-seals-family-pushes-for-recognition-of-brain-injuries\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Navy SEAL\u2019s family pushes for recognition of brain injuries - Army Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a decorated Navy SEAL operator and explosives breacher, Ryan Larkin was regularly exposed to high-impact blast waves throughout his 10 years of service.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/02\/09\/navy-seals-family-pushes-for-recognition-of-brain-injuries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Navy SEAL\u2019s family pushes for recognition of brain injuries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As a decorated Navy SEAL operator and explosives breacher, Ryan Larkin was regularly exposed to high-impact blast waves throughout his 10 years of service.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2020\/02\/09\/navy-seals-family-pushes-for-recognition-of-brain-injuries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Army Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-02-09T17:46:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T18:53:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lilly Price, The (Annapolis, Md.) Capital-Gazette via the AP\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lilly Price, The (Annapolis, Md.) 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