James W. McDonald
Date of Death: 11/12/2007
Age: 26
Incident Location: Iraq
Hometown: Neenah
Branch of Service: Army
Unit: 1st Battalion, 5th Calvary Regiment
Unit Base: Fort Hood, Texas
Sgt. James W. McDonald, 26, was injured in a roadside bomb blast in Iraq in May 2007. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment based at Fort Hood, Texas. After treatment in Germany, he returned to Fort Hood. James passed away on November 10, 2007. His death was considered noncombat-related with the caveat that medical experts couldn't rule out that "traumatic brain injury" may have been a factor. Before he died, McDonald had worked on the base at a weapons room and the post office. He had planned to leave the Army in January to pursue a career in firefighting.
According to an Army study in 2007, 1.4 million people in the U.S. suffer traumatic brain injuries each year. Of those, 50,000 die, 235,000 are hospitalized and 1.1 million are evaluated, treated at a hospital emergency department and released.
A Government Accountability Office study found that of soldiers who required a medical evacuation for battle-related injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan, 30 percent suffered a traumatic brain injury. But it was unknown how many soldiers suffered more mild forms of brain injury.
According to an Army study in 2007, 1.4 million people in the U.S. suffer traumatic brain injuries each year. Of those, 50,000 die, 235,000 are hospitalized and 1.1 million are evaluated, treated at a hospital emergency department and released.
A Government Accountability Office study found that of soldiers who required a medical evacuation for battle-related injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan, 30 percent suffered a traumatic brain injury. But it was unknown how many soldiers suffered more mild forms of brain injury.