Father's Quest for Explanations Triggers Military to Revise Training Methods andArms Upgrades Following Son's Self-Slaying
America mourns the loss of former Navy SEAL, Frank Larkin's son, Ryan, who tragically took his life in 2017. Ryan, a decorated Navy SEAL himself, died at the age of 29, leaving his father with unanswered questions about his son's mental health and the impact of his military service on his well-being.
Larkin, a distinguished government veteran who served the Secret Service, the Pentagon, and the U.S. Senate, suspects his son's military service may have caused an invisible brain injury due to repeated, low-level blasts during his deployments. If Larkin's suspicion proves true, it could potentially explain numerous military suicides. This leads Frank Larkin on a new mission to expose the unknown effects of military service on veterans' brains.
The heart-wrenching story of Ryan Larkin started on a silent April morning in 2017, when Frank and his wife discovered their son's lifeless body at home. Ryan was dressed in his SEAL Team Seven T-shirt and red, white, and blue board shorts, with a decorated shadow box containing his medals and insignia nearby. A burned hard drive containing Ryan's deployment photos lay in the fireplace.
Ryan, inspired by the September 11, 2001, attacks, joined the Navy directly from high school and rose to elite Special Operations, becoming a SEAL. During his four combat tours (two in Iraq, two in Afghanistan), his personality began to change, as he grew short-tempered, lost his sense of humor, and became stoic. Navy doctors scanned Ryan's brain but found no physical injuries, treating him for depression and alcoholism without diagnosing the root cause of his conditions.
“He said to me, ‘Dad, I don't feel like I'm in my own body,’” recalled Frank Larkin. His son's desperate plea for help went unanswered, as he was discharged honorably in 2016, released from a Navy medical center with no clear diagnosis of what had plagued him.
In the aftermath of Ryan's death, Frank Larkin donated his son's brain to Dr. Daniel Perl at the Uniformed Services University, the military medical school. Dr. Perl, a leading expert on brain injuries, had previously researched how autopsies revealed microscopic brain scars in veterans who had taken their own lives.
Dr. Perl discovered scarring in Ryan Larkin's brain, but with a significant difference: Ryan had not been hit by a roadside bomb. Most of the damage seemed to be caused by routine weapons and tactics rather than one large blast. This raised questions as to whether the cumulative impact of low-level blasts could have a lasting effect on veterans' brains, potentially leading to long-term mental health issues.
determination to find answers prompted Larkin to take his concerns to former colleagues now in command of Special Operations, who began investigating the matter. In 2019, Special Operations launched a preliminary study focusing on brain injuries resulting from cumulative, low-level blasts. The study found that soldiers suffering from symptoms such as cognitive, physical, and psychological impairments displayed changes in brain structure.
With findings from the preliminary study, new research efforts continue to investigate the impact of low-level blasts on veterans' brains. The military has begun implementing changes in training, weapons, and procedures to better protect soldiers' brain health and support veterans who may be struggling with these invisible wounds.
Today, Special Operations is testing modified weapons with reduced blast pressure and designing training rooms with shockwave-absorbing materials. Virtual reality and augmented reality training is also being used to minimize exposure to blast pressure. Changes like these are expected to extend across the armed services in an effort to better protect the mental and physical well-being of service members on the front lines.
In conclusion, the tragic loss of Ryan Larkin has brought attention to a pressing issue affecting many veterans and their families: the unknown effects of military service on veterans' brain health. Through Frank Larkin's relentless pursuit for answers, research and practical changes are being made to address these concerns, ensuring that our brave men and women in uniform are provided the support they need to thrive both during and after their service.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). For more information about mental health resources, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website at nami.org.
[1] U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs). (2016). Defense Department announces $200 million investment to improve traumatic brain injury research and treatment. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/News-Articles/News-Article-View/Article/676380/defense-department-announces-200-million-investment-to-improve-traumatic-brain/
[2] Military Health System. (n.d.). Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). https://www.militaryhealth.mil/Topics/Traumatic-Brain-Injury
[3] Veterans Health Administration. (2021). Brain Health. https://www.brainhealth.va.gov/
[4] National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. (2021). Traumatic Brain Injury. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/traumatic-brain-injury
[5] Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. (2019). TBI Prevention: The blueprint for the future. https://www.defense.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Research/Blueprint%20for%20the%20Future%20July%202019.pdf
- The heart-wrenching story of Ryan Larkin, a former Navy SEAL who tragically took his life in 2017, has shed light on the potential impact of military service on mental health and brain health.
- If Larkin's suspicion that military service may have caused an invisible brain injury due to repeated, low-level blasts proves true, it could potentially explain numerous military suicides and lead to new research efforts in health-and-wellness and mental-health.
- In response to the findings from research on Ryan Larkin's brain, the military is taking steps to improve the brain health of service members and veterans, such as testing modified weapons with reduced blast pressure, designing training rooms with shockwave-absorbing materials, and using virtual reality and augmented reality training to minimize exposure to blast pressure.
