Blast Injury Research Coordinating Office

Blast Injury Research Coordinating Office Web Site

Mission Background and Environment Vision and Lines of Effort Key Themes and Messages Questions and Answers

Mission

Fulfill the responsibilities and functions of the DOD Executive Agent (EA) for Medical Research for the Prevention, Mitigation, and Treatment of Blast Injuries in accordance with Public Law 109-163, Section 256 and DOD Directive 6025.21E. On behalf of the EA, the Blast Injury Research Coordinating Office (BIRCO) coordinates DOD-sponsored biomedical research programs aimed at preventing, mitigating, and treating blast-related injuries; identifies knowledge gaps and shapes research programs accordingly; promotes information sharing among the operational, intelligence, medical, and materiel development communities; and facilitates collaborative research among DOD laboratories and the laboratories of other federal agencies, academics, and industry to leverage resources and to take full advantage of the body of knowledge that resides both within and outside of the DOD to accelerate the delivery of blast injury prevention and treatment strategies to Service members.

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Background and Environment

Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, worldwide terrorist bombings and industrial explosions, and the growing use of improvised explosive devices have resulted in a significant number of blast-related casualties. Through Public Law 109-163 Section 256 in 2006, Congress directed the Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) to designate an EA to coordinate the DOD's medical research programs relating to the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of blast injuries. The DOD responded by issuing DOD Directive 6025.21E, 5 July 2006, "Medical Research for Prevention, Mitigation, and Treatment of Blast Injuries," that designated the Secretary of the Army (SECARMY) as the DOD EA.

In 2007, following a series of delegations, the Commander, U.S. Army Medical Command, assumed EA authority for the DOD Blast Injury Research Program and established BIRCO at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) under a charter signed by the Commander, USAMEDCOM to assist in fulfilling EA responsibilities and functions. In 2017, SECARMY delegated EA authority to the Surgeon General, who further delegated EA authority to the Commander, USAMRDC.

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Vision and Lines of Effort

BIRCO's vision is a fully coordinated DOD blast injury research program that delivers timely and effective blast injury prevention, mitigation, and treatment strategies to our Service members today and in the future.

To realize this vision, BIRCO operates through the following lines of effort:

Identifying blast injury knowledge gaps
Shaping research programs to fill knowledge gaps
Promoting information sharing and partnership
Facilitating collaboration within and outside the DOD
Disseminating blast injury research information

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Key Themes and Messages

Blast injury includes the entire spectrum of injuries that can result from exposure to an explosion. They are highly complex, involving multiple types of injuries and multiple body systems at once.

Solutions to blast injury problems require collaboration among diverse communities and disciplines.

Service members are the ultimate beneficiaries of collaboration by the world's experts.

Visit BIRCO's website for information on key initiatives, annual reports, State-of-the-Science Meetings, research highlights, and more.

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Questions and Answers

What is an Executive Agent?

As defined in the DOD Directive 5101.1, "the DOD Executive Agent is the head of a DOD Component to whom the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense has assigned specific responsibilities, functions, and authorities to provide defined levels of support for operational missions, or administrative or other designated activities that involve two or more of the DOD Components. The nature and scope of the DOD Executive Agent's responsibilities, functions, and authorities are prescribed at the time of assignment and remain in effect until the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense revokes or supersedes them. The DOD Executive Agent may delegate, to a subordinate designee within that official's Component, the authority to act on that official's behalf for any or all of those DOD Executive Agent responsibilities, functions, and authorities assigned by the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense."

Who is the DOD Blast Injury Research Program Executive Agent?

The Commander, USAMRDC is the DOD EA for Medical Research for Prevention, Mitigation, and Treatment of Blast Injuries. In 2006, SECDEF designated SECARMY as the DOD EA. In 2007, following a series of delegations, the Commander, U.S. Army Medical Command, assumed EA authority and established BIRCO at the USAMRDC under a charter signed by the Commander, USAMEDCOM to assist in fulfilling EA responsibilities and functions. In 2017, SECARMY delegated EA authority to the Surgeon General, who further delegated EA authority to the Commander, USAMRDC.

What are common examples of blast injury?

DOD Directive 6025.21E categorizes blast injuries into five types: primary through quinary. Primary blast injuries result from the direct interaction of the blast wave with the body. Examples include lung injury, ear drum rupture, eye rupture, severe abdominal bleeding, and concussion. Secondary blast injuries result from blunt or penetrating impact from shrapnel or other foreign bodies propelled by the blast wave. Examples include fragment penetration of the eye or body and brain injuries. Tertiary blast injuries are caused when the blast wave forces the body into impacting other objects. Examples include bone fractures, amputations, blunt injures, crush injuries, and brain injuries. Quaternary blast injuries are caused by the heat or toxic substances resulting from the explosion. Examples include partial and full thickness burns and breathing problems caused by dust, smoke, particulates, and toxic fumes. Finally, quinary blast injuries result from environmental contaminants or chemical, biological, and radiological substances released from the explosion. Examples include chemical burns, radiation exposure, and viral or bacterial infections.

What is blast injury research?

Blast injury research is the scientific pursuit across medical and nonmedical fields of information to improve injury prevention, acute treatment, and reset of Service members.

Injury Prevention: Research to prevent blast injury across the spectrum of potential injuries through establishing safety thresholds for human exposure to blast, enhancing diagnostic capabilities, supporting the design of protection systems, and strengthening guidelines for the safe use of weapon systems
Acute Treatment: Research to develop new diagnostic tools, clinical guidelines, therapies, and medical interventions to treat the spectrum of blast-related injuries with the goal to improve survivability and mitigate long-term disability for Service members with injuries following blast events
Reset: Describes a concept that extends beyond rehabilitation to include all activities necessary to return injured Service members to duty or to productive civilian life. Reset includes research to advance strategies for reducing recovery time, improving rehabilitation programs, maximizing opportunities for return to duty and reintegration into the civilian workforce, and improving the quality of life for Service members who have experienced blast-related injuries

Where can I find additional information about the DOD Blast Injury Research Coordinating Office?

For more information, visit the DOD Blast Injury Research Coordinating Office Web Site.

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U.S. Army

MEDICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMAND