Anthony Smith, is a former Navy fast boat operator and author of the Neurosurgery article 493 Occult Neurotrauma in Naval Special Warfare Combat Crewmen and Fast Boat Operators

An article published by the DAV shares part of Smith’s personal background and motivation: The fight to expose hidden brain injuries that are killing veterans

An excerpt from the article says:

“Both Larkin and Smith say they are fighting for three main goals: Prevent these injuries in the future; find better treatment for those suffering now; and establish these brain injuries as presumptive, service-connected injuries for certain military occupations.”

PANTHER’s physics-based TBI research is key to prevention. PANTHER’s work will support changes to allowable exposure limits for inertial loading like slamming over waves. The unknown question for prevention is: How much is too much? How much loading can a fast boat crew withstand before injury?