Navy SEAL Frank Larkin on 9/11 and Traumatic Brain Injury Advocacy

Diverse Career in Public Service

• 💡 Frank Larkin's extensive career includes serving as a Navy SEAL, paramedic, police officer, Secret Service agent (presidential protection, financial crimes), and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms.
• 🚀 His path to governmental service began in Philadelphia, where he volunteered as a paramedic before enlisting in the Navy in 1973.
• 🧠 As a SEAL post-Vietnam, he observed "invisible wounds" in veterans, characterized by alcohol abuse and emotional pain, due to a lack of understanding and support at the time.

Secret Service and 9/11 Experience

• 🎯 During his Secret Service career (Reagan to Bush 43), he managed complex presidential protection details and investigated financial crimes, emphasizing attention to detail and inter-agency cooperation.
• ⚠️ He was at Tower 7 during 9/11, witnessing the attacks firsthand and participating in immediate search and rescue efforts amidst chaos and communication breakdown.
• 🔥 His experience included seeing people jump from towers and being caught in the debris and fires from the collapses, highlighting the unprecedented nature of the event.

Ryan Larkin's Service and TBI Discovery

• 🌱 Inspired by 9/11, his son Ryan Larkin joined the Navy SEALs, serving multiple deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• 💔 Ryan developed symptoms like sleep issues, anxiety, memory problems, and balance issues, leading to a sense of "institutional betrayal" when seeking help.
• 🔬 Following Ryan's suicide, his brain donation revealed "interfaced astroglial scarring" (IAS), a severe microscopic brain injury uniquely linked to blast exposure, distinct from CTE.

Advocacy for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

• 🤝 Frank Larkin, alongside others like Dr. Kate Rocklin, now advocates for TBI research and awareness, pushing for legislative changes (NDAA) to prioritize understanding and preventing blast injuries.
• 📈 Current efforts include the reBLAST Precision study at Harvard Mass General, aiming to visualize TBI in living individuals and develop diagnostic biomarkers.
• ✅ He emphasizes the need to involve weapons and ammunition manufacturers in blast overpressure measurements and supports organizations like Headstrong and Warrior Call to combat veteran isolation and provide resources.