Long misunderstood as a potential contributing factor to suicide in the military, a recent report released by the Defense Department finds troops whose assignment repeatedly exposes them to blasts may correlate to suicide. Although the report does not correlate blast exposure and risk ot the brain for suicidal tendencies, one hypothesis suggested by Senator Angus King and 10 other senators to Congress is the potential that shock waves from weapon blasts may be causing brain injuries. One of the questions among many from the Defense Department report is how repeated exposure to explosions from weapons affects suicide risk. Retired Navy Master Chief Chuck Stansberry alludes that it is not psychological — but physiologically, something changes in the brain from repeated blast exposure, creating a risk factor.