Investigation: Fighter Pilot's Neck Injuries Denied By Trained Gynecologist / Medical Reviewer at National Guard Bureau

TOP LINE

This week, we honor our veterans and their service with a special investigation that demands accountability for injured service members. 

Based on our reporting, a 36-year-old Air National Guard fighter pilot had to spend six years and 70-thousand dollars of his own money to get his neck injuries recognized as service related injuries.  

When the pilot’s case got to National Guard Bureau Headquarters here in Washington DC, it hit a bureaucratic brick wall. 

The goal of our six month investigation is to shine a light on a system that wrongly denied injured service members care and benefits.

DEEP DIVE

Our team has been looking at this case for about a year. 

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In May, we launched our investigation after obtaining a half dozen military records from a veterans advocate.   In October, we travelled to Denver Colorado where our story begins.

Ever since he can remember, Captain Cody Kirlin had wanted to be a fighter pilot.   In 2014 he joined the Air National Guard based in Louisiana.  In 2019, while deployed to Guam for advanced training, Kirlin knew something had happened to his neck.

With the G-Force pilot's experience, the helmet that normally weighs about eight pounds, has the pressure of nearly 100 pounds on their neck and shoulders.  After a short break, Kirlin returned to training and his injury became critical.

“After the initial injury taking two weeks off, I went up for another sortie flying a two versus one wearing the JHMCS (helmet,)” Kirlin explained.

“At one point, I had rolled around to try to get a good shot with the helmet and felt a pop in my neck and felt the radiating pain down both arms.”

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