In a recent survey, it was determined that the average SWCC operator had about 15,000 hours of fast boat time (300 SWCC Surveyed). In the same study, 87 operators admitted to having thoughts of suicide. In recent research, it has been confirmed that 15 Fast Boat Operators have committed suicide, while many others still need to be confirmed. Actually, another US Navy Riverine Operator committed suicide this past week. Still, he had other medical conditions that most likely added to his untimely death and were not added to this list. While most operators on this list have a diagnosis of PTSD, it is common for fast boat operators suffering extreme levels of repetitive head injury (RTBI) to be misdiagnosed with PTSD.
The question becomes: What is the cumulative G-force load for 15,000 hours?
An equally important question is how many Military
Fast Boat Operators have taken their life due to severe exposure to wave
slamming, which causes TBI and CTE?
In recent research, communicating with fast boat operators from the SWCC, USCG, and US Navy Riverine communities who have first-hand accounts of these 15 suicides, the following suicides have been determined. Names are
omitted as not all have been publicly declared by families.
- D. D. – US Navy Riverine – 18 April 2025 - suicide.
- A.R. - USCG – 17 April 2025 - suicide
- B. C. – US Navy Riverine 1 April 2025 – PTSD-suicide
- V. D. – US Navy Riverine - 21 July 2024. suicide.
- D. B. – USCG – 7 March 2023 – PTSD suicide
- T. C. – US Navy SWCC – 11 November 2021 –
PTSD-TBI-suicide
- T. N. – US Navy SWCC – 1 October 2021 –
CTE-PTSD-suicide
- N. G. – USCG – 8 May 2019 PTSD – suicide
- A. G. – US Navy Riverine – 11 October 2019 – suicide,
shot himself in the head while in his wife’s arms, on their front lawn.
- D. T. – US Navy Riverine – 4 May 2014. suicide PTSD.
- J. C. – US Navy SWCC – 15 February 2010 – PTSD –
suicide
- A. M. – US Navy Riverine – 6 November 2010.
- A. L. – SWCC – 8 November 2010. PTSD-suicide
- P. T. – US Navy SWCC – 29 March 2006. SBT-22 - suicide.
- T. B. – US Navy SWCC – 24 June 1994 PTSD – suicide
In addition to this list of suicides, the following SWCC
operators have recently deceased under other abnormal conditions.
1.
J. B. – SWCC – 22 Feb 2025. Found dead in his
bathtub.
2.
S. M. – SWCC – 6 July 2022. Killed by a vehicle homicide after a late-night dispute leaving a bar.
3.
Z. B. – SWCC – 28 May 2015. Killed by a vehicle homicide in a road rage incident.
4.
S. D-R. – SWCC – 28 June 2010. Shot to death
outside a motorcycle club in Las Vegas.
5.
S. K. – SWCC – 5 May 2021. Reported that he drove his car off a bridge, but this has not been confirmed.
When considering a cumulative G-force load over a long exposure period
(like 15,000 hours), we must consider:
- Frequency
of impacts (e.g., every 2 seconds, 5 seconds, etc.)
- Range
of g-forces per impact (e.g., 2–10 g)
- Total
duration in hours
Convert Hours to Seconds
15,000 hours × 3600 sec/hr = 54,000,000 seconds
2. Determine Impact Frequency
Assume one impact every 2 seconds (common in fast
boat ops):
Total impacts = 54,000,000 seconds ÷ 2 sec/impact
= 27,000,000 impacts
3. Average G-force per impact
If impacts range from 2 to 10 g, take the midpoint
for estimation:
Average g = 6 g
4. Calculate Cumulative g-Force Load
Cumulative g-Load = 6 g×27,000,000 impacts = 162,000,000 g-events
Alternate Scenarios
|
Impact Interval |
Total Impacts |
Cumulative Load (6g avg) |
|
Every 1 sec |
54,000,000 |
324,000,000 g-events |
|
Every 2 sec |
27,000,000 |
162,000,000 g-events |
|
Every 5 sec |
10,800,000 |
64,800,000 g-events |
Note on Interpretation
- "g-events"
is not a unit of acceleration but a way to describe cumulative exposure
over time.
- Brain and spine injury risk increases not just by the g-magnitude, but also by frequency, direction (vertical/lateral/rotational), and duration.
- Rotational
forces can amplify this load significantly—by up to 4.75×,
based on Zaman et al. (2024).
A
cumulative g-force load of 162,000,000 g-events over 15,000 hours
— especially in the range of 2 to 10 g per impact every 2 seconds — has
profound effects on the human brain, particularly when the forces are
repetitive, multidirectional (especially rotational), and occur over years, as in the case of (SWCC fast boat operations). Here's what happens:
1. Brain Tissue Damage: Repetitive Sub-concussive
Injury
- Even sub-concussive
impacts (below 80–100 g) cause shear stress and axonal
strain, particularly when repeated thousands to millions of times.
- Brain tissue,
especially white matter, can degenerate due to mechanical
strain. Regions like the corpus callosum, frontal lobes, and
temporal lobes are highly vulnerable.
- DTI MRI studies in athletes
and military personnel show microstructural damage from similar
loads.
2.
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) – Chronic Form
Repeated low-to-moderate g's (2–10 g), especially with
rotational acceleration, induce cumulative diffuse axonal injury.
This involves the tearing or stretching of axons, disrupting
communication between brain regions.
The brain doesn’t have time to recover between impacts,
especially when the intervals are 1–2 seconds.
3. Rotational Forces – The Hidden Killer
- Studies
(e.g. Zaman et al., 2024) show rotational forces are ~4.75× higher
than vertical forces.
- A 10
g linear hit = up to 47.5 g rotationally.
- Rotational
forces cause the brain to twist inside the skull, damaging:
- Midbrain
- Cerebellum
- Brainstem
(linked to autonomic dysfunction)
- These
forces are the primary driver of long-term neurodegeneration,
including CTE.
- BOATS SUCH AS THE 11 METER RIB & CCA ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS DUE TO LATERAL IMPACTS CAUSING ROTATIONAL ACCELERATION FORCES ON THE BRAIN!!!!!!
4. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
- Long-term
exposure to repetitive low/moderate G-forces is linked to:
- Stage I–III
CTE pathology: tau protein buildup, neuronal loss
- Behavioral
symptoms: aggression, depression, impulsivity
- Cognitive
decline: memory loss, confusion, executive dysfunction
- Case studies of one SWCC, NFL players, and blast-exposed military personnel support this.
5. Brain Region Effects
|
Brain Area |
Effect of Cumulative G-load |
|
Frontal lobes |
Executive
function, impulse control loss |
|
Temporal lobes |
Memory impairment |
|
Cerebellum |
Balance, motor
coordination disruption |
|
Brainstem |
Autonomic
dysfunction (e.g., heart rate, dizziness) |
|
Corpus Callosum |
Disrupted
communication between hemispheres |
6.
Functional Outcomes
- Cognitive: Memory loss,
slowed processing, poor attention
- Emotional: Depression,
anxiety, mood swings
- Physical: Headaches,
visual issues, dizziness
- Autonomic: POTS, blood
pressure drops, heart palpitations
Conclusion
The
cumulative brain strain from 15,000 hours of 2–10 g impacts (with
rotational amplification) exceeds known thresholds for:
- Repetitive
traumatic brain injury (rTBI)
- Long-term
neurodegeneration
- CTE development
- Multisystem
dysfunction
SWCC,
USCG Fast Boat Operators (FBO), US Navy Riverine (FBO), USMC (FBO), Australian
(FBO), British (FBO), Canadian (FBO), Swedish (FBO), Israeli (FBO) and many
other FBO’s exposure profile is unique and extreme — comparable to elite
contact sports athletes but with far greater frequency and duration.
