Major Ben Richards’ Recovery: HBOT Treatment by Dr. Paul Harch

Major Ben Richards, a decorated U.S. Army veteran, sustained multiple traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and PTSD during combat in Iraq in 2007. After a failed faculty teaching position at West Point, Major Richards’ alma mater, he received conventional treatments through the VA and the Department of Defense’s multimodality maximum treatment program at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Washington, D.C. Despite these treatments Major Richards still suffered from debilitating symptoms. After reading a feature article about Major Richards in The New York Times, Eilhys England of Stand for the Troops and Martin Hoffmann, former Secretary of the Army, referred Major Richards to Dr. Harch for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In 2011, Richards began hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) under Dr. Paul G. Harch’s veteran treatment program in New Orleans — a decision that changed his life.

Treatment Facts

• Protocol: 40 initial one-hour HBOT sessions (“dives”) at ~1.5 ATA, later extended to about 78 total dives.
• Support: Treatment was pro bono, supported by Dr. Harch’s program and nonprofit donations from Stand For The Troops.
• Results: Richards reported improvements in memory, sleep, headaches, and emotional stability. SPECT scans showed improved blood flow in injured brain areas.

The WWLTV (Meg Farris) Segment (video was removed however, the transcript is still available.)

WWL-TV Channel 4 produced a HealthWatch feature on Major Richards’ HBOT journey with Dr. Harch.

WWLTV: Army major seeing success with LSU hyperbaric treatment

Profile: Major Richards Today

After treatment, Richards became an outspoken advocate for veterans’ brain health. Public reports note that he entered a Ph.D. program after his recovery and began lecturing, consulting, and working with nonprofits supporting injured servicemembers. Major Richards received his Ph.D. in History on August 15, 2025 from Kansas State University.

About Dr. Paul Harch

Dr. Harch is a pioneer of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in neurological care, widely recognized for his clinical and academic work. He continues to treat veterans and civilians while advocating for HBOT research.

Conclusion

Major Ben Richards’ case remains a powerful example of how HBOT may help veterans with chronic brain injury. His improvements in function and quality of life, documented in clinical imaging and media coverage, continue to inspire veterans and their families.

We are honored to share that Major Ben Richards will be presenting two upcoming talks hosted by The Dupuy Institute (Washington, DC), open to the public via Zoom:

📅 Wednesday, September 10 at 6:00 PM CT
Topic: The Battle of Baqubah, Iraq (2007) — one of the most decisive and bloodiest battles of the war, which directly led to the defeat of al Qaeda in Iraq.
🔗 Watch Live on Zoom

📅 Wednesday, September 24 at 6:00 PM CT
Topic: The Forgotten Campaign – The Origin and Development of American Economic Warfare in WWII (1939–41)
🔗 Watch Live on Zoom

📌 Both presentations will last about one hour and are open to the public. Feel free to share with anyone who may be interested. Recordings are expected to be made available later on YouTube.

For more information and additional event listings, visit: The Dupuy Institute Website