After two decades of war, an unknown number of troops are suffering from mysterious neurological issues that researchers suspect could be linked to blasts caused by their own weapons, including door charges, mortar fires and anti-tank weapons.
The Defense Department insists they are making gains on addressing the issue. U.S. Special Operations Command says it’s racing to test new technologies and change how troops train for combat.
The Pentagon also has announced new rules for cognitive testing and exposure to heavy weapons. And senior officials say service members are now being taught how to recognize blast overpressure symptoms.
“We fully understand that there is no time to waste in making tangible changes based on the information gathered so far,” said Ashish Vazirani, acting under secretary of Defense for personnel and readiness. “The department is not waiting for research to be complete before making changes and is already taking practical actions to reduce risks.”
Still, advocates say that specialized long-term treatment can be tough to find for many former service members, particularly if symptoms don’t surface until after they leave the service. Gaps in research also make it unclear whether enough is being done to protect younger troops in the future.
“Give them a blank check” to fix it all, Smith said.
