May 24, 2018

Heavy weapons may be damaging troops’ brains

As brain injuries in the NFL gain more attention, the brains of service members are under more scrutiny.

That scrutiny led to the discovery that shoulder mounted heavy weapons may be causing head trauma to troops during training.

“What we now know after doing a lot of research and based on a lot of science is some service members suffer from short term cognitive deficits from heavy weapons usage shot during training exercises,” said Lauren Fish, a research associate at the Center for a New American Security. “While these symptoms dissipate after about 96 hours, we don’t yet know the long term effects.”

The potential for brain injury from frequently used weapons like Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles is making the Defense Department rethink how it protects the brains of its troops.

There is currently no requirement to protect troops’ from blast waves even though primary blast pressure waves are mechanisms for brain injury.

CNAS made a number of recommendations on how DoD can protect troops’ heads during training.

One suggestion is to create a log of blasts troops are exposed to in order to track pressure to the brain.

The log would give troops something to show the Veterans Affairs Agency when they leave the military to prove any health issues caused by the blasts.


Listen to the Interview and More from Federal News Radio

  • Commentary
    • Sharper
    • September 11, 2024
    Sharper: Drones on the Battlefield

    From the battlefields of Libya to Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine, the deployment of drones has become a critical element of modern warfare. Will the explosion of unmanned aerial ...

    By Anna Pederson & Molly Campbell

  • Reports
    • September 10, 2024
    Drone Proliferation Dataset

    The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Drone Proliferation Dataset tracks global transfers of military-grade aerial drones, regardless of size and capability, between 1...

    By Molly Campbell

  • Commentary
    • War on the Rocks
    • September 10, 2024
    How the Space Force Can Better Tell Its Story

    Space Force guardians should use the spotlight from real world events — like this story — to educate the public and advocate for resources....

    By Hannah Dennis

  • Video
    • September 7, 2024
    What to know about CCA - US Air Force loyal wingman drones

    The U.S. Air Force is developing drones to accompany fighter jets into combat. Stacie Pettyjohn, senior fellow and director of the Defense program joined Breaking Defense to d...

    By Stacie Pettyjohn

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia