Bill in Congress Would Force Action on US Troops' Blast Exposure
April 12, 2024
Dave Philipps
The New York Times
Bill in Congress Would Force Action on US Troops' Blast Exposure
April 12, 2024
Dave Philipps
The New York Times
Routine blasts in training were long thought to be safe, but research suggests that exposure to repeated blasts can cause microscopic brain injuries that lead to profound mental problems.Credit...Lee Jin-Man/Associated Press
By Dave Philipps, The New York Times / Apirl 9, 2024
Lawmakers from both parties plan to introduce a sweeping bill in Congress on Wednesday that would force the military for the first time to track and limit troops’ exposure to damaging shock waves from firing their own weapons.
Routine exposure to blasts in training and combat was long thought to be safe. But research suggests that over time, exposure to repeated blasts can cause microscopic brain injuries that lead to profound mental problems, like mood swings, insomnia, substance abuse, panic attacks and suicide.
The bill, known as the Blast Overpressure Safety Act, would order the military to begin recording troops’ individual blast exposures in training and regularly give exposed troops neurocognitive tests to check for signs of possible injuries. It would also require military medical personnel to be trained in recognizing injuries from repeated blast exposure, which are currently often misdiagnosed as behavioral health issues, if they are diagnosed at all.
Read the rest of the article here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/09/us/pentagon-blast-exposure-brain-elizabeth-warren-joni-ernst.html?smid=url-share
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