US Military Urged to Provide Troops More Protection From Blasts

Defense News ,U.S :-  The US military is being told to keep its soldiers safe from blasts to avoid brain injuries. Experts spoke to a group in charge of military personnel about this.

They said even small blasts can hurt soldiers' brains. These blasts can happen in training, drills, or during fights, not just in war.

Records from the Pentagon show that from 2000 to 2023, nearly 500,000 US soldiers had a brain injury. Most of these soldiers were from the US Army.

Samantha McBirney, a biomedical engineer and expert on the panel, said blasts can also cause other injuries that are hard to see right away. These injuries are called "subconcussive injuries." They can cause problems with memory, thinking, and coordination.

Soldiers might also feel angry, get headaches, or have trouble hearing because of blasts from heavy weapons or explosives.

Former US Navy SEAL Frank Larkin wants the military to act fast. He said the military should focus on preventing these injuries before they get worse.

Larkin knows how important it is firsthand. His son, who was in the military, had a brain injury after serving in combat four times.

McBirney agreed with Larkin. She said small blasts will keep being a problem for soldiers as weapons get better and stronger. She thinks the Department of Defense and researchers need to work together to fix this.

In simple words, the US military needs to make sure soldiers are safe from blasts. Even small blasts can hurt soldiers' brains. This can happen during training, not just in war.

Almost 500,000 US soldiers had brain injuries from 2000 to 2023. Most of them were from the US Army.

Experts say blasts can also cause other injuries that are hard to see right away. These injuries can affect memory, thinking, and coordination. Soldiers might also feel angry, get headaches, or have trouble hearing because of blasts from heavy weapons or explosives.

A former US Navy SEAL wants the military to act fast. He knows it's important because his son had a brain injury after serving in combat four times.

Experts say small blasts will keep being a problem for soldiers. They think the military and researchers need to work together to fix this.