The Pentagon’s new plan to track troops’ blast exposure and brain health has run into problems, watchdog says

An Army combat medic operates an intercranial hemorrhage assessment device during a Soldier touchpoint event U.S. Army Photo by T. T. Parish/Released The Pentagon faces challenges in monitoring troop brain health, a GAO report highlighting resource gaps says. The effects of blast overpressure exposure can be jarring and have serious consequences. The US military is struggling to conduct cognitive tests for blast exposure due to staffing and equipment shortages. The Pentagon has struggled to implement a new system meant to monitor service members' brain health and document exposures to shock waves produced by weapons, a government watchdog found. The Defense Department has begun requiring cognitive assessments for newly enlisted troops and active-duty personnel in jobs considered at high risk for blast exposure.