Nearly All Soldiers Completed Army Brain Health Test, Service Says

Around 97% of soldiers have completed cognitive assessments to help professionals in the army research the effects of blast exposure, the U.S. Army recently announced.

The Pentagon said Sept. 30 that the majority of soldiers have now used the Neurocognitive Assessment Tool (NCAT), established in 2024 by the Department of Defense (DOD) as a mandatory cognitive baseline assessment for soldiers in impacted career fields.

Researchers can monitor the long-term effects of blast exposure—a condition that accumulates over time when military personnel are exposed to weapons, training and other blasts.

“It demonstrates our commitment to cognitive safety, medical readiness and war fighting capability,” Jordan Gillis, the assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment, said in a statement.

Soldiers in high-risk roles have to redo the test every year, while every other soldier must take it every three years.

Departments Struggle with Military Blast Exposure

In August, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that DOD must assess the resources needed to monitor its research into military blast exposure after conducting an investigation into the matter.

DOD officials told GAO they were hampered by resource constraints, including a lack of staff and technology to conduct brain health assessments.

They also expressed concern regarding a lack of tracking mechanisms, in terms of weapons used and exposures to these weapons, to help aid their research.

On Sept. 9, the House Oversight Committee claimed in a report that the U.S. Navy has not studied pilots to determine if the military branch has issues with brain injuries, which aviators can get from G-force turns and jumps from aircraft carriers.

Risks from Blast Exposure ‘Affect Everyone Differently’

Monitoring brain health is important as evidence increasingly suggests that troops are at risk of brain injury-causing blast overpressure, not just from enemy attacks but also from routine military activities—such as repeatedly firing artillery.

These brain injuries are linked to issues such as an increased risk of suicide and the developing of Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent study also found that veterans exposed to repeated military blasts are more likely to develop anger, aggression and violence than those who are not.

“It affects everyone differently,” Gillis, also a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and a recipient of a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal, said of blast overpressure. “The takeaway is we are trying to take care of soldiers and monitor their health.

“And if there is an impact, we’ll be able to treat them.”