U.S. Army paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade carry out live fire exercises with an M119 Howitzer during an exercise at Krivolak Training Area, North Macedonia, October 25, 2025. Language in the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Pentagon to establish blast safety officer positions in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force by Sept. 30, 2026. (Jose Lora/U.S. Army)
The Pentagon would be required to better protect troops from the effects of weapons blasts by assigning dedicated blast safety officers across every branch of the military under a provision in the annual defense policy bill that’s moving through Congress.
If implemented, the introduction of dedicated blast safety officers would be the latest government measure aimed at protecting troops from the effects of blasts on the brain, as growing evidence has pushed the military to increasingly acknowledge, track and manage blast exposure as a force-wide safety and readiness issue.
Language in the compromise version of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act requires the Department of Defense to establish blast safety officer positions in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force by Sept. 30, 2026.
The officers would be responsible for monitoring and managing exposure to loud blasts during military activities where explosive or heavy-weapons use presents a risk. They would receive training and maintain certification in blast safety, but the legislation does not specify whether the positions would be filled by commissioned officers, enlisted troops, civilians, or medical personnel.
The directive comes amid a growing body of research over the past decade linking repeated blast exposure to measurable changes in brain structure, function and biological markers, even in the absence of a diagnosable concussion.
The research has drawn particular concern for troops in specialties such as artillery, mortars and breaching, whose duties can involve frequent exposure to low-level blast overpressure during training and operations.
The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, dated Dec. 7, stipulates that blast safety officers will oversee blast exposure monitoring programs, ensure troops receive training on blast-related health risks and mitigation measures, and coordinate the use of protective equipment and wearable sensors.
The officers are also tasked with maintaining long-term exposure records and coordinating medical follow-up for troops exposed to blasts, integrating that data into existing Defense Department occupational and environmental health systems, according to the document.
The bill also directs the services to assign blast safety officers to any component where blast overpressure hazards are reasonably anticipated and to ensure those officers are trained and certified in blast safety.
In an earlier version of the bill released in August, the House Armed Services Committee signaled concern about the issue, writing that it “remains concerned about the impact of blast overpressure exposure on service members and their brain health.”
The committee cited experiences in training and operational environments that demonstrate “possible adverse effects on brain health and cognitive performance — including headaches, decreased reaction time, attention difficulty and memory loss — resulting from both acute and chronic exposure to blast overpressure.”
The Defense Health Agency describes blast overpressure as the rapid increase in air pressure caused by an explosion, producing a shock wave that moves outward from the blast source.
The agency notes that while high-level blast overpressure can result from combat explosions, repeated exposure to lower-level blast overpressure, such as from firing heavy weapons during training, may also pose health risks over time.
Those risks include headaches, dizziness, slowed thinking, and concentration or memory problems, according to the agency.
In August 2024, the Defense Department released new guidance that included minimum safe distances for troops using certain weapons, including mortars, howitzers and breaching explosives.
That action followed direction in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Defense Department to create a Warfighter Brain Health Initiative that, among other tasks, identified and disseminated blast exposure and overpressure safety thresholds, monitored service members’ blast histories, and modified high-risk training to reduce the effects of repetitive blast exposure.
