Blast overpressure (BOP) is outlined because the sudden onset of a strain wave, above regular atmospheric strain, which happens from blast (e.g., explosions and weapons firing occasions).
In a memorandum dated 8 August, 2024, the Deputy Secretary of Protection has up to date necessities for managing mind well being dangers from usually neglected sources of overpressure. Along with BOP from publicity to Improvised Explosive Gadgets (IED) they’ve taken a glance over the previous few years at overpressure attributable to our weapons throughout coaching and operations.
This new directive, which fits into impact instantly, expands the June 8, 2022 memorandum, “Division of Protection Warfighter Mind Well being Initiative – Technique and Motion Plan” and rescinds Assistant Secretary of Protection for Readiness Memorandum, “Interim Steerage for Managing Mind Well being Danger from Blast Overpressure,” November 4, 2022.
It additional establishes DoD necessities and path for the administration of well being dangers to DoD personnel from exposures to BOP. Nonetheless, there’s no intent to preclude or unreasonably limit commanders from conducting mission-essential weapons coaching. Slightly, this coverage establishes necessities for sensible threat administration actions to mitigate and observe BOP exposures throughout the DoD.
The memorandum states, “Experiences by DoD personnel in coaching and operational environments show doable antagonistic results on mind well being and cognitive efficiency ( e.g., headache, decreased response time, consideration issue, reminiscence loss) ensuing from acute (e.g., single or short-term) and persistent (e.g., repetitive or steady) publicity to BOP. Mind well being results from BOP exposures should not but absolutely understood, however antagonistic well being and cognitive efficiency impacts have been reported from acute exposures to BOP above 4 kilos per sq. inch (psi).”
Consequently, DoD is instituting an interim BOP publicity security guideline of 4 psi will probably be used as a threshold to require initiation of acceptable threat administration actions till additional analysis is full. Weapons methods identified to provide BOP exposures exceeding 4 psi embrace breaching expenses, shoulder fired weapons, 0.50 caliber rifles/weapons, and oblique fires.
Along with elevated screening for the results, models will implement a number of measures to mitigate the danger of mind damage, together with at a minimal:
– Stand-off distances for personnel concerned in coaching (e.g., instructors, vary security officers) The “DoD Blast Overpressure Reference and Data Information” could also be used as a useful resource to assist implementation efforts, situated at Well being.mil/BrainHealthRisk.
– Stand-off distances for non-training audiences that maximize distance from the weapons system to the best extent doable.
– Private protecting gear for firers, trainers, and different personnel at an elevated threat of BOP publicity.
– Reduce the variety of personnel within the neighborhood of BOP producing occasions (i.e., personnel who should not straight concerned within the coaching or executing duties related to the coaching occasion) to reduce pointless publicity.
The memorandum additionally incorporates a relatively lengthy listing of army specialties which have an elevated listing of final overpressure publicity but it surely’s undoubtedly not complete. For instance, it lists Military MOS 11A and 11B however ignores 11C and 11Z. Likewise, 19D is listed however not 19A, 19B, 19C, 19K or 19Z. Oddly, on the Air Drive portion of the listing, somebody thought to incorporate the Particular Warfare officer codes, however not the enlisted ones.
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