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Exhibit 260

Defense Health Care: DOD Should Assess Its Needs for Managing Potential Brain Health Effects from Weapons Blast Exposures, GAO-26-107829

Exhibit 260 · Audit report

Defense Health Care: DOD Should Assess Its Needs for Managing Potential Brain Health Effects from Weapons Blast Exposures, GAO-26-107829

There is growing evidence that using certain weapons that produce high levels of what is called blast overpressure (the sudden onset of a pressure wave) can affect service members’ brain health.

DoD's August 2024 memorandum requires baseline cognitive assessments and exposure tracking; components reported insufficient staff and technology for assessments and a lack of industrial hygiene personnel for exposure tracking. GAO recommended comprehensive resource assessments; DoD agreed.

Source
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Date
18 August 2026
Quoted from
Highlights, Why GAO Did This Study
Grade
Primary record
Document
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107829
Accessed
2026-11-09
Cited by
Findings citing this exhibit

Cited by

Finding DEF-5.8
Primary record In August 2026 GAO reported that DoD components lacked the staff and technology for the blast-exposure cognitive assessments and the industrial hygiene personnel for the exposure tracking that DoD required in August 2024.