Coverage of blast exposure and warfighter brain health.
Vigil does not commission media. The stories below reflect independent reporting in Australia and abroad. Stories that feature Vigil or its founder directly are marked. The rest provide topic coverage on the same problem.
The Australian story.
Broadcast and print reporting across Australia on blast overpressure, blast-induced TBI and the case for policy reform.
Vigil FeaturedHidden Danger
National broadcast on blast exposure, brain injury and warfighter health.
Vigil FeaturedNavy Clearance Divers, Brain Injuries
Television and online investigation into blast-related brain injury among Navy clearance divers.
Blast Overpressure & the Carl Gustaf
Reporting on Australian soldiers, blast overpressure exposure and brain trauma linked to the Carl Gustaf weapon system.
Vigil FeaturedThe Enemy Within
ABC 7.30, original investigation into blasts from Australian soldiers' own weapons and the link to brain injury.
Sniper Weapons & Irreversible Brain Injuries
ABC investigation into sniper-weapon blast exposure and irreversible brain injuries among Australian veterans.
Veterans Pledge Brains for Blast Exposure Research
Hundreds of veterans pledge their brains to research after the ABC's reporting on blast exposure and brain injury.
Blast Wave Injury Evidence in ADF Soldiers' Brains
Investigation into blast wave injury evidence found in the brains of Australian Defence Force soldiers.
Defence Ignored Toll of Exposure to Explosions
National investigation into Defence's handling of cumulative blast exposure across the ADF.
The Blasts, the Battle and at Last an Apology
Long-form reporting on cumulative blast exposure and the long fight for recognition.
Defence Whistleblower Demands Investigation
Coverage of a Defence whistleblower calling for investigation after a study into soldiers' brain trauma failed to produce findings.
Veterans Pledge to Donate Their Brains to Research
ABC AM radio segment on hundreds of veterans pledging brain donation following the ABC's blast exposure reporting.
The international picture.
The serious work on warfighter brain health is happening across allied nations. The international reporting below frames the same problem from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Israel and Ukraine.
Vigil FeaturedFamilies Call for Blast-Related Brain Injury to Be Examined in Veteran Suicides
UK national broadcast on families demanding blast-related brain injury be examined in veteran suicide cases.
SAS Veterans Fly to US for Brain Injury Treatment Unavailable in the UK
UK reporting on SAS veterans travelling to the United States for brain injury treatment not offered at home.
Coroner Rules on Army Veteran's Death
Coroner's ruling on an army veteran's death as the family fears a link to blast exposure.
MoD Admits British Army Weapons Are Causing Brain Damage
UK Ministry of Defence admits British Army weapons systems are causing brain damage in soldiers.
Traumatic Brain Injury, A Hidden Health Crisis
ITV report on traumatic brain injury as a hidden health crisis impacting military veterans.
Frank Larkin, Blast Exposure & US Special Operators
CBS 60 Minutes segment with Frank Larkin examining blast exposure and brain injury among US special operations forces.
Military Brain Injury
New York Times short documentary on blast exposure and military brain injury.
US Army, Marines, Artillery and ISIS
Investigation into blast exposure among US artillery crews during the campaign against ISIS.
US Artillery & ISIS, Takeaways
Key findings from the NYT investigation into US artillery crews and blast exposure.
Military Brain Injury, Rocket Launcher
Reporting on rocket-launcher blast exposure and brain injury in US service members.
Robert Card, Maine and Lewiston
Reporting on the role of blast exposure and brain injury in the Lewiston, Maine case.
Veterans, Weapons and Blast Exposure
Veterans describe the cumulative effects of weapons-system blast exposure.
Army Blast Safety & Brain Injuries
Reporting on US Army blast safety standards and brain injury outcomes.
Senators' Letter to the Defense Department
US senators press the Department of Defense on blast exposure policy.
Pentagon Blast Exposure, Warren & Ernst
Senators Warren and Ernst push the Pentagon on blast exposure and brain injury.
Mortar Blast & Brain Injury
Reporting on mortar-crew blast exposure and brain injury in US service members.
Navy SEALs, Brain Damage & Suicide
Investigation into brain damage and suicide among US Navy SEALs.
Military Suicide Rates Report
Coverage of the latest US military suicide rates report.
Brain Trauma, CTE and a Navy Speedboat
Investigation into brain trauma and CTE among Navy speedboat operators.
Navy Pilot Brain Injury, Top Gun
Reporting on brain injury among elite US Navy pilots.
Ibogaine, Veteran Brain Injury & PTSD
Coverage of ibogaine therapy for veterans with brain injury and PTSD.
Defense Bill, Brain Injury & Blast
Reporting on US defense bill provisions addressing brain injury and blast exposure.
Veterans Affairs Canada, Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment
Canadian national reporting on Veterans Affairs Canada and traumatic brain injury treatment for veterans.
Canadian Veterans & Brain Injury
Global News broadcast on Canadian veterans and military brain injury.
NZ Defence Force, New Brain Injury Warning to Troops
New Zealand Defence Force issues a new brain injury warning to troops over weapons and explosives exposure.
Kiwi Soldiers Told to Limit Firing of Longest-Range Rifle
Kiwi soldiers using the military's longest-range rifle have been told to limit firing amid brain injury fears.
The Instagram record.
Vigil has posted publicly on Instagram since 2024. The mosaic below samples 1,424 posts and stories drawn from the full archive. Each tile links out to the Vigil Instagram profile, where the original post sits in context.
Back to the United Kingdom and Europe for the next stretch of work on Blast Overpressure (BOP) and brain health. The last two weeks were at…
The NATO guidance on protecting your brain from repeated blasts is now public. It is the most complete allied guidance yet on repetitive Blast Overpressure (BOP) exposure: thresholds, monitoring, medical surveillance.…
A new study in Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation followed 105 SOF personnel through the US Veterans Health…
A 2026 study has measured what firing a long-range rifle does inside the brain and shown how much that load changes with the rifle. Four…
The Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR) has released Episode 3 of its Beyond the Battlefield series,…
#BlastOverpressure #BrainHealth #VeteranHealth
In January, The Assembly published an investigation that deserves a far wider audience - we're surfacing it now, for what it documents and what it has since driven. The finding: US Explosive Ordnance Disposal…
Daily Telegraph reporting today has referenced Freedom of Information material on blast exposure and brain health in the ADF. For those…
There is a campaign running right now to get the Government's $5,000 cap on veteran allied health care reviewed before it starts in 2027.…
In September 2024, on 60 Minutes, the Chief of Army said, "Judge me on what I do." This week it was tested, and the Deputy Chief of Army stepped up and we are grateful for his leadership. NATO's Human Factors and…
THE DATA: one mild Traumatic Brain Injury, more than double the risk of the injuries that ground a soldier. New in JAMA Network Open. Posis…
A new study in Military Medicine used AI to read 3.64 million veteran medical records, a scale this question has not had before. The…
A 20-year cohort study just published its fourth phase, and it shows how the field keeps missing blast. The King's Centre for Military…
#VigilAustralia #BlastOverpressure #BOP
The US Senate's FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act, reported on 15 June 2026, moves the brain from medical afterthought to managed military capability. Section 766 establishes a Warfighter Performance…
In the US military, a blast exposure gets recorded even when no injury has shown up yet. Their medical system has one standard way to code…
We have been tracking this study since its preprint. It is now published in The Lancet. Here is what it found. 222 active-duty,…
Solo firer. Open field. Correct standoff. No safety supervisor at the muzzle. No trench. No concrete bay. For two years, ADF 84mm training images told a different story. The 3 RAR anti-armour platoon showed us three…
Vigil does not comment to join a queue of congratulations. We comment when the issue is serious and we have looked wider and deeper first.…
Warfighters build the network. Hours after our mortar post, a US heavy-weapons expert was online offering exactly the detail a crew should…
The program for the Imperial College London Blast and Injury Conference is out. Two days. The full spectrum of blast science in one room.…
#WarfighterBrainHealth #BlastOverpressure #CognitiveMonitoring
From that stage, our argument was for systematic change. Brain injury is not one thing. A Blast Overpressure (BOP) wave is not a blow to the head; it passes through the body and shears the brain where its tissues meet,…
Our second set of observations from the symposium turns from the room to the wider picture, and to where the work goes from here. Our…
We were humbled to open the UK National Veteran Brain Health Symposium at the University of Nottingham, convened by Lt Col (Prof) James…
For those who have followed Vigil, these four days were not unfamiliar ground. It was Cognitron that we put forward to General Fenton, Commander of US Special Operations Command, at the SOF Truths on Blast Overpressure…
As we begin the journey home from Nottingham, a word on four days that each addressed the same question: how a problem this serious is…
A serious study is open, and it stops at a border; it shouldn't. Elizabeth Metzger and the SWORD Lab at The Geneva Foundation are studying…
US: 18 September: 14:00–16:00 ET. AUS: 19 September: 0200–0400 AWST & 0400–0600 AEST. US TBICoE - public panel on blast overpressure.…
#AgedVeterans #VeteranBrainHealth #BlastOverpressure
Last October, we presented Australian data on Blast Overpressure (BOP) exposure at the Australasian Military Medicine Association (AMMA) Conference in Adelaide. The room was full. The questions were sharp. We are going…
There is an irony we are content to own. In our own country, we sit at the brain injury table as an observer and only very recently.…
Families are the first to see brain injury and the last the system is built for. This morning Vigil spoke with Annabelle Wilson, the…
We are a little late reporting this - sorry. Brain Injury Australia has cancelled its 2026 National Brain Injury Conference. After the sudden death of its Executive Officer, Nick Rushworth, in January, the Board is…
You can tell where the world is heading by reading its job ads. The US just advertised three roles to support its military. A Sensor…
We watched CIMVHR's Beyond the Battlefield panel on traumatic brain injury this week. Watch it. Good people, an open conversation, and…
There will always be a human in the loop. The commander of US Special Operations Command said it at SOF Week, asked whether AI was the holy…
#BrainHealth #HumanWeaponSystem #WarfighterBrainHealth
Three years of global briefings: NATO, Tampa, UK, Raleigh, Adelaide, and a private briefing to the Australian Government Defence Subcommittee. All of it self-funded. Pro bono. This knowledge does not belong to Vigil. It…
We received another question from the Community of Learners, this time on the M777 155mm howitzer and whether we had looked at its Blast…
The Royal Commission recommended a national peak body for ex-service organisations. The model for it is being designed right now, and the…
Q&A. Some of the questions that have come in since the mortars post. Swipe for the answers. Here's the part worth saying out loud. Look at where these questions came from. A section at a rifle battalion trying to stand…
In the field, TBI assessment has two options. A checklist. Or a scanner. The checklist is subjective. It depends on self-report in a…
Family stability is not adjacent support. It is an operational infrastructure. When it degrades, readiness degrades. When it is reinforced,…
This week, SOCOM's command psychologist was on stage at SOF Week in Tampa. Her line on early intervention: "Tackling snowballs rather than…
#BlastInjury #MilitaryBrainHealth #BOP
Vigil is closely monitoring the LifeLens wearable. Here is why. Most military health monitoring relies on self-report. You fill in a questionnaire. You describe your symptoms. You rate your sleep. In a culture where…
They tested everything: rings, watches, chest pucks, and arm bands. One kept getting picked. Warfighters said they couldn't tell they had…