About 97% of soldiers have completed the Neurocognitive Assessment Tool (NCAT), a cognitive baseline test established by the Army to monitor brain health and track recovery from traumatic brain injuries related to blast exposure, according to Jordan Gillis, the Army's assistant secretary for installations, energy and environment.
The War Department established NCAT as a required assessment for soldiers in high-risk military occupational specialties, including those operating field artillery, combat engineers and explosive ordnance disposal technicians. Troops in these fields must take the test when entering the military, before deployment, and following an injury or suspected concussion. The Army requires soldiers in high-risk roles to complete the assessment annually and all soldiers to take it every three years.
Soldiers across active duty, the Army National Guard and Army Reserve began taking the test in 2024. "It demonstrates our commitment to cognitive safety, medical readiness and warfighting capability," Gillis said.
The assessment is part of a broader occupational safety program addressing blast overpressure and low-level blast exposure, which the Army has identified as critical health hazards. According to studies published by the National Institutes of Health, continuous exposure to blast shockwaves has been linked to traumatic brain injuries.
The Army will soon publish a servicewide directive outlining the full overpressure program, which includes hazard assessment, risk assessment and exposure tracking, risk mitigation, cognitive monitoring, information management, illness and injury reporting, and training and education.
Gillis, a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and field artillery officer, took the NCAT himself at the Pentagon Special Missions Auxiliary Clinic, citing the importance of setting an example. He has experienced blast exposure firsthand, having suffered injuries during Operation Enduring Freedom for which he received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal.