Skip to main content

Military Health System

Test of Sitewide Banner

This is a test of the sitewide banner capability. In the case of an emergency, site visitors would be able to visit the news page for addition information.

Researchers Connect with Warfighters to Guide Tech Development

Image of Military personnel trying an immersive training device. Audiologist Dr. Amy Boudin-George, Defense Health Agency Hearing Center of Excellence, Clinical Care Section chief, tries her hand in a T-38 immersive training device at the 560th Flying Training Squadron ("Charging Cheetahs"), Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas on Dec. 7. The HCE team visited several operational units in December at JBSA, to better understand warfighter hearing and communication needs (Photo by: Elsa Granato, Hearing Center of Excellence)

Researchers with the Defense Health Agency's Hearing Center of Excellence are connecting directly with warfighters, to better understand the hearing and balance challenges they experience in an operational environment.

"We're making a concerted effort to 'get out of the clinic' and connect and interact with operational military units in their mission environments," explained Dr. Jeremy Nelson, HCE research branch chief.

The team's first venture outside the clinic focused on pilot training and flight operation activities at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on Dec. 7. There they met with staff and pilots from the 560th Flying Training Squadron, 559th MDS Flight Medicine, Aerospace Physiology, and Aircrew Flight Equipment.

"The objective here was to experience some of the noise exposures many of these individuals deal with regularly when performing their missions," said Nelson.

A tour of the 433rd Airlift Wing's C-5 hangar at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas early December completed the two-day outreach, where HCE staff got a firsthand look at C-5 flight operations with a tour of the aircraft.

"They demonstrated that hearing and balance health, as well as communication, play important roles in the execution of military training and flight operations," Nelson summed up after the tours. "For these kinds of engagements, the hope is for our team to gain a better appreciation of military flight operations, and how things like movement and noise influence the ability to communicate," said Nelson. "This line-side military engagement was a great success."

Military personnel testing an ejection seat parachute harness
Natasha Gorrell, Defense Health Agency Hearing Center of Excellence, health promotion and education expert, tests out an ejection seat parachute harness trainer at aircrew flight equipment, 12th Operations Group, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas on Dec. 7. (Photo by: Elsa Granato, Hearing Center of Excellence)

According to Nelson, the overall outreach initiative has several distinct functions.

"These activities will help us better understand warfighter missions and issues they encounter in the hearing, balance and communication spaces, and will identify opportunities for HCE to potentially assist with operational or training missions," Nelson explained.

The activities could also serve as a way to talk with service members about hearing protection, overall hearing health, and HCE's mission to reduce noise-induced hearing loss, according to Nelson.

Nelson added the outreach could build a network of potential users interested in advancing technology transition and testing new or novel hearing protection devices.

"These interactions will hopefully influence nearly all activities at the HCE. By building a robust network of operational unit partners, we can more directly solicit feedback on initiatives and capability requirements, develop relationships for future studies, technology development, etc., as well as create awareness of and advocates for our organization," said Nelson.

The future warfighter outreach plan includes additional visits to operational units within the JBSA area, and visits to Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas. The outreach also will eventually leverage HCE's regional research teams across the United States to interact directly with all service branches, according to Nelson.

"Military medicine exists to, first and foremost, support the warfighter," said Air Force Lt. Col. Samuel Spear, HCE branch chief. "If we don't regularly engage with that audience, understanding the missions they perform and the challenges they encounter, there is a much greater chance we will miss the mark in our efforts to 'preserve the fighting force' and 'improve performance.'"

You also may be interested in...

Keep Your Eyes and Ears Healthy

Infographic
4/25/2022
Vision Hearing Awareness connect Infographic

Vision and hearing health impact every aspect of our lives. Protect your senses so that you can stay ready and connected. https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Total-Force-Fitness/Preventive-Health/Vision-and-Hearing-Loss-Prevention #SightandSoundReady

7 Ways to Protect Your Eyes and Ears

Infographic
4/25/2022
Vision Hearing Awareness 7ways Infographic

Be #SightandSoundReady Make protecting your eyes and ears a readiness priority by following these seven steps. If you have signs of hearing or vision loss, make an appointment with your local military hospital or clinic, or visit: https://www.tricare.mil/CoveredServices/Vision/EyeExams/a; https://www.tricare.mil/CoveredServices/IsItCovered/HearingExams

National Save Your Hearing Day (May 31)

Infographic
4/21/2022
National Save Your Hearing Day (May 31)

Don’t take your sense of hearing for granted! You can prevent hearing loss by taking special care of your ears in loud and dangerous environments with hearing protection such as ear coverings or ear plugs. Follow this link to find more ways to protect your ears: https://health.mil/HCEHome

Military Health System Research Program Seeks Funding Applications for FY2023

Article
4/7/2022
The Military Health System Research Program provides funding for projects that aim to improve care in military medical facilities like the Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, pictured here. (Photo: Senior Airman Melody Bordeaux, U.S. Air Force)

The funding prioritizes research projects that focus on the delivery of military health care and system-level innovations that impact cost and outcomes.

Military Health System Research Program Notice of Funding Opportunity

Fact Sheet
3/31/2022

This flyer describes the process for applying for and receiving funding by the Military Health System Research Program.

Wear Approved Safety Eye Protection, Save Your Vision

Article
3/25/2022
Gunner with 1Brigade Combat Team 82nd Division wears shaded eye protection as he fires his M249 at Rotation 21-05 at the Joint Readiness Training Center. (Photo: Capt. Joseph Warren)

The Tri-Service Vision Conservation and Readiness Branch, or TSVCRB, encourages service members to wear eye protection while at work and at home to prevent eye injuries.

Ask the Doc: Can a Concussion Affect Hearing and Vision?

Article
3/16/2022
Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, a physical therapist for the Fort Drum Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Clinic, New York, uses a model of the inner ear on Feb. 27, 2019, to demonstrate how a concussion can cause inner ear, or vestibular, damage which may result in dizziness, anxiety, depression, moodiness, balance problems and irritability to name a few. (Photo: Warren W. Wright Jr., Fort Drum MEDDAC)

Even a mild concussion can lead to hearing and vision problems.

Data Registry Helps Improve Research and Treatment for Eye Injuries

Article
3/14/2022
Pvt. Second Class Jagger Dixon, treats an eye injury during Expert Infantryman Badge testing, June 15, 2021, at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Dixon is a soldier with B Company; 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. Soldiers must successfully execute a variety of warrior tasks to earn their EIB. (Photo: Army Spc. Kay Edwards, 27th Public Affairs Detachment)

Eye injury registry (DVEIVR) transforms data into usable information to help improve initial warfighter care and rehabilitation.

Ringing in Your Ears Might Be a Sign of Hearing Loss

Article
3/10/2022
Army Col. Randy Lau fires a 120 mm mortar during a live-fire exercise at Camp Roberts, California, June 15, 2021.

Tinnitus can affect your concentration, reaction time, and short-term memory. It can be linked to anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. Some people turn to substance abuse to try to block the sounds.

It’s True – Carrots (and Other Vegetables) Can Help You See in the Dark

Article
3/4/2022
Each color in fruits and vegetables indicates an abundance of specific nutrients.

Have you ever heard that carrots are good for your eyes, or that they can help you see in the dark? It’s true – carrots are rich in the compound beta carotene, which your body uses to make a form of vitamin A that helps your eyes adjust in the dark. A shortage of vitamin A can cause a host of health problems, including blindness.

World Hearing Day

Infographic
2/15/2022
March World Hearing Day

Noise-induced hearing loss from exposure to hazardous noise on and off duty is the most common type of hearing injury for service members. You can protect your hearing for a lifetime by wearing hearing protection. #WorldHearingDay #HearingHealth #SafeListening https://hearing.health.mil/Prevention/Hearing-Protection-Devices

For Thousands of Troops, Eye Surgery is Key to Vision Readiness

Article
2/10/2022
A surgical team with the Warfighter Refractive Eye Surgery Program at Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg monitors the progress of a patient's surgery inside the Ophthalmology Clinic's Refractive Surgery suite.

Helping service members – especially aviators – see clearly without glasses is key to military readiness.

2022 MHS Research Symposium Opens for 'Abstracts'

Article
1/6/2022
Army Col. Louis Finelli of the Armed Forces Medical Examiners System speaks at a panel discussion during the 2019 Military Health System Research Symposium.

Abstracts for this year's Military Health System Research Symposium, with the theme "Optimizing Readiness – The Power of Military Medical Research," are due by Feb. 16.

The Military is Reporting Far Fewer Hearing Problems

Article
12/14/2021
Soldiers wear hearing protection while firing an M3 multi-role anti-armor antipersonnel weapon system during live-fire training at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 15, 2021.

Hearing loss in the Department of Defense continues to decrease for service members and civilians enrolled in hearing conservation programs, according to a recent report from the Defense Health Agency Hearing Center of Excellence.

How Maintaining Prosthetic Services Can Help Prepare for the Next Fight

Article
11/18/2021
Navy Seaman Chris Krobath, a prosthetics patient at Naval Medical Center San Diego, reached for new heights on the hospital’s climbing wall as part of rehabilitation therapy.

Despite the winding down of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, Military Health System services for our wounded warriors, particularly those who have lost limbs in these conflicts, remain steady and may well increase in scope during the coming years.

Page 5 of 13 , showing items 61 - 75
First < 1 2 3 4 5  ... > Last 
Refine your search
Last Updated: January 31, 2023
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery