Study on long-term effects of military flight operations on brain health and mental health

(a)

Study

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall conduct a comprehensive, longitudinal study to assess the long-term physiological and psychological effects of military aviation, including with respect to high-performance flight and G-force exposure, on military aviators.(b)

Elements

The study under subsection (a) shall examine, at a minimum—(1)the relationship between cumulative flight hours and exposure to G-forces and incidents of traumatic brain injury, sub-concussive trauma, or cognitive impairment;(2)long-term mental health outcomes, including with respect to incidence of depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, in military aviators compared to other members of the Armed Forces;(3)the correlation between aviation-related physiological stress and suicide risk among aviators;(4)the prevalence of neurodegenerative conditions (including chronic traumatic encephalopathy, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Parkinson’s disease) in current and former military aviators;(5)the effect of helmet design, oxygen systems, flight suit pressurization, and other cockpit environmental factors on neurocognitive health;(6)current screening and diagnostic procedures used to detect early signs of neurological injury or psychological distress in military aviators; and(7)recommended improvements in the monitoring, prevention, and treatment of aviation-related brain trauma and mental health challenges.(c)

Consultation

In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with—(1)the Secretary of Defense;(2)the Surgeons General of the military departments;(3)the Director of the Defense Health Agency; and(4)relevant academic institutions and federally funded research and development centers with expertise in aviation medicine, neuroscience, and psychiatry.(d)

Pilot health registry

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish and maintain a centralized Military Aviator Neurohealth Registry that includes—(1)anonymized health data of military aviators voluntarily participating in the study under subsection (a);(2)flight exposure metrics, including cumulative hours and G-force profiles;(3)relevant health outcomes tracked over time; and(4)a mechanism for longitudinal follow-up with the military aviators.(e)

Reports

(1)

Interim report

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress an interim report on the study under subsection (a), including any preliminary findings and recommendations.(2)

Final report

Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress report on the study under subsection (a), including findings and recommendations.(f)

Military aviator defined

In this section, the term military aviator means a veteran who, as a member of the Armed Forces, including a commissioned officer or a warrant officer—(1)had been designated as a pilot, naval aviator, or aircrew member by the Secretary of the military department concerned;(2)operated, or was regularly assigned as a flight crew member aboard, high-performance, crewed, fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft designed for tactical, training, or reconnaissance missions, including—(A)fighter aircraft (such as the F–35, F/A–18, F–22, and F–16 aircraft);(B)attack aircraft (such as the A–10 and AH–64 aircraft);(C)trainer jets (such as the T–7, T–38, and T–45 aircraft); and(D)tiltrotor or high-speed rotary aircraft (such as the V–22 aircraft);(3)was subject to sustained or repeated G-forces during the routine execution of flight duties; and(4)served in a role that may have included aircraft control, weapons employment, navigation, reconnaissance, or mission-specific operations requiring aircrew qualification and exposure to flight-related physiological stressors.