The largest and longest-running health research in military history will soon embark on a study of military-connected adolescents. The Study of Adolescent Resilience, or SOAR, aims to capture the experiences of military-connected adolescents and their parents, to help inform the services provided by military family readiness programs.

For the past 20 years – and longer before that – service members have returned from deployment talking about mental health concerns and illness they believed were linked to their time in the military, with many of their concerns backed by a variety of studies. Now, a study that has been following military personnel, both active-duty and veterans, for 20 years supports the theory that experiencing combat can lead to adverse physical and health effects.

New research shows nearly a quarter of vets suffer from the ringing in the ears.

A study of more than 250,000 service members begun in 2001 released some preliminary findings on Friday, to celebrate the effort’s 20th anniversary.

On Aug. 2, 2021, VA announced it would begin processing disability claims for asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis based on presumed particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia and certain other areas if these conditions manifested within 10 years of a qualifying period of military service. Much of the data for this significant decision came from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a partnership between the VA Office of Research and Development’s Cooperative Studies Program and the Department of Defense.

Funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF) will support four projects investigating possible connections between toxic environmental factors and Parkinson’s disease, including those encountered in military service and daily life exposure to pesticides and air pollution.

Both the PTSD Checklist-Civilian and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 versions successfully assessed the disorder among veteran and military populations, according to results of a diagnostic study published in JAMA Network Open.

Deployed military service members who experience certain types of combat events or are exposed to high levels of combat may be at a higher risk of suicide attempt, researchers found in a study published in JAMA Network Open.

Service members, check your email for an invitation to participate in a survey that will help researchers track health risks of deployment, military occupations and general military service for decades.

A successful transition from the military to civilian life is important for servicemembers and their families, and the Department of Defense is constantly seeking improvement in the Transition Assistance Program (TAP).