Cog Diss

Once Again, Compare & Contrast

“Those veterans that are out there in the Democrat party, I question their cognitive thought process because the bottom line is, they’re signing up to defend the Constitution that their party is continually dragging through the mud.”

— Wisconsin U.S. Senate candidate Kevin Nicholson (R), in an interview on WTMJ.

If you care, Politico Magazine was on this jarhead last yr.:

THE FRIDAY COVER

He’s the Republican Dream Candidate. There’s Just One Problem ...

Two decades ago, Kevin Nicholson was a rising star in the Democratic Party. Then he disappeared. Now he’s running for U.S. Senate — as a conservative Republican.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch ...

Australian soldiers fire an M3 Carl Gustaf rocket launcher at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, July 20, 2014.
(MATTHEW CALLAHAN/U.S. MARINE CORPS PHOTO)

Gunners Using Shoulder-Borne Heavy Weapons at Risk for Brain Damage

Troops in training or combat who use shoulder-supported heavy weapons are at risk for brain damage from blast pressure, a report commissioned by the Army found.

Servicemembers exposed to high levels of "blast overpressure" from heavy weapons, such as the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle, have experienced problems with memory loss and decision making, according to the report released this month by the think tank Center for New American Security.

[...]

"We were quite honestly shocked to find that there are these negative cognitive effects that are also coming from firing heavy weapons," said Paul Scharre, a co-author of the report and director of CNAS's technology and national security program.

The report was part of a larger project for the Army Research Laboratory that looked at emerging technologies to improve soldier protection and survivability, such as body armor and robotics, he said.

A former Army Ranger, Scharre has fired heavy weapons that give off blast pressure, such as AT4 anti-tank guns, the M72 anti-armor LAW and .50-caliber sniper rifles.

"They have quite a punch, and soldiers who have shot them will tell you there's a big pressure coming off the weapon, but there wasn't a depth of understanding about some of the cognitive deficits that can come from very small amounts of exposure," he said.

As the NFL has come to understand, Scharre said, it's not just the big concussions you need to think about. "It's the routine hits people are getting that put them at risk."

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Just saying.

P.S.:

THE APPEARANCE OF CANDIDATE IN MILITARY UNIFORM DOES NOT IMPLY OR CONSTITUTE ENDORSEMENT BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

[Political Wire/via Military.com]