Author: Dani Fennerty

Quantifying Blast Exposures

One vital step in addressing the impact of repeated subconcussive exposures on readiness is to monitor and quantify exposures to low-level blasts. There is a DOD program called CONQUER which “…is an operational monitoring program whose main objective is to provide reports to units and commands on the magnitude and frequency of blast exposure during… Continue reading Quantifying Blast Exposures

Target Training: Breacher

I’ve been building out a 12-week program on Teambuildr that develops situational awareness capabilities specific to the demands Breachers face. No matter the position, situational awareness, target focus and acquisition, and ownership of movement can all be broken down to loading the visual, vestibular, and somatosensory systems. We can just load in different ways. Here… Continue reading Target Training: Breacher

Preparing for the Future of Warfare

I have written about the importance of recognizing the impact repeated low-level blast exposures can have on readiness and lethality, and how training the sensory systems for motor control is a vital piece of the performance puzzle. Low-level blast exposures will continue to be a variable in future warfare. But I believe it is also… Continue reading Preparing for the Future of Warfare

Blasts and the Ear Canal

Primary blast injury is that due to the overpressure of the blast. Primary blast overpressure can travel through the abdomen, ears, eyes, nose, neck and mouth. The brain, lungs, intestines, eardrum, and peripheral vestibular system are particularly vulnerable to primary blast overpressure.   Study by Sandlin et. al 2018 isolated blast overpressure waves to the… Continue reading Blasts and the Ear Canal

How I Progressively Load Vergence

Vergence is a vital situational awareness capability. It is the ability to keep a target in focus with forward/backward movements. Vergence requires your eyes to move in separate directions, like “cross-eyed” as a target is moving closer to you, as well as back away from you. Vergence is important to train in tactical athletes as… Continue reading How I Progressively Load Vergence

Speed and Accuracy

Capability Development: speed and accuracy of divided focus eye movements without losing control of your footwork. Key Goals: Loss of speed and precision of movement is common with increased visual demands. As we are loading the demands on your visual system, we are increasing the demands on two other sensory systems that are important for… Continue reading Speed and Accuracy

Subconcussions and Changes in Brain Communication

One strategy researchers are using to identify subtle impacts of subconcussions is to look at changes in brain functional connectivity. Essentially this is looking at changes in which the brain is communicating. A study done on Canadian Special Operations Forces (CANSOF) included breachers and snipers who had an average of around 10 years of exposure… Continue reading Subconcussions and Changes in Brain Communication

Subconcussions and Sensory Reweighting

Repeated exposures to subconcussive impacts have been shown to reweight sensory processing to increase dependence on the visual system for postural control. [1-2] Increased visual dependence for postural control is significant, particularly in tactical athletes as they often must perform in highly visually demanding and no/low vision environments. This visual dependence for postural control typically… Continue reading Subconcussions and Sensory Reweighting

Readiness and Lethality

A study done on operators in elite Military units who had served between 10-15 years and had repeated exposures to low-level blasts (LLB) showed impaired speed and accuracy with divided focus and target following eye movements compared to controls without repeated LLB exposures. [1] These elite operators showed impaired speed and accuracy with divided focus… Continue reading Readiness and Lethality