Soldiers participating in the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School’s Basic Officer Leader Course prepare to begin the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Index cognitive ability testing in Building 912, Sept. 17. Soldiers from BOLC were taking part in the ANAM exercise before the Combatant Brain Health Initiative officially kicked off at Fort Leonard Wood, Sept. 19. (Photo by Ryan Thompson, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office) View original
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The Maneuver Support Center of Excellence began cognitive testing of Fort Leonard Wood soldiers and trainees Sept. 19 as part of the U.S. Army’s Warfighter Brain Health initiative.
According to Capt. Sabrina Griffin, MSCoE’s support activities initiative director, the test will be used to establish baseline cognitive performance metrics for assessment throughout a soldier’s career, allowing for early detection of cognitive changes.
“Historically, the WBHI program has been deployment-centric and focused on traumatic brain injury, but with the amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for 2023, the program is transitioning to a service-wide cognitive monitoring program,” Griffin said. “MSCoE has begun testing trainees entering Initial Enlistment Training with the goal of ensuring that all IET trainees administer the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Index (test) prior to completing Basic Combat Training, One Base Unit Training, or Basic Officer Leader Course.”
BOLC students and 3rd Chemical Brigade trainees were the first to take the Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Index Cognitive Abilities Test, commonly known as ANAM, at Fort Leonard Wood. Soldiers participated in ANAM exercises prior to the initiative’s official launch at Fort Leonard Wood.
According to health.mil, ANAM is a series of computer-based tests that assess cognitive domains such as attention, concentration, reaction time, memory, processing speed and decision-making.
BOLC student 2nd Lt. Russell Adams was one of the first Soldiers to take the test.
After completing ANAM, the Athens, Georgia, native said the testing was more thorough than he expected and he’s grateful the Army is prioritizing brain health.
“I think this will be an effective tool, allowing medical professionals to identify issues and address them early, even if soldiers are afraid to talk about them or don’t yet realize they have mental health issues,” Adams said. “Especially as a former soldier, this means a lot to me. It proves the Army is taking steps to make sure our soldiers are taken care of.”
Maj. Brandon Stanley, deputy director of the Army Brain Health Program, Office of the Surgeon General, U.S. Army Medical Command, visited Fort Leonard Wood to help launch the initiative.
“This will allow us to obtain a baseline and track cognitive function throughout these service members’ careers, which is important because it will allow us to identify any deficits in cognitive function,” Stanley said. “For now, this is a cognitive monitoring program. As we begin to reassess in the future, we will compare results and address any concerns.”
While physical ailments like a sprained ankle are easy to identify, “people seem to forget about the mental side of things, brain health and mental cognition and how that can prevent you from being effective at your job,” he said.
Stanley said Army leaders are “committed to enabling our Soldiers to be the best Soldiers they can be. We care about our number one asset: our Soldiers.”
For more information on WBHI, visit defense.gov.
(Editor’s note: Ryan Thompson of the Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs Office contributed to this story.)
