The Defense Department and the NCAA are partnering in a $30 million initiative to combat concussions, the Pentagon announced Nov. 7. The initiative will look at ways to improve prevention, protection, and treatment of concussions in athletics, during military training, and in combat, states the release. “This grand alliance represents the most comprehensive investigation of concussion and head impact exposure ever conducted,” said Army Maj. Gen. Nadja West, Joint Staff surgeon. It also “presents an unprecedented opportunity to advance the field of concussion science while educating our force and their families, increasing our chances of full recovery, and decreasing the number of future injuries through preventive measures,” added West. Noting a cultural shift in looking out for the well-being of peers and partners, West said, “We hope to continue to change the culture by arming physicians and scientists with better clinical data and by creating educational programs to increase understanding of the importance of diagnostics for immediate action and tracking for follow-up treatment.”
Gene Smith, Former POW and AFA Chair, Dies at 91
Jan. 19, 2026
Lt. Col. Richard “Gene” Smith, who overcame five and a half years as a prisoner of war in the notorious Hanoi Hilton from 1967 until 1973, died Jan. 16. He was one day short of his 91st birthday.
