Soldiers' serious brain injuries from close contact with blasts

If needed, we expect them to make the ultimate sacrifice.

In return, they deserve to be provided with as much protection as possible.

But Australia is failing its frontline fighters.

Many troops who fire or come into close contact with heavy weapons and explosives are developing serious brain injuries.

By just doing their jobs they are being exposed to repeated high-impact blast waves.

And it's not only happening on the battlefield, it's also occurring during their training. 

Worryingly however, keeping our soldiers safe does not seem to be a high priority for defence leadership.

Watch the full episode of 60 Minutes on 9Now.