Pentagon eyes ‘treatments and countermeasures’ as it reshapes AHI cross-functional team

The Pentagon team coordinating work to support personnel who have suddenly experienced disruptive sensory, neurological, and cognitive ailments possibly sparked by adversarial technologies was recently realigned from the policy directorate to the undersecretariat for research and engineering.

Key questions about this move remain unanswered in its early aftermath. 

But the shift is expected to enable the group, known as the Anomalous Health Incidents Cross-Functional Team, to more quickly translate its findings into remedies and antidotes to neutralize the modern health threats, according to a source familiar with the restructure plan.

“This realignment to a technically-grounded organization restores rigorous discipline and accelerates the integration of research into tangible medical treatments and countermeasures,” the Pentagon official told DefenseScoop Tuesday.

In 2016, U.S. diplomatic, military, and intelligence personnel and their family members started to report suffering from mysterious, often debilitating symptoms including intense ear pain, vertigo, headaches, dizziness, hearing and memory loss, visual disturbances and more.

Some observers call these unexplained health effects “Havana syndrome,” while the Defense Department and other federal agencies officially refer to them as “anomalous health incidents” (AHIs).

The first incidents came from a cluster of government employees assigned to the U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba. But staff operating in the U.S., Russia, Serbia, Vietnam, India, Colombia, France, Taiwan and other nations have recorded similar complications.

Congress passed multiple AHI-related health care provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2022, following mounting public pressure and surging reports. Among them was a mandate for DOD to set up a “cross-functional team” to address national security challenges posed by AHIs  and help ensure victims receive proper care and support.

Initially, the group fell under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

DOD officials announced in a press release last week that the team was recently transitioned into the R&E directorate. The realignment “reflects the mission’s increasing scope, complexity, and technical focus, ensuring the CFT has the expert oversight needed to meet current and future challenges,” officials wrote.

Rear Adm. Michael J. Thornton, a triple‑board‑certified physician who was also a Navy SEAL, was selected to serve as the military assistant to the AHI CFT under the leadership of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies Peter Highnam, per the release.

“The health of our warfighters and civilians is a top priority for the department, and this realignment strengthens our unwavering commitment,” a Pentagon official told DefenseScoop. “This transition is both strategic and deliberate, aimed at protecting the mission’s integrity and, most importantly, delivering answers to those affected by AHI.”

As reports of AHIs emerged over the last decade, experts suggested that microwave weapons or directed-energy devices could be potential sources. But to date, the precise overarching cause is unclear.

Based on a yearslong study, five intelligence agencies concluded in 2024 that a foreign adversary was most likely not behind most AHI reports. Those results were rejected by some lawmakers, and are now reportedly under review by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

CBS reported in January that the U.S. government purchased a device that might be connected to AHIs, with Pentagon funding during the final weeks of the Biden administration in 2024.

The Pentagon official did not address questions from DefenseScoop Tuesday regarding whether the recent CFT’s realignment demonstrates a shift in DOD’s priorities to focus on weaponizing technologies responsible for AHI effects.

“This move ensures we can better protect those impacted, and our commitment to this work — and to the people waiting for answers — is absolute,” the official said.

Earlier this month, a bipartisan pair of lawmakers penned a formal letter to DOD leaders requesting that Congress members be consulted ahead of any major CFT reorganization efforts. It’s unclear if the Pentagon briefed them or other stakeholders on its plans before initiating the move. 

The Pentagon official did not share details about when the team last informed lawmakers of its latest findings, or if the realignment resulted in a change in the group’s staff size and budget.