News
The Push for AEDs at Physical Training
LHHF Executive Director Laurie Finlayson and Medical Director Dr. Amy Thompson recently traveled to Washington, DC to meet with legislative staff and advocate for mandatory access to AEDs during military physical training. We have formally submitted this provision for inclusion in the FY27 NDAA.
For additional context, see Robert Billard’s Military.com article, The Push for AEDs at Every Marine Physical Training Session, which highlights Lion Heart Heroes and outlines this important effort.
Update on the NDAA FY24 ECG Screening Pilot Program
Section 547 of the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act mandates a three-year pilot program for ECG screening of military recruits, with findings due to Congress by March 2028. Since its passage, incoming freshmen at the Army, Navy, and Air Force academies have received ECG screenings each summer, continuing through 2027.
The first pilot for enlisted recruits launched in 2025 at Lackland Air Force Base, screening more than 9,000 Air Force trainees. The most recent pilot, conducted in March 2026 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, screened approximately 1,100 Marines during Marine Combat Training (MCT-West).
We look forward to Dr. Alaric Franzos presenting Project ERASE data to Congress next year, and eagerly anticipate broader implementation of ECG screening over time.
Your continued support is helping drive this life-saving progress for future service members. #Keepmilitaryheartsbeating
A New Kind of Donation
We’ve donated AEDs to various military bases around the country, but this is our first donation of a Cardea 20/20 ECG machine. It will be used for screening Recon Marines at the School of Infantry-West (SOI-W) at Camp Pendleton. The Cardea 20/20, by Cardiac Insight, enables physicians to identify cardiac abnormalities, potentially preventing Sudden Cardiac Arrest. It uses the International Criteria, an evidence-based analysis that guides ECG interpretation of the athletic heart with a false positive rate of less than 2%.