Killed in action (KIA): an analysis of military personnel who died of their injuries before reaching a definitive medical treatment facility in Afghanistan (2004-2014).

INTRODUCTION: The majority of combat deaths occur before arrival at a medical treatment facility but no previous studies have comprehensively examined this phase of care. METHODS: The UK Joint Theatre Trauma Registry was used to identify all UK military personnel who died in Afghanistan (2004-2014). These data were linked to non-medical tactical and operational records to provide an accurate timeline of events. Cause of death was determined from records taken at postmortem review. The primary objective was to report time between injury and death in those killed in action (KIA); secondary objectives included: reporting mortality at key North Atlantic Treaty Organisation timelines (0, 10, 60, 120 min), comparison of temporal lethality for different anatomical injuries and analysing trends in the case fatality rate (CFR). RESULTS: 2413 UK personnel were injured in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2014; 448 died, with a CFR of 18.6%. 390 (87.1%) of these died prehospital (n=348 KIA, n=42 killed non-enemy action). Complete data were available for n=303 (87.1%) KIA: median Injury Severity Score 75.0 (IQR 55.5-75.0). The predominant mechanisms were improvised explosive device (n=166, 54.8%) and gunshot wound (n=96, 31.7%).In the KIA cohort, the median time to death was 0.0 (IQR 0.0-21.8) min; 173 (57.1%) died immediately (0 min). At 10, 60 and 120 min post injury, 205 (67.7%), 277 (91.4%) and 300 (99.0%) casualties were dead, respectively. Whole body primary injury had the fastest mortality. Overall prehospital CFR improved throughout the period while in-hospital CFR remained constant. CONCLUSION: Over two-thirds of KIA deaths occurred within 10 min of injury. Improvement in the CFR in Afghanistan was predominantly in the prehospital phase.

Musculoskeletal disorders and their associations with health- and work-related factors: a cross-sectional comparison between Swedish air force personnel and army soldiers.

BACKGROUND: The high numbers of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among soldiers in the Swedish Armed Forces has led to the implementation of an effective prevention program, the musculoskeletal screening protocol (MSP), including questionnaires, physical tests and individual intervention of their MSD. A corresponding MSP for the Swedish Air Force is also needed due to earlier reported high prevalence of MSD. We therefore investigated the prevalence of MSD in Swedish Air Force personnel (AF) and compared this to Swedish Army deployed soldiers (DS). Individual, health- and work-related factors associated with MSD were also investigated. METHODS: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study on 166 male AF and 185 DS. AF consisted of fighter pilots, helicopter pilots and rear crew from one Swedish air base. RESULTS: The one-year and point prevalence, respectively, of MSD were significantly higher for AF compared to DS with regard to both the upper quarter of the body (i.e. neck, shoulder and thoracic regions) (AF = 54.8 and 31.3%, DS = 26.1 and 13.6%, p = 0.01) and the lumbar region (AF = 38.0 and 18.7%, DS = 22.2 and 7.1%, p = 0.00). No significant differences were present between fighter pilots, helicopter pilots and rear crew regarding MSD prevalence. Factors significantly associated with having both upper quarter and lumbar regions MSD were group (i.e. greater odds for AF than DS) and self-reported physical health as less than excellent. Additionally, being older and taller were also factors associated with lumbar region MSD. DISCUSSION: Despite a generally healthy lifestyle, MSD were commonly reported by AF and DS, with generally higher prevalence in AF who mainly reported MSD in the upper quarter of the body. The results from this study indicate that the MSP can be a meaningful tool to prevent MSD in air force personnel and that questions regarding general health and MSD in specific body regions should be included in screening protocols. The development of the preventive program MSP is therefore recommended for the Swedish Air Force.

Nota informativa nº 05 /2020-GST/DVAST/SVS/SES: recomendações aos gestores e profissionais da segurança pública para enfrentamento da pandemia de Coronavírus ­ COVID-19 (infecção pelo SARS-CoV-2) / Informative note nº 05/2020-GST / DVAST / SVS / SES: recommendations to managers and public security professionals to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic - COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 infection)

Recomendações aos gestores e trabalhadores da Segurança pública (policiais federais, rodoviários, militares, civis, municipais, bombeiros, agentes penitenciários e socioeducativos) para discussão coletiva sobre medidas que amenizem os riscos à saúde dos trabalhadores e pessoas privadas de liberdade, como também, reduzam a disseminação do COVID-19 para seus familiares e a população em geral.

Recommendations to the managers and workers of public security (police federais, rodoviários, military, civis, municipais, bombeiros, penitentiary and socio-educational agents) for collective discussion on measures that mitigate the risks to the health of two workers and people deprived of freedom, as also, also, a dissemination of COVID-19 for family members and general population.

Recomendaciones a los gerentes y trabajadores de seguridad pública (federal, vial, militar, civil, municipal, bomberos, agentes penitenciarios y socioeducativos) para la discusión colectiva sobre medidas para mitigar los riesgos para la salud de los trabajadores y personas privadas de libertad, así como reducir la difusión del COVID-19 a sus familias y población en general.

Relationship of Anthropometric Measures on Female Trainees' and Active Duty Soldiers' Performance of Common Soldiering Tasks.

INTRODUCTION: This study compared the relationship between height (HT), body mass (BM), and body mass index (BMI) of female trainees and active duty female soldiers and their performance on simulated common soldiering tasks (CSTs) with high physical demands. METHODS: Female trainees (n = 133) and soldiers (n = 229) completed the following CSTs: sandbag carry, move under fire, casualty drag, casualty evacuation, and road march. Quartiles were created among HT, BM, and BMI by which task performance was compared using ANOVAs with Tukey post hoc comparisons. RESULTS: For both trainees and soldiers, HT, BM, and BMI were positively associated with improved road march, casualty drag, casualty evacuation, and sandbag carry performance. On the move under fire task, only soldier HT was positively associated with improved performance. CONCLUSION: Female trainees and soldiers who are taller and heavier with a higher BMI may demonstrate better performance on CSTs required of all soldiers. In addition to task-specific training, performance of CSTs may be enhanced in tasks requiring strength and power by recruiting and retaining taller and heavier females with a higher BMIs. Allowances should be considered for soldiers and trainees who can successfully perform soldiering tasks with high physical demands despite less desirable anthropometric measurements.

Defining Normal Balance for Army Aviators.

INTRODUCTION: One challenge clinicians face is determining when a military Service Member (SM) can return to duty after an injury that affects the postural control. The gold standard to measure postural control is the Sensory Organization Test (SOT). This test measures the amount of sway present in an individual's static stance that may be used to examine range of function and monitor recovery from injury. Normative values currently available were developed using a sample of clinically normal adults from the general population (i.e., civilian non-aviator). Previous research suggests that these values should not be used as a comparative cohort for high-performing populations in the military. However, normative values, specific to military SMs, do not exist. The aim of this study was to develop a normative clinical database for functional balance (i.e., the SOT) for military-trained aviators, an occupational specialty that may consist of high performers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-three U.S. Army trained aviators, between 23 and 40 years old with medical clearance for flight operations from the Fort Rucker, Alabama area community consented and participated in this study. The SOT was delivered using the NeuroCom SMART EquiTest Clinical Research System with the Data Acquisition Toolkit (version 9.3). RESULTS: A statistically significant (p < 0.01) difference between the study cohort of Army-trained aviators and the publically available general civilian normative values was found for the more challenging conditions, in which the force plate was not fixed (i.e., conditions four through six). The study cohort of Army-trained aviators were found to have a higher equilibrium score in each of these three conditions. Similarly, a significant difference (p < 0.01) between the two cohorts was found on the visual and vestibular sensory analysis ratios, and the visual preference scores (i.e., greater reliance upon visual information in the maintenance of balance). The study cohort were found to have a higher ratios (i.e., greater dependence upon these sensory cues) in each of these conditions. CONCLUSION: Army-trained aviators are high-functioning performers whose SOT scores differ from that of the general civilian population, particularly for the more challenging test conditions. New normative values were developed from this study population. Use of the developed normative values could be used as a comparative cohort in screening aviators who are recovering from injuries that affect postural stability.

Medical Encounters During the United States Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course.

INTRODUCTION: The Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS) is an extremely physically and mentally demanding 19- to 20-day course designed to determine whether Soldiers are qualified to enter the Special Forces Qualification Course. As a first step to understand medical problems during SFAS, this study examined injuries, illnesses, and activities associated with injuries during the course. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical events during the SFAS course were compiled from Sick Call Trackers (a log of medical encounters maintained by medical personnel in the field) and Chronology of Medical Care (Standard Form 600). Descriptive statistics were calculated for each injury and illness and injuries were compiled by the activities performed when the injuries occurred. RESULTS: Of the 800 Soldiers who volunteered for the study, 38% (n = 307/800) and 12% (n = 97/800) experienced one or more injuries and/or illnesses, respectively. The most common injuries were blisters and abrasions/lacerations with incidences of 20% (n = 158/800) and 13% (104/800), respectively. The most common illnesses were respiratory infections, other infections, contact dermatitis, and allergies with incidences of 7% (n = 57/800), 2% (n = 14/800), 2% (n = 14/800), and 2% (n = 13/800), respectively. Among all injuries recorded (n = 573), the most common were blisters (46%), abrasions/lacerations (24%), pain (not otherwise specified) (19%), tendonitis (3%), and sprains (3%). Among all illnesses recorded (n = 133), the most common were respiratory infections (56%), allergies (11%), contact dermatitis (11%), and other infections (11%). Most injuries were experienced during land navigation (44%), team events (20%), and foot marching (11%), running (6%), and the obstacle course (5%), but when the estimated time involved for each event was considered, activities with the highest injury rates were the obstacle course (65 injuries/hr), running (27 injuries/hr), the Combat Readiness Assessment (activity involving combat-related tasks) (20 injuries/hr), and foot marching (16 injuries/hr). CONCLUSION: The major limitations of this investigation were: 1) the low specificity with regard to many of the diagnoses/complaints; and 2) the fact that the medical problems reported here are only those seen by medical care providers and are likely an underestimate of the total morbidity in the SFAS course. Soldiers often self-treat and some may be reluctant to see medical personnel because of how it might affect their rating in the course. Nonetheless, this investigation alerts medical personnel to the injuries and illnesses to expect, and public health workers and leadership with activities to target for injury prevention measures during SFAS.

A cortical study of the attention in military simulation tests. / Estudio cortical de la atencion en tests de simulacion militar.

INTRODUCTION: Attention is one of the most widely studied superior cerebral functions and base of many other cognitive processes. It is sometimes understood as concentration on a task or target. The level of execution of a task and the ability to process information are dependent on the state of cerebral activation of the subject. This brain activity can be recorded with the electroencephalogram (EEG). AIM: Attention is studied in states of rest and during the performance of tasks in military personnel, exploring the differences between two groups (cadets and officers/NCOs). SUBJECT AND METHODS: EEG signals have been recorded from 19 cadets and 17 officers of the General Military Academy and from the General Hospital of the Defense during military simulation tasks and in states of rest. Our team uses its own methodology of the dynamic systems and fractal techniques for the modeling and quantification of the EEG signals, in this case for the computation of the fractal dimension of the record of each derivation. The data obtained are subjected to a statistical study. RESULTS: Higher cortical global mean values were observed in the officers group. The dimension increases in both groups by raising the difficulty of the task in all areas of the brain except in the frontal zone. They highlight the significant differences between groups in the simulation task of driving combat vehicle in the central, parietal and temporal areas. CONCLUSIONS: The results obtained show that the two groups studied do not behave homogeneously in the same attention task that involves a video game.

TITLE: Estudio cortical de la atencion en tests de simulacion militar.Introduccion. La atencion es una de las funciones cerebrales superiores mas estudiadas en nuestros dias y la base de otros procesos cognitivos. En ocasiones se entiende como la concentracion en una tarea. El nivel de ejecucion de una tarea y la habilidad para procesar informacion son dependientes del estado de activacion cerebral, que puede registrarse mediante el electroencefalograma (EEG). Objetivo. Estudiar la atencion en estados de reposo y durante el desarrollo de tareas propias del personal militar, explorando las diferencias entre dos grupos (cadetes/mandos). Sujetos y metodos. Se han recogido señales de EEG de 19 cadetes y 17 oficiales de la Academia General Militar y del Hospital General de la Defensa durante tareas de simulacion militar y en estados de reposo. Nuestro equipo utiliza metodologia propia de sistemas dinamicos y tecnicas fractales para modelizar y cuantificar las señales del EEG, en este caso para el calculo de la dimension fractal del registro de cada derivacion. Los datos obtenidos en diversos estados cerebrales se someten a un estudio estadistico. Resultados. Se observan mayores valores de las medias globales corticales en el grupo de mandos. La dimension aumenta en ambos grupos al elevar la dificultad de la tarea en todas las areas cerebrales, salvo en la zona frontal. Destacan las diferencias significativas entre grupos en la tarea de simulacion de manejo de vehiculos de combate en las zonas central, parietal y temporal. Conclusiones. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los dos grupos no se comportan de manera homogenea en la misma tarea de atencion que implica un videojuego.

Injury Mechanisms, Activities, and Limited Work Days in US Army Infantry Units.

Injuries are a leading health and readiness concern for the US Army. For effective prevention planning, details concerning circumstances associated with injuries are needed. Over 5,000 Soldiers were surveyed to collect demographic and injury details (type, body part, mechanism, activity, limited duty days); 874 reported an injury within 6 months of survey administration. The greatest proportion of limited duty time was associated with knee (19.2%), ankle (14.8%), and lower back injuries (12.9%). Overexertion was the leading injury mechanism (43.9%), followed by falls, jumps, trips, and slips (35.2%), which accounted for the highest average limited duty days per injury (42±43 days). Running was the leading activity associated overexertion injuries (39.3%) and falls (30.5%). Running also accounted for the greatest total limited duty days (5,844 days, 29.8%). For Army infantry units, results suggested a focus of prevention activities on running-related injuries resulting in overexertion or falls. Healthcare providers can facilitate injury prevention with contributions to initiatives providing details on injury mechanisms and activities associated with injuries.

Gender, Position of Authority, and the Risk of Depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among a National Sample of U.S. Reserve Component Personnel.

BACKGROUND: Recent U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have seen dramatic increases in the proportion of women serving and the breadth of their occupational roles. General population studies suggest that women, compared with men, and persons with lower, as compared with higher, social position may be at greater risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, these relations remain unclear in military populations. Accordingly, we aimed to estimate the effects of 1) gender, 2) military authority (i.e., rank), and 3) the interaction of gender and military authority on a) risk of most recent deployment-related PTSD and b) risk of depression since most recent deployment. METHODS: Using a nationally representative sample of 1,024 previously deployed Reserve Component personnel surveyed in 2010, we constructed multivariable logistic regression models to estimate effects of interest. RESULTS: Weighted multivariable logistic regression models demonstrated no statistically significant associations between gender or authority, and either PTSD or depression. Interaction models demonstrated multiplicative statistical interaction between gender and authority for PTSD (beta = -2.37; p = .01), and depression (beta = -1.21; p = .057). Predicted probabilities of PTSD and depression, respectively, were lowest in male officers (0.06, 0.09), followed by male enlisted (0.07, 0.14), female enlisted (0.07, 0.15), and female officers (0.30, 0.25). CONCLUSIONS: Female officers in the Reserve Component may be at greatest risk for PTSD and depression after deployment, relative to their male and enlisted counterparts, and this relation is not explained by deployment trauma exposure. Future studies may fruitfully examine whether social support, family responsibilities peri-deployment, or contradictory class status may explain these findings.

Effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation in the functional knee rehabilitation in soldiers / Eficacia de la estimulación eléctrica neuromuscular en la rehabilitación funcional de rodilla en soldados

BACKGROUND: The versatility of military physical therapist practice enables them not only to diagnose knee injuries but also to provide a wide range of definitive care and rehabilitation, reducing the need for costly evacuation. The aim this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions by Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) in the functional knee rehabilitation in soldiers and describe the main predictors and determinants in each intervention. METHODS: A systematic search of the literature about NMES in physiotherapy was performed using the following electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and CINAHL. The search strategy was: 'neuromuscular electrical stimulation' and 'physical therapy' and 'strengthening' and 'knee'. Inclusion criteria were: original articles published and peer reviewed between 2004-2015, focusing on physiotherapy interventions by NMES on subjects older than 18 years. A total resulting from 46 studies was included in the study. RESULTS: The results show the evidence on the effectiveness of NMES therapeutic/preventive purposes in the muscular system; and the importance of physical therapy in the army. CONCLUSION: As a method of functional knee rehabilitation, NMES proves effective in achieving the therapeutic/preventive objectives in soldiers. Level of Evidence: II. Systematic review of randomized clinical trials with homogeneity

ANTECEDENTES: La versatilidad de la práctica de la fisioterapia militar nos permite no sólo el diagnóstico de lesiones de rodilla sino también para proporcionar una amplia gama de atención específica y rehabilitación, reduciendo la necesidad de una evacuación costosa. El objetivo de este estudio fue comparar la eficacia de las intervenciones de estimulación eléctrica neuromuscular (NMES) en la rehabilitación de rodilla funcional en soldados y describir los principales predictores y determinantes en cada intervención. MÉTODOS: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura sobre la NMES en fisioterapia utilizando las siguientes bases de datos electrónicas: Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane, Fisioterapia Evidence Database (PEDro) y CINAHL. La estrategia de búsqueda fue: 'neuromuscular electrical stimulation' and 'physical therapy' and 'strengthening' and 'knee'. Se seleccionaron artículos originales publicados y revisados por pares entre 2004-2015, centrándonos en las intervenciones de fisioterapia mediante NMES en sujetos mayores de 18 años. Un total resultante de 46 estudios se incluyeron en el estudio. RESULTADOS: Los resultados muestran la evidencia sobre la eficacia de los propósitos terapéuticos y preventivos de la NMES en rodilla; y la importancia de la fisioterapia en el ejército. CONCLUSIÓN: La fisioterapia mediante su método NMES de rehabilitación de la rodilla resulta eficaz en el logro de los objetivos terapéuticos / preventivas en los soldados. Nivel de Evidencia: II. Revisión sistemática de ensayos clínicos aleatorizados, con homogeneidad

Valoración de los conocimientos en primeros auxilios en combate que tienen los soldados españoles / Appreciating knowledge in first aid in combat with the Spanish soldiers

Los militares en misiones internacionales están expuestos a múltiples riesgos que ponen en peligro sus vidas. Tener conocimientos de primeros auxilios y habilidad en el manejo del herido grave, pone al alcance del soldado las herramientas necesarias para brindar la primera asistencia a un herido. Es imprescindible asegurar en primer lugar el escenario del incidente antes de exponernos o comprometer al resto de la patrulla. OBJETIVO GENERAL: Evaluar el nivel de conocimientos en primeros auxilios que tienen los soldados participantes en el estudio. Objetivos específicos: 1º- Valorar si los soldados del Batallón creen estar preparados para prestar los primeros auxilios a un compañero herido en combate. 2º- Analizar si tienen en cuenta la seguridad del escenario donde ocurrió el suceso antes de socorrera las víctimas. 3º- Comprobar si son capaces de identificar una hemorragia externa grave y una situación de paro cardiorrespiratorio, y poder brindar los primeros auxilios. MATERIAL Y MÉTODO: Estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo de carácter prospectivo y transversal. Sobre una muestra de 269 soldados de los cuales, 178 realizan una encuesta que nos aportalos datos necesarios para evaluar los conocimientosy habilidades en primeros auxilios y valorar la seguridad del escenario. RESULTADOS: Los resultados nos aportan los datos suficientes para valorar el nivel de conocimientos que tienen en primeros auxilios, si disponen de las habilidades necesarias, si creen estar capacitados para socorrer a este tipo de herido y por último si controlan adecuadamente la seguridad del escenario. CONCLUSIONES: Los soldados del Batallón creen disponer de los conocimientos necesarios para realizar el control de la zona de siniestro, de los conocimientos necesarios para brindar los primeros auxilios a un herido en combate y se creen capacitados para ello

In international missions the military are exposed to multiple risks putting their lives in danger. Having first aid knowledge and skills in the treatment of serious injuries, gives soldiers the necessary tools to provide first aid to a wounded person. First of all it is essential to assure the safety of the scene of the incident before exposing ourselves or others to possible danger. General objective: Assess the level of first aid knowledge that the soldiers taking part in the studio have. Specific objectives: 1. Check if the battalion of soldiers believes they are ready to provide first aid to a partner injured whilst in combat. 2. Analyse if they take into consideration the safety of the incident location before helping the victims. 3. Check if they are trained to identify a serious external haemorrhage and a situation of cardiorespiratory arrest to be able to provide first aid. Material and method: A quantitative study, and prospective and transversal descriptive. With a sample of 269 soldiers, of which 178 of them complete a survey that provides the necessary data to evaluate first aid knowledge and abilities and the checking the safety of the scene. Results: The results provide sufficient information to evaluate the soldiers’ level of first aid knowledge, whether or not they have the necessary skills, if they believe that they are capable of dealing with these kinds of wounds, and if they control correctly the security of the scene. Conclusions: The battalion of soldiers believe they have all the necessary knowledge to correctly control the scene of the accident, the necessary knowledge to provide first aid to soldier wounded in combat, and they believe are capable providing first aid

Daily insufficient sleep and active duty status.

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the relationship between active duty status and daily insufficient sleep in a telephone survey. METHODS: U.S. military service status (recent defined as past 12 months and past defined as >12 months ago) and daily insufficient sleep in the past 30 days were assessed among 566,861 adults aged 18 to 64 years and 271,202 adults aged ≥ 65 years in the 2009 to 2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys. RESULTS: Among ages 18 to 64 years, 1.1% reported recent active duty and 7.1% had past service; among ages ≥ 65 years, 0.6% reported recent and 24.6% had past service. Among ages 18 to 64 years, prevalence of daily insufficient sleep was 13.7% among those reporting recent duty, 12.6% for those with past service, and 11.2% for those with no service. Insufficient sleep did not vary significantly with active duty status among ages ≥ 65 years. After adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and frequent mental distress in multivariate logistic regression models, respondents aged 18 to 64 years with recent active duty were 34% more likely and those with past service were 23% more likely to report daily insufficient sleep than those with no service (p < 0.05, both). CONCLUSIONS: Adults with either recent or past active duty have a greater risk for daily insufficient sleep.

Effects of personal and occupational stress on injuries in a young, physically active population: a survey of military personnel.

The aim of this study was to document risk factors for any injury and sports- and exercise-related injuries, including personal and occupational stress among active duty service members (SMs) in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy. A total of 10,692 SMs completed the April 2008 Status of Forces Survey of Active Duty Members. The survey asked about demographics, personal stress and occupational stress, injuries from any cause, and participation in sports- and exercise- related activities in the past year. The survey used a complex sampling procedure to create a representative sample of SMs. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations of injury outcomes with potential risk factors. 49% of SMs sought medical care for an injury in the past year and 25% sustained a sports- and exercise-related activities injury. Odds of injury were higher for the Army and Marine Corps than for the Air Force or Navy. This survey showed that higher personal and occupational stress was associated with higher risks of injury. SMs who experienced higher levels of personal or occupational stress reported higher risks of injuries. The effects of stress reduction programs on injury risks should be evaluated in military and other young physically active populations.

Sunburn among active component service members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2002-2013.

Sunburn is caused by acute overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation directly from the sun or from artificial UV sources. Service members are at risk of excessive exposure to sunlight due to the nature of their military duties, which often involve working and training outdoors, and deployment to environments where UV radiation is more intense. From January 2002 through December 2013, a total of 19,172 incident cases of clinically significant sunburn were diagnosed among active component service members. Most of the cases (80.2%) were first degree sunburn. The incidence rates of sunburn diagnoses were higher among females, white non-Hispanics, younger age groups, individuals in the Marine Corps or Army, and among enlisted service members. Additionally, the rate among recruits was more than 3.5 times the rate for non-recruits. Sixty-one percent of all diagnosed cases occurred from May through July. Sunburn cases occurred in all areas of the U.S., particularly near major recruit and combat training locations. Service members are strongly advised to practice sun safety as a part of heat illness prevention, including properly using broad-spectrum sunscreen, finding or constructing shade during work and rest, wearing protective clothing and military combat eye protection items, and avoiding tanning booths and sun lamps.

Surveillance of cataract in active component service members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2000-2013.

A cataract is an opacity of the lens that is associated with risk factors such as aging, trauma, cigarette smoking, and exposure to excessive ultraviolet rays from sunlight. Cataracts most commonly affect individuals aged 40 years and older; however, military members can have occupational exposures (e.g., eye injury) that may make them susceptible to developing cataracts at an earlier age. During the 14-year surveillance period (2000-2013), there were 22,418 cases of cataract diagnosed in active component service members; the female-to-male rate ratio was 1.2. Older service members and service members in the Army (128.7 per 100,000 person-years [p-yrs]) had the highest incidence rate of cataract from all causes while the Marine Corps (63.1 per 100,000 person-years [p-yrs]) had the lowest incidence rate. Interestingly, the Marine Corps had the highest incidence rate of traumatic cataract compared to the other Services (10.2 per 100,000 p-yrs).

Relationships between diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections and urinary tract infections among male service members diagnosed with urethritis, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2000-2013.

A previous MSMR report found that 42.8% of all incident (first-time) urinary tract infections (UTIs) in males, but only 0.4% of such UTIs in females, were diagnosed as "urethritis, unspecified" (ICD-9: 597.80). This study explored the possibility that many of the diagnoses of urethritis in males represented sexually transmitted infections (STIs), even though ICD-9: 597.80 is explicitly reserved for cases of urethritis that are deemed to not be sexually transmitted. Examined were relationships between diagnoses of urethritis, diagnoses of STIs, and recurrent diagnoses of UTIs. Male service members who received a diagnosis of "urethritis, unspecified" (ICD-9: 597.80) had an increased risk of a subsequent UTI diagnosis, especially of "urethritis, unspecified," compared to all male service members. Most service members who were diagnosed with "urethritis, unspecified" had no documented diagnoses of an STI in their Military Health System health records; however, recurrent UTIs were more common among service members who did have documented STIs. The most commonly diagnosed STIs in this study were "other non-gonococcal urethritis" (which includes that caused by Chlamydia trachomatis) and gonorrhea.

Attrition due to orthopedic reasons during combat training: rates, types of injuries, and comparison between infantry and noninfantry units.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to identify the prevalence and types of orthopedic injuries in infantry and noninfantry units responsible for attrition from combat training. METHODS: 18,651 soldiers consecutively recruited to combat units (5 infantry and 4 noninfantry units) were included in this study. All recruited soldiers underwent and successfully passed a meticulous medical selection process. In all units, the soldiers participated in a suited fitness program that included marching, running, and strength training. Data were collected directly from attrite soldiers' files and detailed lists provided by the units' medical clinics. RESULTS: Out of 18,651 recruits, 641 (3.44%) attrite because of medical reasons. The leading cause of attrition was orthopedic diagnoses, and their overall rate was 43% (274 out of 641). Overuse injuries accounted for 90% of all orthopedic injuries. Low-back and lower extremity injuries accounted for 71.5% of all orthopedic injuries. There was high similarity in orthopedic injuries types and rates between infantry and noninfantry units. CONCLUSION: On the basis of our results, we recommend a multidisciplinary intense effort including physicians, physical training officers, physiotherapists, and commanders to significantly reduce overuse injuries, especially in the low-back and lower extremity regions.

Classifying U.S. Army Military Occupational Specialties using the Occupational Information Network.

OBJECTIVES: To derive job condition scales for future studies of the effects of job conditions on soldier health and job functioning across Army Military Occupation Specialties (MOSs) and Areas of Concentration (AOCs) using Department of Labor (DoL) Occupational Information Network (O*NET) ratings. METHODS: A consolidated administrative dataset was created for the "Army Study to Assess Risk and Resilience in Servicemembers" (Army STARRS) containing all soldiers on active duty between 2004 and 2009. A crosswalk between civilian occupations and MOS/AOCs (created by DoL and the Defense Manpower Data Center) was augmented to assign scores on all 246 O*NET dimensions to each soldier in the dataset. Principal components analysis was used to summarize these dimensions. RESULTS: Three correlated components explained the majority of O*NET dimension variance: "physical demands" (20.9% of variance), "interpersonal complexity" (17.5%), and "substantive complexity" (15.0%). Although broadly consistent with civilian studies, several discrepancies were found with civilian results reflecting potentially important differences in the structure of job conditions in the Army versus the civilian labor force. CONCLUSIONS: Principal components scores for these scales provide a parsimonious characterization of key job conditions that can be used in future studies of the effects of MOS/AOC job conditions on diverse outcomes.

The psychologist and the bombardier: the Army Air Forces' aircrew classification program in WWII.

During World War II, psychologists in the Army Air Forces were given an unprecedented opportunity to showcase their discipline by developing examinations to test the aptitude of aviation cadets as pilots, navigators, or bombardiers. These psychologists enjoyed success in classifying pilots and navigators, but became quickly frustrated by their results for bombardiers. The trouble lay not in their choice of tests but in their performance measures for bombardiering, a difficulty that came to be known as 'the problem of the criterion.' This episode in the history of military mental testing exemplifies the challenges faced by psychologists at the moment they were poised to gain the support of the armed services, and highlights how these new hazards shaped postwar military psychology.