The Bug Stops Here: Force Protection and Emerging Infectious Diseases
Abstract
Despite significant advances in medical research and treatment in the past century, infectious diseases remain among the leading causes of death worldwide. These diseases are appearing in places they have never been seen before or were thought to have been eradicated, are spreading faster and more frequently, and are posing an increasing global health threat that will affect national and international security in both the near- and long-term future, even affecting the success of U.S. military missions and operations. Force health protection is an urgent priority for the Department of Defense (DoD), as increasing threats of natural outbreaks of infectious disease could seriously undermine mission readiness and success. U.S. national security might be impacted by military operations in regions with endemic and epidemic occurrences of infectious disease, where disease activity may prevent the successful completion of a mission or operation or may even result in infected soldiers carrying a contagious disease back to the United States. Changing military doctrine and tactics call for a fresh approach to force protection. The purpose of this paper is to review important lessons that have been learned in the past, and to revisit the older but proven principles of force protection that are in danger of being forgotten in today's technology-focused military environment. Recognizing that infectious diseases could have a significant impact on military operations, this report provides a series of case studies that analyze health threats to each regional combatant command and presents both tactical and strategic recommendations that will better prepare the entire DoD for future outbreaks of disease. These recommendations focus on procedural changes that will allow the U.S. military to regain its competitive advantage.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA441180
Entities
People
- Cheryl A. Loeb
- Donald F. Thompson
- Joel L. Swerdlow
Organizations
- National Defense University