What environmental and occupational stressors affect the military and what is USARIEM doing to help?
Soldier performance can be adversely affected by numerous occupational and environmental factors, including nutrition, hydration, heat, cold, altitude, fatigue, and combat stress. The Heat Research Group has developed U.S. Army doctrine for water consumption and workârest cycles under various conditions of heat and humidity. The Heat Research Group has also studied heat acclimation to promote combat effectiveness and reduce casualties. The Cold Research Group conducts research on the management, pathogenesis, and treatment of major cold injuries, including trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia. The Altitude Research Group conducts basic and applied research on problems encountered by military personnel exposed to acute and long-term subnormal levels of oxygen (e.g., oxygen levels associated with high terrestrial elevations, confined areas of operation, or artificial breathing apparatus).