Australian Regular Army Research Articles

A profile of injuries suffered by female soldiers serving in the Australian Army

IntroductionFemale soldiers comprise an important component of any modern army, yet little research has been performed to investigate differences in the profiles of injuries reported by qualified female and male army personnel.AimThe aim of this study was to compare injury rates and patterns between female and male soldiers of the Australian Regular Army (ARA).MethodsData pertaining to all injuries reported by ARA members over a two-year period were accessed from the SENTINEL database and analysed descriptively. Findings regarding injury patterns were reported by most common location, nature, mechanism, and activity being performed at the time of injury. Injury incidence rates (IR) were calculated based on population size, and injury incidence rate ratios (IRR) comparing female and male injury rates were determined.ResultsA total of 8750 injuries were recorded across the two-year time period (2018–2020) of the study (minor injuries: n = 1766 female, n = 6870 male; serious injuries: n = 19 female, n = 95 male). Higher incidence rates of minor injuries were reported for female soldiers (IR = 20.75 injuries/100 soldiers/year) when compared to male soldiers (IR = 13.60 injuries/100 soldiers/year), with an IRR of 1.53 [95% CI = 1.46–1.60]. More serious injuries were reported at a similar rate between female (IR = 0.22/100 soldiers/year) and male soldiers (IR = 0.21/100 soldiers/year), with an IRR of 1.05 [95% CI = 0.65–1.72]. Female soldiers tended to report more ankle injuries than male soldiers who reported more knee injuries. Physical training and combat training were the most common causes of injury for both sexes.DiscussionThere were subtle differences in body locations of minor injuries within female and male soldiers. Both minor and more serious injury profiles were otherwise similar between sexes. Therefore, strategies required to minimise injuries in female soldiers may be similar in many respects to strategies required for male soldiers but require some differences to account for the subtle differences in body locations of injury, and so to ensure effectiveness across all personnel.

Sports Injuries in the Australian Regular Army

Sports participation in the military is important for physical fitness and building morale and camaraderie. However, injuries caused by sports are detrimental to military capability. The purpose of this study was to investigate patterns of injury from sports participation in Australian Regular Army personnel. Injury data spanning a two-year period were obtained from the Department of Defence Workplace Health, Safety, Compensation, and Reporting (WHSCAR) database. Data were extracted for the top five sporting activities causing injuries. The most common body sites, natures, and mechanisms of injuries across these five sports were then determined. Sports participation accounted for 11% (n = 1092) of reported injuries (n = 9828). Soccer presented with the greatest number of injuries (23.3%), followed by rugby union/league (22.9%), touch football (18.6%), Australian rules football (12.0%), and basketball/netball (11.9%). The ankle, knee, and shoulder were the most injured body sites (21.9%; 17.2%; 11.6% respectively) across these five sports, with soft tissue injury, dislocation, and fractures being the most common natures of injury (55.1%; 12.7%; 11.9% respectively). The most common mechanisms of injuries were contact with objects (35.1%) and falls (27.4%). The current injury rates, locations, and mechanisms are similar to historical rates suggesting little impact by injury mitigation strategies.

A Detailed Analysis of Serious Personal Injuries Suffered by Full Time and Part Time Soldiers of the Australian Army.

The intense training and occupational demands of military personnel place the individual at risk of serious injury. When they do occur, serious personal injuries (SPIs) can lead to medical discharge, mission compromise, and ongoing recurrence of problems. Prior to the implementation of any minimization strategies, an understanding of the causes of SPIs requires development. The aim of this study was to analyze the incidence rates and patterns of SPIs within the Australian Regular Army (ARA) and Australian Army Reserve (ARES). Data for a 2-year period were obtained through the Work Health, Safety, Compensation, and Reporting database of the Australian Department of Defence. Records of SPIs were extracted, with details including: (a) the activity being performed when the injury was suffered; (b) the body location of injury; (c) the nature of injury; and (d) the mechanism of injury. Results were reported as number of SPIs and converted to SPIs/100 full-time equivalent (FTE) years of service. In total, 507 SPIs were reported over the two-year period (ARA=466; ARES=41). SPIs most commonly: occurred during combat training (n=80; 0.13 SPIs/100 FTE years) and physical training (n=66; 0.10 SPIs/100 FTE years); affected the head (n=63; 0.10 SPIs/100 FTE years) and shoulders (n=57; 0.09 SPIs/100 FTE years); and comprised fractures (n=199; 0.19 SPIs/100 FTE years) and soft-tissue injuries (n=103; 0.16 SPIs/100 FTE years). The most common mechanism of injury was falls (n=132; 0.21 SPIs/100 FTE years) or contact with objects (n=114; 0.18 SPIs/100 FTE years). When adjusted for service time, ARES personnel were found to report SPIs more frequently than ARA personnel (0.87 vs. 0.79/100 FTE years, respectively) giving an injury risk ratio (ARA:ARES) of 0.91 [95% CI=0.66-1.25]. Despite higher absolute numbers of SPIs occurring in ARA, ARES in fact report similar rates of SPIs when adjusted for service time. The natures and mechanisms of SPIs are also similar for both service types and therefore should be the focus of targeted programs to reduce such injuries.

The once and future army: a history of the citizen military forces, 1947-1974

This is the post-war history of the Citizen Military Forces (CMF), the predecessor to today's Army Reserve. Once numerically superior to the Australian Regular Army, it was the predominant component of the Army until the changing nature of warfare favored the use of professional, regular soldiers. This book illustrates its organization, role and social composition along with the rivalry with the Regular Army.

Job satisfaction and re-engagement among Australian regular army soldiers

296 Australian Regular Army soldiers, whose current term of service was due to expire within 2 months, completed a questionnaire shown to measure overall satisfaction with Army life. Results were analysed in relation to assessed re-engagement intention. It was found that although there was a positive relationship of satisfaction to re-engagement intention, the proportion of dissatisfied soldiers intending discharge was greater than the proportion of satisfied soldiers intending re-engagement. A replication, 8 months later, with a sample of 418, produced similar results, although some shrinkage occurred in the relationships of satisfaction to actual subsequent re-engagement. An explanation of the findings is offered in terms of the attractiveness of alternative employment.