Military Training Program Research Articles

Regular physical exercise before entering military service may protect young adult men from fatigue fractures

BackgroundBone stress fractures are overuse injuries commonly encountered in sports and military medicine. Some fatigue fractures lead to morbidity and loss of active, physically-demanding training days. We evaluated the incidence, anatomical location, risk factors, and preventive measures for fatigue fractures in young Finnish male conscripts.MethodsFive cohorts of 1000 men performing military service, classified according to birth year (1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989), were analysed. Each conscript was followed for his full military service period (180 days for conscripts with rank and file duties, 270 days for those with special training, 362 days for officers and highly trained conscripts). Data, including physical activity level, were collected from a standard pre-information questionnaire and from the garrisons’ healthcare centre medical reports. Risk factor analysis included the conscripts’ service class (A, B), length of military service, age, height, weight, body mass index, smoking, education, previous diseases, injuries, and subjective symptoms, as well as self-reports of physical activity before entering the service using a standard military questionnaire.ResultsFatigue fractures occurred in 44 (1.1%) of 4029 men, with an incidence of 1.27 (95% confidence interval: 0.92–1.70) per 1000 follow-up months, and mostly (33/44, 75%) occurred at the tibial shaft or metatarsals. Three patients experienced two simultaneous stress fractures in different bones. Most fatigue fractures occurred in the first 3 months of military service. Conscripts with fatigue fractures lost a total of 1359 (range 10–77) active military training days due to exemptions from duty. Conscripts reporting regular (> 2 times/week) physical activity before entering the military had significantly fewer (p = 0.017) fatigue fractures. Regular physical activity before entering the service was the only strong explanatory, protective factor in the model [IRR = 0.41 (95% CI: 0.20 to 0.85)]. The other measured parameters did not contribute significantly to the incidence of stress fractures.ConclusionRegular and recurrent high-intensity physical activity before entering military service seems to be an important preventive measure against developing fatigue fractures. Fatigue fractures should be considered in conscripts seeking medical advice for complaints of musculoskeletal pain, and taken into consideration in planning military and other physical training programs.

Using Simulation to Address a Training Gap in Battlefield Ocular Trauma: A Lateral Canthotomy and Cantholysis (LCC) Prototype Training System.

Over the past 15 years of conflict, eye injuries have ocurred at a steady rate of 5-10% of combat casualties, attributed to the enemy's use of improvised explosive devices. Many of these injuries result in a compartment syndrome of the orbit, easily decompressed through the use of a simple procedure called a Lateral Canthotomy and Cantholysis (LCC). Current training curricula at the U.S. Army Center for Pre-Hospital Medicine at Fort Sam Houston, Texas incorporates LCC training presented in lectures and taught using cadavers and goats (resources permitting), but lacks a LCC training device for the development of psychomotor skills. Requirements analysis, iterative design and development, and testing were performed for a simulation-based training system that may be used to practice the LCC procedure. Subject matter experts have conducted numerous reviews of the prototype system, where feedback is used to drive subsequent designs. Further work, including formal analysis of training effectiveness, will be performed to validate the training system. This will benefit will benefit military and civilian training programs by training psychomotor skills to enhance competency in the LCC procedure for preserving eyesight.

The Alert Collector: Sources to Ponder: Developing a Meditation Collection

Meditation practices date back thousands of years to the forest-dwelling rishis of Asia who viewed it as a way to achieve spiritual growth leading to enlightenment. Meditation has today become an increasingly popular practice in mainstream western culture. News media continually churn out stories about the latest scientific results showing the physical, mental, and social benefits of meditating. Celebrities and athletes from the Beatles to David Lynch to LeBron James talk about how meditation has influenced their life and work. Meditation is practiced in corporations and boardrooms and is used in military training programs. Meditation has become commodified and commercialized, with meditation studios springing up in major cities, books about meditation hitting bestseller lists, and Silicon Valley engineers producing meditation apps by the dozens.

Comparative analysis of the military pilots training programs in the Romanian Air Force and the Polish Air Force

The primary purpose of the military pilots training system is to select objectively and to provide practical and qualitative training, both with regard to their academics and in terms of their specialization as aviation personnel. The current state of the military pilots training system has been marked by difficulties due to its attempt in overcoming a prolonged transition period and adapting to modern armed forces and partner training standards within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Based on the comparative analysis of the training of military aeronautical personnel in Romania and Poland, we will try to observe whether flight training needs to be more or less phased in order for the Air Force to benefit from pilots capable of responding to the current challenges. Accordingly, the aim of the current paper consists of a qualitative analysis meant to prove the necessity of adjusting curricula to the exigencies of the geopolitical reality within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and to identify both strong common and distinctive points of the military pilots training programs in the Romanian Air Force and the Polish Air Force.

Surgical Repair of Tibialis Anterior Muscle Herniation Using a Synthetic Mesh That Was Beneath the Fascia after a Military Training Program: A Case Report

Surgical Repair of Tibialis Anterior Muscle Herniation Using a Synthetic Mesh That Was Beneath the Fascia after a Military Training Program: A Case Report

Survey of non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheter clinical practice and training.

Nephrologists are placing fewer non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheters. Requiring competence for nephrology fellow graduation is controversial. Anonymous, online survey of all graduates from a single, military nephrology training program (n = 81; 1985-2017) and all US Nephrology program directors (n = 150). Graduate response and completion rates were 59% and 100%, respectively; 93% agreed they had been adequately trained; 58% (26/45) place non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheters, independent of academic practice or time in practice, but 12/26 did ⩽5/year and 23/26 referred some or all. The most common reason for continuing non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheter placement was that it is an essential emergency procedure (92%). The single most significant barrier was time to do the procedure (49%). Program director response and completion rates were 50% and 79%, respectively. The single most important barrier to fellow competence was busyness of the service (36%), followed by disinterest (21%); 55% believed that non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheter insertion competence should be required, with 81% indicating it was an essential emergency procedure. The majority of graduates and program directors agreed that simulation training was valuable; 76% of programs employ simulation. Graduates who had simulation training and program directors with ⩽20 years of practice were significantly more likely to agree that simulation training was necessary. Of the graduate respondents from a single training program, 58% continue to place non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheters; 55% of program directors believe non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheter procedural competence should be required. Graduates who had non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheter simulation training and younger program directors consider simulation training necessary. These findings should be considered in the discussion of non-tunneled temporary hemodialysis catheter curriculum requirements.

Do UK military General Practitioners feel adequately skilled in the provision of care to the acutely unwell or injured patient?

BackgroundGeneral Practice training in the civilian and military environments follows a common training pathway, yet the scope of practice of a military General Practitioner (GP) varies significantly. A level of...

Electrical fingerprint of the amygdala guides neurofeedback training for stress resilience.

Real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rt-fMRI) has revived the translational perspective of neurofeedback (NF)1. Particularly for stress management, targeting deeply located limbic areas involved in stress processing2 has paved new paths for brain-guided interventions. However, the high cost and immobility of fMRI constitute a challenging drawback for the scalability (accessibility and cost-effectiveness) of the approach, particularly for clinical purposes3. The current study aimed to overcome the limited applicability of rt-fMRI by using an electroencephalography (EEG) model endowed with improved spatial resolution, derived from simultaneous EEG-fMRI, to target amygdala activity (termed amygdala electrical fingerprint (Amyg-EFP))4-6. Healthy individuals (n = 180) undergoing a stressful military training programme were randomly assigned to six Amyg-EFP-NF sessions or one of two controls (control-EEG-NF or NoNF), taking place at the military training base. The results demonstrated specificity of NF learning to the targeted Amyg-EFP signal, which led to reduced alexithymia and faster emotional Stroop, indicating better stress coping following Amyg-EFP-NF relative to controls. Neural target engagement was demonstrated in a follow-up fMRI-NF, showing greater amygdala blood-oxygen-level-dependent downregulation and amygdala-ventromedial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity following Amyg-EFP-NF relative to NoNF. Together, these results demonstrate limbic specificity and efficacy of Amyg-EFP-NF during a stressful period, pointing to a scalable non-pharmacological yet neuroscience-based training to prevent stress-induced psychopathology.

Physical Training of Candidates to Professional Military Service in Lithuanian Armed Forces

Research back ground and hypothesis. There is a basic military training course (BMT) carried out in the Lithuanian Armed Forces. The aim of this course is to train soldiers for military service that they were able to perform individual tasks and acquire basic military preparation. There is a lack of research dealing with the effect of physical training programmes in military training courses on the changes in soldiers’ physical fitness. We hypothesize that in the course of military training physical fitness of would-be soldiers improves.Research aim was to analyse the structure and content of the BMT programme and the effect of its implementation on the changes in physical fitness for would-be soldiers.Research methods: literature review, analysis of military physical training programmes, physical fitness testing.Research results. During the first testing only 26.8% of would-be soldiers achieved the standards of physical fitness complex test, and during the second testing the standards of the complex test of physical fitness were achieved by 89.5% of service people. In the period of the course VO 2 max and Roufier index improved (p < 0.001). Indices of physical fitness and functional capacity improved more in the first half of the course. At the end of the course the results of adapted military physical fitness of service people were worse compared to the results of their general physical fitness.Discussion and conclusions. The program of general physical training was effective, but more attention should be paid to the improvement of adapted military physical fitness programme aiming at better results. During the basic military training course physical fitness and functional capacity of candidates improved and at the end of the course it reached the normative level of physical fitness.Keywords: physical fitness, adapted military physical fitness, basic military course, testing.

International Military Education and Training: Promoting Democratic Values to Militaries and Countries throughout the World

ABSTRACTThe International Military Education and Training program is the United States security assistance program that provides professional military education to officers from foreign militaries. As a tool of soft power, the program has the potential of helping the United States achieve its foreign and national security goals. Despite the potential benefits of the program, research on its effectiveness is limited. The present study contributes to the literature by inquiring into what benefits toward acquiring an understanding of democratic values and the United States society are expressed by foreign officers who have participated in the program.

Risk of Injury in Royal Air Force Training: Does Sex Really Matter?

Musculoskeletal injuries are common during military and other occupational physical training programs. Employers have a duty of care to reduce employees' injury risk, where females tend to be at greater risk than males. However, quantification of principle co-factors influencing the sex-injury association, and their relative importance, remain poorly defined. Injury risk co-factors were investigated during Royal Air Force (RAF) recruit training to inform the strategic prioritization of mitigation strategies. A cohort of 1,193 (males n = 990 (83%); females n = 203 (17%)) recruits, undertaking Phase-1 military training, were prospectively monitored for injury occurrence. The primary independent variable was sex, and potential confounders (fitness, smoking, anthropometric measures, education attainment) were assessed pre-training. Generalized linear models were used to assess associations between sex and injury. In total, 31% of recruits (28% males; 49% females) presented at least one injury during training. Females had a two-fold greater unadjusted risk of injury during training than males (RR = 1.77; 95% CI 1.49-2.10). After anthropometric, lifestyle and education measures were included in the model, the excess risk decreased by 34%, but the associations continued to be statistically significant. In contrast, when aerobic fitness was adjusted, an inverse association was identified; the injury risk was 40% lower in females compared with males (RR = 0.59; 95% CI: 0.42-0.83). Physical fitness was the most important confounder with respect to differences in males' and females' injury risk, rather than sex alone. Mitigation to reduce this risk should, therefore, focus upon physical training, complemented by healthy lifestyle interventions.

The deployment of US military assistance to Spain in the 1950s: limited modernisation and strategic dependence

ABSTRACT This article looks at the initial implementation of US military assistance to Spain under the lopsided Mutual Defence Agreement of 1953. The process was characterised by the disparity in the objectives of both sides, the centrality of the military training programmes, and the logistical and organisational limitations of the Spanish Armed Forces to assimilate American aid. The Ifni-Sahara decolonisation conflict of 1957–58 in Northwest Africa, in which Spain was forced to seek French military cooperation, made apparent the conditioned and limited nature of US military assistance and Madrid’s need to diversify its security partners during the Cold War.

Early-Life Military Exposures and Functional Impairment Trajectories Among Older Male Veterans: The Buffering Effect of Psychological Resilience.

Drawing on the life course framework and theoretical concept of resilience, we examine the impact of early-life service-related exposures (SREs) on later-life functional impairment trajectories among older U.S. male veterans. We conceptualize resilience as a psychological resource potentially moderating the lasting negative consequences of traumatic military exposures. Using the 2013 Veterans Mail Survey linked to the Health and Retirement Study 2006-2014 Leave Behind Questionnaire and RAND Data File (v.N), we estimate latent growth curve models of functional impairment trajectories. SRE to death has a persistent positive effect on functional limitations and activities of daily living limitations. Psychological resilience significantly moderates this association, such that veterans maintaining higher levels of resilience in the face of adverse exposures have considerably less functional impairment over time compared to their counterparts with low levels of resilience. Our findings point to the importance of psychological resilience in later life, especially within the realm of traumas occurring in early life. We discuss implications for current military training programs, stressing the importance of research considering individual resources and processes that promote adaptation in the face of adverse life events.

Survey of Kidney Biopsy Clinical Practice and Training in the United States.

Practicing clinical nephrologists are performing fewer diagnostic kidney biopsies. Requiring biopsy procedural competence for graduating nephrology fellows is controversial. An anonymous, on-line survey of all Walter Reed training program graduates (n=82; 1985-2017) and all United States nephrology program directors (n=149; August to October of 2017), regarding kidney biopsy practice and training, was undertaken. Walter Reed graduates' response and completion rates were 71% and 98%, respectively. The majority felt adequately trained in native kidney biopsy (83%), transplant biopsy (82%), and tissue interpretation (78%), with no difference for ≤10 versus >10 practice years. Thirty-five percent continued to perform biopsies (13% did ≥10 native biopsies/year); 93% referred at least some biopsies. The most common barriers to performing biopsy were logistics (81%) and time (74%). Program director response and completion rates were 60% and 77%. Seventy-two percent cited ≥1 barrier to fellow competence. The most common barriers were logistics (45%), time (45%), and likelihood that biopsy would not be performed postgraduation (41%). Fifty-one percent indicated that fellows should not be required to demonstrate minimal procedural competence in biopsy, although 97% agreed that fellows should demonstrate competence in knowing/managing indications, contraindications, and complications. Program directors citing ≥1 barrier or whose fellows did <50 native biopsies/year in total were more likely to think that procedural competence should not be required versus those citing no barriers (P=0.02), or whose fellows performed ≥50 biopsies (P<0.01). Almost two-thirds of graduate respondents from a single military training program no longer perform biopsy, and 51% of responding nephrology program directors indicated that biopsy procedural competence should not be required. These findings should inform discussion of kidney biopsy curriculum requirements.

Analysis of Hand-to-Hand Combat, its Current State, Prospects for Development

The research objective is to study the current state of hand-to-hand combat and determine the prospects for its development.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The researchers studied the documents on organizing and holding the competitions that took place in 2014-2016, the number and quality of their participants, coaches, hand-to-hand combat referees. The researchers analyzed training programs and competition rules of the most popular combat sports, constituent documents of public associations engaged in hand-to-hand combat development, normative documents on physical training of law enforcement agencies, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and armies of the world’s leading countries.&#x0D; Results. Hand-to-hand combat is closely related to solving military tasks. Due to its ability to adapt to modern military requirements, it is included in military training programs of various law enforcement agencies, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and armies of many countries of the world. The sports type of hand-to-hand combat is the basis for shaping and improving professional and applied skills and has its peculiarities, namely combat (applied) sections included in its training program and competition rules. The analysis of regulatory documents of hand-to-hand combat competitions of different levels among adults held in Ukraine in 2014-2016 proved that the overwhelming majority of them, 65% (of the total number of competitions held among adults) are competitions among employees of various law enforcement agencies and servicepersons. The analysis of competition rules revealed the peculiarities of organizing and holding competitions in this sport, in particular the possibility to hold competitions demonstrating the techniques used in standard situations of a real combat with an enemy, with and without weapons. This provides an opportunity to control servicepersons’ and law enforcement officers’ proficiency level of the applied section.&#x0D; Conclusions. The modern hand-to-hand combat is a unique sport that combines sports and applied types. Due to its peculiarities, it is currently a significant part of combat and professional training of servicepersons and law enforcement officers.

Estimates of Tibial Shock Magnitude in Men and Women at the Start and End of a Military Drill Training Program

Foot drill is a key component of military training and is characterized by frequent heel stamping, likely resulting in high tibial shock magnitudes. Higher tibial shock during running has previously been associated with risk of lower limb stress fractures, which are prevalent among military populations. Quantification of tibial shock during drill training is, therefore, warranted. This study aimed to provide estimates of tibial shock during military drill in British Army Basic training. The study also aimed to compare values between men and women, and to identify any differences between the first and final sessions of training. Tibial accelerometers were secured on the right medial, distal shank of 10 British Army recruits (n = 5 men; n = 5 women) throughout a scheduled drill training session in week 1 and week 12 of basic military training. Peak positive accelerations, the average magnitude above given thresholds, and the rate at which each threshold was exceeded were quantified. Mean (SD) peak positive acceleration was 20.8 (2.2) g across all sessions, which is considerably higher than values typically observed during high impact physical activity. Magnitudes of tibial shock were higher in men than women, and higher in week 12 compared with week 1 of training. This study provides the first estimates of tibial shock magnitude during military drill training in the field. The high values suggest that military drill is a demanding activity and this should be considered when developing and evaluating military training programs. Further exploration is required to understand the response of the lower limb to military drill training and the etiology of these responses in the development of lower limb stress fractures.

Numerical Assessment on Training Motivation, Syllabus and Instructor’s Roles in Military Training Program Using PLS

Numerical Assessment on Training Motivation, Syllabus and Instructor’s Roles in Military Training Program Using PLS

Prevalence and effect of flatfoot among army privates

Background: Specific populations require strenuous activities such as soldiers, and flatfoot deformity can cause significant problems during training or operations. Prevalence of this deformity among Thai Army privates is limited and underestimated due to improper screening techniques. We would like to report the prevalence of flatfoot deformity using a new standardized device and compare performances of army privates between normal foot and flatfoot deformity Study design: The study employed a cross-sectional design Materials and Methods: A prospective study of 490 army privates in the King’s Guard, 2nd Cavalry Division, between June 2015 and November 2015 was conducted. Footprints were collected from all participant using a Harris Mat imprinter and the shape of their feet was recorded based on arch height. The Stahili index &gt;0.77 (NY index) and arch height less than 6 mm were used as cut-off point values to diagnose flatfoot deformity. Additionally, military training performance (running 2 km) was evaluated using validated functional outcome (VAS-FA) and compared between normal arch and flatfoot deformity groups. Results: The prevalence of flatfoot deformity determined using footprints was 52.5% (233 participants: 111 of 233 participants were unilateral (47.6%) and 146 of 233 participants (52.3%) were bilateral flatfeet). The physical training revealed significant differences when compared between bilateral flatfeet and normal arch groups (p= 0.038) and bilateral flatfeet unilateral flatfoot groups (p= 0.009) BMI, VAS score and flatfoot deformity significantly affected the performances of their training (p= 0.03, 0.02, and 0.03 for BMI, VAS score and flatfoot deformity, respectively.) Conclusion: The prevalence of flatfeet deformity among army privates from this study was higher than relates studies. Bilateral flatfeet deformity had a significant effect on physical training. Although many factors affect training performance, BMI, VAS score and flatfoot deformity significantly affected the military training program.

William Tell Militarism: The Swiss Model for Canada’s ‘Citizen Army’

Following Confederation in 1867, Canadians needed to move forward from their dependence on British imperial defence. Canadian militiaman Richard John Wicksteed was first to recommend adopting the model of the Swiss Army, a multi-ethnic, rifle-wielding citizen force powerful enough to ensure Swiss neutrality although surrounded by militaristic European powers. General Officer Commanding Edward Thomas Henry Hutton later proposed the Swiss model for a Canadian ‘National Army,’ echoed by Militia Minister Frederick Borden. In 1917, Colonel William Hamilton Merritt was the final advocate, drawn especially to the notion of equality in Switzerland’s universal military training programme. By this time, however, the Great War had changed concepts of Canada’s military needs from a reliance upon the defence-oriented citizen soldier to a more highly trained, expeditionary military force.

Musculoskeletal injuries in British Army recruits: a prospective study of incidence in different Infantry Regiments

BackgroundMusculoskeletal injuries and attrition incurred during basic military training are a significant socioeconomic burden across many Defence Forces. In order to plan an injury prevention strategy, the purpose of this...