Royal Danish Air Force Research Articles

Peacekeeping masculinities, intersectionality, and gender equality – negotiations of military life and civilian life by Danish soldier/veteran-parents

ABSTRACT Combining the work of peacekeeping and parenting can lead to dilemmas in the work/life balance of individual soldier/parents. Simultaneously, ideals of ‘peacekeeping masculinities’ can potentially be used in struggles for gender equality in peacekeeping. Our aim is to discuss whether and how ‘peacekeeping masculinities’ is a useful concept and tool to increase our thinking on what it means to be both a ‘good soldier’ and a ‘good parent’. We ask two questions: (1) (How) can the notion of ‘peacekeeping masculinities’ help us analyse the relations between bodies and binaries in peacekeeping and parenting? (2) (How) can an intersectional approach to ‘peacekeeping masculinities’ help us analyse dilemmas in gendered negotiations between peacekeeping and parenting? We argue that peacekeeping masculinities and intersectionality often are used as buzzwords instead of directly related to clearly identified struggles for gender equality. This provides limits to their usefulness. Since military life and civilian life are both separate and related fields, it is useful to combine a focus on peacekeeping and parenting to make better use of the notion of peacekeeping masculinities. We illustrate the argument with interviews with male and female soldier/veteran-parents from the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF), who have been on international peacekeeping missions.

Joining Forces Over Afghanistan: The EPAF “Experiment”

From 2002 to 2003, F-16s of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the Royal Danish Air Force flew side by side in the hostile skies over Afghanistan. United under the wings of the European Participating Air Forces (EPAF), a unique, trinational alliance, they represented their countries’ flying contribution to the American-led Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Each country deployed six F-16 fighter-bombers, together forming one squadron-sized detachment. In theory at least, the EPAF enabled the smaller European air forces to make a proportionally greater contribution to OEF than they could have done individually. By joining forces, the participating air forces made optimal use of their limited resources – a typical small powers strategy enacted by the three countries to overcome the structural limitations of their military capabilities in a long-standing allied arrangement. This article is a comparative study of the experiences gained concerning the cooperation between the three air forces and the interoperability of the EPAF detachment within the larger OEF coalition; its conclusion is that, although working within the trinational framework revealed differences on the political, military-operational, tactical-technical and personnel level, most of these problems were eventually overcome. All things considered, the EPAF did offer these smaller countries an instrument to demonstrate their solidarity with the United States and provide a significant contribution to the Global War on Terror, making it a prime “operational” example of effective small or middle power strategy to mitigate (combat) limitations in an asymmetrical multinational relationship vis-à-vis the United States.

Search and Rescue Helicopters for Emergency Medical Service Assistance: A Retrospective Study

ObjectiveThe time until treatment is a crucial factor for the outcome after medical emergencies. One way of reducing transportation time is the use of helicopter-based emergency medical services, but poor weather conditions, commitment to another mission, or technical problems may limit the availability. In these cases, military search and rescue (SAR) helicopters can be used. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of SAR helicopters in the civilian emergency medical system. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective study of SAR mission reports and SAR medical records collected from the archives of the Royal Danish Air Force for the years 2016 and 2017. ResultsA total of 1,262 mission reports were included with a total of 628 medical records available in the study period. There were 490 of 1,246 (39.3%) missions involving patients. Interhospital transfers accounted for 306 of 604 (50.7%) of cases, whereas island evacuation constituted 110 of 604 (18.2%) cases. The most prevalent suspected diagnosis was acute coronary syndrome (14.4%). The 30-day survival rate was 87.6%. ConclusionThe military SAR helicopters were most commonly activated for civilian emergency medical service mission assistance due to poor weather conditions. The most frequent medical condition was acute coronary syndrome.

The Effect of Physical Exercise Training on Neck and Shoulder Muscle Function Among Military Helicopter Pilots and Crew: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Introduction: This study presents secondary outcome analyses, in terms of muscle function [i.e., maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) and rate of torque development (RTD)] from a parallel group, single blinded, randomized controlled trial introducing a physical exercise training intervention aiming to reduce neck pain among military helicopter pilots and crew-members.Methods: Participants (50 pilots, 58 crew-members) were recruited from the Royal Danish Air Force and randomized to either an exercise-training-group (ETG; n = 35) or a reference-group (REF; n = 34). Participants in ETG received 20 weeks of self-administered exercise training specifically tailored to target the neck and shoulder muscles. REF received no training. Outcome: (1) MVC was measured for cervical extension and flexion as well as shoulder elevation and abduction, (2) RTD was measured for cervical extension and flexion. Adherence to training was self-reported and categorized as regular if performed at least once a week.Results: MVC for cervical extension was significantly increased at follow-up in ETG (37.5 ± 11.2 Nm at baseline, change: 2.1 ± 8.3 Nm) compared to REF (38.1 ± 10.7 Nm at baseline, change: −2.4 ± 6.8 Nm) according to intension-to-treat analysis (p = 0.018). Likewise, RTD was significantly increased in ETG for cervical extension (149.6 ± 63.3 Nm/s at baseline, change: 14.7 ± 49.0 Nm/s) compared to REF (165.4 ± 84.7 Nm/s at baseline, change: −16.9±70.9 Nm/s) (p = 0.034). The cervical extension/flexion MVC-ratio was significantly different at follow-up (p = 0.039) between ETG (1.5 ± 0.5 at baseline, change: −0.0 ± 0.3) compared to REF (1.5 ± 0.5 at baseline, change: −0.2 ± 0.4). Per-protocol analysis of MVC, including only participants in ETG with regular training adherence (n = 10), showed a significant increase for cervical extension (33.2 ± 7.3 Nm at baseline, change: 6.0 ± 5.4 Nm) and shoulder elevation right side (143.0 ± 25.8 Nm at baseline, change: 15.8 ± 18.1 Nm).Conclusion: Physical exercise training significantly improved MVC and RTD in the upper neck extensors. Only approximately 1/3 of participants in ETG adhered to training regularly, which likely attenuated the effectiveness of the training intervention on neck and shoulder muscle function. Future studies should focus on the practical implementation of self-administered exercise training to improve adherence.

Ultrasound in the Royal Danish Air Force Search and Rescue Helicopter: 2 Case Reports

The use of ultrasound (Nanomaxx; Secma, Skaevinge, Denmark) was tested in a 24-hour period in late fall 2014 on the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) Search And Rescue (SAR) helicopter stationed in Aalborg, North Denmark Region, Denmark. René Christian Bleeg, MD, is Consultant, Specialist in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, at Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark/Royal Danish Airforce SAR SQN 722/Royal Danish Armed Forces Health Services and can be reached at [email protected]

LUCAS™2 in Danish Search and Rescue Helicopters

ObjectivePrehospital resuscitation is often challenging. Giving uninterrupted and effective compressions is relatively impossible during transportation. In 2012, The Royal Danish Air Force received a donation of 8 mechanical chest compression devices (LUCAS™2; Physio-Control/Jolife AB, Lund, Sweden) to be used onboard the Danish search and rescue (SAR) helicopters. The scope of this investigation was to establish whether or not mechanical chest compression devices should be considered a necessity onboard the Danish SAR helicopters. MethodsData were compiled from SAR medical journals. From the data collected, observations were made as to when LUCAS™2 was used and what diagnosis the SAR physician made. ResultsOne thousand ninety missions were registered in the 24-month research period, and LUCAS™2 was used in 25 missions. Cardiac emergencies amounted for 25% of the missions. ConclusionThe Danish SAR helicopters retrieved 33 drowned/hypothermic patients during the research period, and the LUCAS™2 was used in 11 of the patients requiring resuscitation. The LUCAS™2 was frequently used during other emergencies like sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiac emergencies were the predominant type of mission. LUCAS™2 is now considered mandatory on Danish SAR helicopters

Specific exercise training for reducing neck and shoulder pain among military helicopter pilots and crew members: a randomized controlled trial protocol.

BackgroundFlight-related neck/shoulder pain is frequent among military helicopter pilots and crew members. With a lifetime prevalence of 81 % for pilots and 84 % for crew members, the prevalence of neck pain is considered high compared to the general population. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a specifically tailored exercise intervention would reduce the prevalence and incidence rate of neck/shoulder pain among helicopter pilots and crew members.MethodThis study used a prospective, parallel group, single blinded, randomized controlled design. Participants were military helicopter pilots and crew members recruited from the Royal Danish Air Force. Inclusion criteria were: 1) employed within the Royal Danish Air Force as a helicopter pilot or onboard crew member (technician, systems-operator, tactical helicopter observer and/or navigator), 2) maintaining operational flight status at enrollment, and 3) operational flying within the previous 6 months. Primary outcome was change in neck and shoulder pain assessed by 1) a modified version of the “Standardized Nordic questionnaire for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms” and by 2) pressure pain threshold measurements. Secondary outcomes included: postural balance, strength, stability, and rate of force development for neck and shoulder muscles. Measurements at baseline and follow-up were conducted at four air force bases in Denmark. Sixty-nine participants were individually randomized to either a training group (TG) or a reference group (RG). Participants in the TG performed 20-weeks of physical exercise training divided into sessions of 3 × 20 min per week. Training was completed within working hours and consisted of specific exercise training for the neck and shoulder muscles based on the principles of “Intelligent Physical Exercise Training”. The RG received no training.DiscussionIn spite of the high prevalence of flight related neck/shoulder pain among military helicopter pilots and crew members there are currently no evidence based guidelines for the prevention or clinical handling of neck pain among these occupational groups. Results from this study may therefore be beneficial for future establishment of such guidelines.Trial registrationEthical committee of Southern Denmark (S-20120121) 29 August, 2012.Clinical Trail Registration (NCT01926262) 16 August, 2013.

Neck Pain Among Fighter Pilots After the Introduction of the JHMCS Helmet and NVG in Their Environment

Neck pain is a common complaint among fighter pilots. With implementation of the joint helmet mounted cuing system (JHMCS), the strain on the pilot's neck has increased. We surveyed 58 F-16 pilots from the Royal Danish Air Force by anonymous questionnaires. More than half of these pilots used JHMCS regularly. The response rate was 100%. Of the pilots, 97% experienced neck pain in flight or shortly after flying, 83% within the last year. Right side neck pain was significantly more frequent than left side, odds ratio 3.25. There was a strong tendency toward predominant right-sided shoulder pain. The pilots reported that combined rotation and extension movements were especially hazardous. Only 1 in 10 pilots moved his head independent of G-load. Neck pain influenced operational flying, especially the ability to perform a "check six" movement sufficiently, and affected flying with high G loads as occurs in basic fighter maneuvers and air combat maneuvering. To avoid neck problems the majority of pilots aim to avoid certain head movements and to fix their neck before exposing themselves to high +Gz loads. With the implementation of JHMCS, two conflicting goals are evident and working at cross-purposes. A pilot's head should remain stationary while exposed to high +Gz loads. However, maximizing the advantages of JHMCS encourages the pilot to move his head sharply while exposed to high +Gz loads. Training programs to help the pilots cope with these challenges are warranted.

North-East Greenland 1997–1998: a new 1:500 000 mapping project in the Caledonian fold belt (72°–75°N)

The Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) continued in 1997 the systematic geological mapping programme for the 1:500 000 regional map series, with initiation of field work on sheet no. 11, which covers part of North-East Greenland. Of the 14 planned map sheets at 1:500 000 which will cover all of Greenland, 11 have been published, and one additional sheet for which field work has been completed is under compilation. Only two areas of Greenland are not yet covered by map sheets of this series: part of North-West Greenland (sheet no 6) and the target for the present project in North-East Greenland (sheet no. 11). The field work for the latter sheet is planned for two seasons, with the first season completed in 1997 and the second and final season to follow in 1998. The map sheet (no. 11) covers the region between Kong Oscar Fjord and the Stauning Alper in the south (72°N) and Kuhn Ø and Grandjean Fjord in the north (75°N, Fig. 1). The western part of this region is dominated by crystalline complexes of the East Greenland Caledonian fold belt. A post-Caledonian sequence of Upper Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sediments and Tertiary plateau basalts and intrusions covers the eastern part of the region. This article focuses on the Caledonian geology, whereas results from the work in the post-Caledonian sediments are described in the article by Stemmerik et al. (1998, this volume). The new Survey work for map sheet 11 represents a reinvestigation of areas extensively studied by geologists of Lauge Koch’s expeditions to East Greenland (1926–58), the principal results of which were compiled by John Haller for the 1:250 000 map sheets covering the region 72°–76°N (Koch & Haller 1971) and incorporated into an impressive regional description of the East Greenland Caledonides (Haller 1971). The Scoresby Sund region to the south of latitude 72°N and the Dove Bugt region to the north of latitude 75°N have already been investigated by the Geological Survey of Greenland (Henriksen 1986, 1997; Higgins 1994) as part of the present ongoing 1:500 000 regional mapping programme. The 1997–1998 mapping project will fill the last remaining gap in the Survey’s 1:500 000 coverage of North-East Greenland. All of North-East Greenland is covered by a set of wide angle black and white vertical aerial photographs taken in the period 1978–87 from an altitude of c. 14 km. On the basis of these aerial photographs and ground control points established by Kort- og Matrikelstyrelsen (National Survey and Cadastre – formerly the Geodetic Institute), new topographical maps of the entire region 72°–75°N, at a scale of 1:100 000, with 100 m contours, are being drawn at the Survey and will serve as a basis for the field investigations and the subsequent geological map compilations. Drawing of the topographic maps in the Survey´s photogrammetric laboratory is combined with photogeological interpretation both prior to and following the field investigations. In addition to establishing a general overview of the regional geology, the project includes activities aimed at supplementing knowledge of the economic potential of the region, in respect to both minerals (Harpøth et al. 1986) and hydrocarbons (Christiansen et al. 1992; Stemmerik et al. 1997). The field work co-ordinated by the Survey included co-operation with a geophysicist from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research (AWI), Bremerhaven, who undertook rock magnetic investigations to facilitate interpretation of an AWI aeromagnetic survey, and four Norwegian sedimentologists from Saga Petroleum whose work was integrated with a Survey group working with Mesozoic sediments (Stemmerik et al. 1998, this volume). Logistic support was also given to three groups of geologists from the University of Oslo and three geologists from Massachussetts Institute of Technology, with whom agreements on scientific co-operation had been arranged in advance. Some aspects of the project are based on funding from the Danish National Science Foundation and Carlsberg Foundation, with support for special research topics concerning the pre-Caledonian basement terrain, Caledonian metamorphism, and studies of Upper Proterozoic carbonate sediments. The field investigations in 1997 were carried out during a seven week field season between early July and late August with participation of a total of 38 persons, including 32 geologists (Henriksen 1998). The work was supported by two helicopters and a small, fixed wing, Twin Otter aircraft, which operated from Mestersvig, a former airport which is kept open for limited special operations by the military sledge patrol Sirius. The GEUS group benefitted substantially from base facilities at Mestersvig, organised and manned by the Danish Polar Center (DPC). Transport between Mestersvig and Denmark was carried out by the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) using a C-130 Hercules aircraft.

EEG abnormalities in 5,893 jet pilot applicants registered in a 20-year period.

On account of EEG findings in jet pilot applicants examined during 1951-1952, the Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) accepted EEGs as part of the routine procedures for evaluation of the applicants' fitness. The outlook for a successful completion of the training program was poor for those with a paroxysmal abnormal EEG. As a consequence, candidates were excluded from training on the basis of paroxysmal EEG changes regardless of their clinical findings. During 1956-1975 an EEG was obtained from 5,893 applicants for jet pilot training in the RDAF. Of these, 142 (2.4%) were excluded because of an abnormal EEG. Paroxysmal discharges were induced by intermittent photic stimulation in 90%. Generalized or focal paroxysmal changes were present at rest in 6 applicants, during hyperventilation and sleep in 4 each. Four applicants, although asymptomatic, developed epileptic seizures during intermittent photic stimulation.

Completion of field work for the 1:500 000 mapping and regional geological studies in central and western North Greenland

Field activities comprising the second, and final season of the systematic field mapping programme in central and western North Greenland were carried out from June to August 1985. The field investigations were concluded for the 1:500000 map sheet of the area between J. P. Koch Fjord (c. 400 W), in the east, and north-easternmost Washington Land (65°W) in the west; the southern boundary of the map sheet is 81°N (fig. 1). General geological investigations forrned an integral part of the mapping programme. A special source rock project, financed by the Danish Ministry of Energy, was fully integrated with the mapping programme (Christiansen et al., this report). As in 1984 a tent base camp in south-eastern Warming Land served as an operation centre for the expedition. Two chartered Jet Ranger helicopters and a Twin Otter aircraft were based here, and served the expedition groups with transport facilities throughout the season. Mobilisation and demobilisation of the expedition from Denmark were carried out with help from the Royal Danish Air Force, who airlifted the expedition to and from the Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert in north-east Ellesmere Island, Canada. Personnel, equipment and fuel were flown into the base camp from Alert with the Twin Otter. The expedition group numbered 40, comprising 12 two-man geological parties, a fourman drilling team and 12 supporting personnel, including aircraft crew members. As in 1984, the operation area extended about 500 km from east to west, and 150-200 km from south to north. The 12 geological teams and the drilling team utilised about 130 camp sites. At the end of the 1985 season, the temporary huts and tents at base camp were dismantled and, together with all the equipment, were taken back to Denmark. Fuel depots and equipment in other parts of the working area, which is part of the North and East Greenland National Park, were also removed.

Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse and Geodætiske Institut North Greenland expeditions, 1978–80

The second year of the three-year programme of geological investigations in eastern North Greenland has been successfully completed by the Grønlands Geologiske Undersøgelse (GGU) [Geological Survey of Greenland], in close cooperation, for logistic purposes, with the Geodætiske Institute (GI) [Danish Geodetic Institute] and the Royal Danish Air Force. This programme is the culmination of many years’ planning and the results from it are to be used in the compilation of sheet 8 of the 1:500 000 Greenland geological and Quaternary map series (Watt, 1976), in addition to more detailed maps of specific areas at 1: 100 000.

Reconnaissance work in the Triassic of the Wandel Sea Basin, eastern North Greenland

The North-eastern part is one of the geologically least known areas in Greenland and although late Palaeozoic, Mesozoic and Tertiary strata are known to comprise the Wandel Sea basin, litlIe stratigraphical and structural detail is available (for summaries see Peel et al., 1974; Dawes, 1976). As a forerunner to GGU's forthcoming regional mapping project in northern Greenland, a reconnaissance tour to the Wandel Sea basin was attempted through the courtesy of the Royal Danish Air Force. However, due to partial failure in logistic support the field work was severely restricted and only part of the eastern Peary Land sequence was visited. Here only a single section was measured.