Cold weather operations: Preventive strategies ina military context

Abstract

Military cold weather operations (CWOs) introduce a range of challenges, including extremetemperatures, strong winds, difficult terrain, and exposure to snow, ice, and water. Personnelundertaking these missions face a heightened risk of cold weather injury (CWI), such as hypother-mia, freezing cold injuries, and non-freezing cold injuries. The risk of these injuries is influenced byvarious factors, including age, sex, and body composition. To ensure optimal and safe perfor-mance in CWOs, it is crucial to implement effective preventive measures against CWI. This articleemphasizes the most pertinent strategies for CWI prevention in CWOs. Initially, it is important toassess individual vulnerability to CWI. Education and training on CWI prevention should beprovided before deployment in CWOs. During CWOs, attention should be given to crucialbehaviors such as using a proper layered clothing system, recognizing the risks associated withprolonged stationary periods in cold conditions, consuming adequate calories, and stayinghydrated. Additionally, environmental monitoring using tools like the windchill index and regularchecks on physical status are essential. Although monitoring by itself does not prevent CWI, it canprompt necessary behavioral adjustments. Education and behavioral modifications are central topreventing CWI. Given the limited research on CWI prevention in military settings, despite thefrequent occurrence of these injuries, there is a pressing need for further studies to evaluateeffective preventive strategies within this specific operational framework.