The Gender Debate: Effects of 10-weeks Strength Training on Operational Readiness for Females in the Military
ABSTRACT Introduction: Military service is a physically demanding occupation, and fewer women than men meet the military fitness standards, especially in manual handling and load carriage. Therefore, integrating women into physically demanding military roles requires effective physical conditioning programs to ensure operational readiness. Methods: Twenty-eight female soldiers were randomly assigned to either a 10-week gender-specific… Read more »
Medical Corps Disease Mortality during the First World War: Australia vs. Turkey
Medical corps officers were often the ‘canary in the coal mine’ for infectious disease mortality in armies during the pre-antibiotic era. This means that medical officers could be among the first indicators of a serious medical problem (See https://wordhistories.net/2018/03/31/canary-coal-mine). Deployed forces, however, could experience exotic threats, such as malaria and cholera, that could kill both… Read more »
United States Service Members’ Resilience, Wellbeing and Social Support Resources Post-deployment
Abstract Introduction: Military service members encounter numerous stressors post-deployment. Unit cohesion, community, social connections and leadership can serve as resilience support systems and may help improve service members’ wellbeing. This research examines the perceived value of these support systems for service members post-deployment. Methods: A cross-sectional convenience sample of 78 United States military officers (n=54)… Read more »
Burnout, Life Satisfaction, and Social Exclusion Levels of Retired Non-Commissioned Officers and the Relationships Between These Phenomena: The Case of Türkiye
Abstract Background: Research on the social and psychological conditions of retired non-commissioned officers (NCOs) remains limited. Therefore, examining burnout, life satisfaction and social exclusion among retired NCOs is critical. Objective: This study aimed to measure levels of burnout, life satisfaction and social exclusion among retired NCOs in Türkiye and to examine the relationships among these… Read more »
Prevalence of Long-Term Health Conditions in Current-serving, Previous-Serving and Never-Serving Australians: An Age-Adjusted Comparative Analysis using 2021 Census Data
ABSTRACT Background Long-term health conditions (LTHC) are major contributors to morbidity and mortality in Australia and may be more prevalent in Australian Defence Force (ADF) veterans. Previous analyses are limited because they do not control for age and sex confounding or disaggregate by ADF service status. Purpose We aimed to estimate and compare the age-standardised… Read more »
The Influence of Psychosocial Health on Military Performance: Fit for Service?
Abstract When considering military fitness, the focus must be on psychological and physiological ability and thus suitability for service, determinants which are themselves influenced by health. Health, especially in the military context, is the product of several factors (including psychosocial ones), as will be highlighted in the current study. The influence of psychosocial health and… Read more »
Hookworm in the Military
Abstract Soil-transmitted helminths such as hookworm are rarely a problem for military units unless they directly contact faecally contaminated soil during tropical operations. Localised epidemics incapacitating small infantry units have been recorded in the Solomon Islands and Bougainville during World War II and in Vietnam, Grenada and Sierra Leone more recently. Scattered hookworm infection cases… Read more »
Editorial – The 1991 Gulf War
Thirty-five years ago, 1872 Australians, including Australian Defence Force (ADF) health personnel, served in the Persian Gulf between August 1990 and the ceasefire in February 1991. While primarily a Royal Australian Navy task group, involving HMAS Adelaide, HMAS Darwin, HMAS Sydney, HMAS Brisbane, HMAS Success and HMAS Westralia in maritime interdiction, sanctions enforcement and replenishment… Read more »
More on the Staff of Asclepius
In a 2010 issue of ADF Health I wrote an article More on the Staff and Serpent of Asclepius (1) describing Asclepian medicine and the Asclepian Temples with a short description of the wooden staff and entwining serpent of Asclepius. At the time I had not found any information on the origin, symbolism or nature… Read more »
Supporting Australian Veterans Presenting with Cognitive Concerns
Introduction Veterans frequently present to general practitioners and non-GP medical specialists with concerns regarding mood, thinking, memory, cognition concerns and in some cases even self-diagnosed dementia Often, the underlying cause is unclear The differential diagnosis might include an undiagnosed mental health condition, a sleep disorder, impacts from alcohol or drug use, dementia, a degenerative neurological… Read more »
Editorial – The Nature and Character of War
Editorial As we enter 2026, consideration needs to be given to various conflicts and touchpoints around the globe, from Ukraine to South Sudan, Middle East to the South China Sea While the Australian Defence Force has not been drawn directly into these conflicts, there remains the potential for escalation, for which we all need to… Read more »
Health Effects of Sport and Volunteering in a Military Context
Abstract When considering military fitness, the focus must be on psychological and physiological ability, which are themselves influenced by health. Health itself is a product of several factors, as will be highlighted in the current study. To assess health and its implications in a military context, a questionnaire was administered to 555 participants during and… Read more »
Building Strength at Home: Addressing Domestic and Family Violence to Prevent Suicide in Australian Defence Communities
Introduction The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide has drawn national attention to the urgent need to address suicide among serving and ex serving members of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).1,2 The Commission report includes a series of important recommendations to reduce the prevalence of suicide, many of which are underway Nevertheless, one significant recommendation… Read more »
Relations Between Physical and Emotional Health and Psychological Stress in Trauma-Exposed Veterans with Emotional Disorders
Abstract Background: Exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) is common, especially in veterans. There are psychological sequelae to PTE exposure, including stress and anxiety pathology, depressive symptoms, and PTSD. Identifying veterans at risk for elevated psychological distress following PTEs, as well as distress correlates, is critical to improving mental health screening efforts and minimising downstream… Read more »
Comparing Sense of Control between Veterans and Civilians using the Health and Retirement Study
ABSTRACT Background: Sense of control has been associated with age-related outcomes. Veterans may experience a reduced sense of control due to the sacrifices associated with military service—potentially contributing to increased health problems in this population. Purpose: This study seeks to understand how military service affects the sense of control in older veterans in the United… Read more »
Profiles of Transition: A Cross-sectional Survey of Factors Associated with Civilian Adjustment in Australian Veterans
Abstract Background: This study builds on prior research suggesting that demographics and attributes can better predict positive or negative experiences in the military-to-civilian transition. Purpose: We measured differences in self-reported experience of military-to-civilian transitions on a range of in-service and post-service variables suggested in the literature. Materials and methods: Drawing on a survey of Australian… Read more »
Military Healthcare Ethics —What is New?
Abstract This paper reviews the field of military healthcare ethics since the 2022 review paper published in this journal. NATO STANAG, AMedP-8.19 Military Healthcare Ethics, was published in June 2025. ‘Dual loyalty’ remains at the heart of ethical tensions for military health professionals (MHPs). Current wars in Ukraine and the Middle East challenge the value… Read more »
Periodontitis Cases Superimposed with Mental Health Problems among Military Personnel
Introduction Periodontal diseases affect up to 90% of the global population and have become the most common oral health condition worldwide.1 Periodontitis, one of the well-known periodontal diseases, was estimated at around 62% and severe periodontitis at 23.6% among dentate adults between 2011 and 2020.2 Research on the correlation between periodontal disease and mental health… Read more »
Canadian Armed Forces Suicide Risk and Protection over 16 years
Abstract Introduction: Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) soldiers and veterans face a higher suicide risk than the general population. However, differences between correlates of types of suicide expression, namely suicidal ideation (SI), suicide plans (SP) and suicide attempts (SA), have not been established. This study aimed to identify risk and protective factors for new-onset suicide behaviours… Read more »
Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Unit and European Air Transport Command—A Two-Year European Collaboration in the Field of Strategic Aeromedical Evacuation
Abstract Introduction: The Multinational Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) Unit (MMU) consists of nine A330 MRTT aircraft based in Eindhoven and Cologne. One is utilised as an aeromedical evacuation (AE) asset on a 24-hour notice-to-move standby. Six European partners participate in the unit. The European Air Transport Command (EATC) is an integrated command of seven… Read more »
Guest Editorial – Major General Professor TJ Hodgetts
Major General Professor TJ Hodgetts CB CBE KHS DSc PhD MMEd MBA Chair, Committee of Chiefs of Military Medical Services NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III, Brussels, Belgium Common Military Medicine Challenges in an Increasingly Unstable World The 45th International Congress on Military Medicine (ICMM) was hosted in Brisbane, Australia, from 16 to 20 September 2024…. Read more »
Military Medical Student Experiences during a Prolonged Casualty Care Simulation
Introduction Prolonged Casualty Care (PCC) (previously prolonged field care [PFC]) refers to patient care over a prolonged time in an austere environment where evacuation is not possible.1, 2 Prolonged Casualty Care education is driven by the United States Military Joint Trauma System’s Prolonged Casualty Care (PCC) guidelines, which are a ‘consolidated list of casualty-centric knowledge,… Read more »
Treatment at Point of Injury Through the Lens of Capability
Over the last two decades, Australia’s asymmetric wars have been characterised by coalition air superiority, unrestricted communications, rapid evacuation, relatively infrequent casualties and well-resourced, readily defended hospitals. In contrast, future peer-on-peer conflicts will likely feature high casualty rates, limited air evacuation, constrained communications, smaller and less targetable health facilities, and strained resources and lines of… Read more »
Dual Loyalty and the medical profession for Australian Defence Force Medical Officers
Abstract Background: Military medical officers often practice in the context of dual loyalty and manage professional obligations to both their patients and the militaries in which they serve. Purpose: This article considers specific frameworks through which Australian Defence Force (ADF) Medical Officers practice. It seeks to highlight the potential interaction between such frameworks and dual… Read more »
Whose Side Are You On? Complexities Arising from the Non-Combatant Status of Military Medical Personnel
Originally published in Monash Bioethics Review, 2023 Jan 11. doi: 10.1007/s40592-022-00168-2 Abstract Since the mid-1800s, clergy, doctors, other clinicians, and military personnel who specifically facilitate their work have been designated “non-combatants”, protected from being targeted in return for providing care on the basis of clinical need alone. While permitted to use weapons to protect themselves… Read more »
Changes in Patient Profile and Neurosurgical Procedures in a Large Military Hospital in Colombia Before and After the Peace Process: A Retrospective Analysis of Clinical Records
Abstract Aim: Colombia concluded a peace agreement with its largest guerrilla group (known as FARC) in 2016. The study aimed to compare neurosurgical procedures performed at the largest national military hospital during a two-year period at the height of the armed conflict (2003–2004) with a similar period around the official signing of the agreement (2015–2017)…. Read more »
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy/Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome in Military Personnel
Introduction Australian Defence Force (ADF) service members’ occupational history, consisting of repeated minor traumatic brain injury (TBI) with accompanying cognitive, behavioural, mood and movement disorders, are cardinal symptoms suggestive of the diagnosis of traumatic encephalopathy syndrome (TES) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). In 2015, Beran1 published an opinion piece alerting the medical and legal profession that… Read more »
Cultivating Family Resiliency in the Context of the Military to Civilian Transition and Mental Health Problems
Introduction Relinquishing military employment has the potential to be a life transition laden with emotional, financial, relational and physical stressors for Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) families.1-2 This article explores how intimate partners of CAF veterans who have operational service in Atlantic Canada and live with a mental health problem cultivate family resiliency during the military… Read more »
Australian Defence Force Academy Lecture Theatre Six First session: the Fifth Annual ADF Medical Officer Orientation Course 0910, Monday 7 July 2031
Author’s Note This article is the last of a series regarding the role of occupational and environmental medicine in the ADF.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 These articles and a recent Productivity Commission inquiry11 describe why high workplace illness and injury rates confirm the need to improve the management of hazards associated with ADF workplaces, with better emphasis on prevention…. Read more »
‘Military Health Support’ in the Australian Defence Force
Introduction This article follows previous papers by the author, regarding occupational and environmental medicine in the ADF.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 These papers, as well as a 2019 Productivity Commission inquiry,11 indicate that high workplace illness and injury rates confirm the need to improve the management of hazards associated with ADF workplaces, with better emphasis on prevention. To this… Read more »
Humanitarian Aid/Disaster Relief (HA/DR) in the Australian Defence Force: Health aspects
N Westphalen Introduction This article follows previous papers by the author, regarding occupational and environmental medicine in the ADF.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 These papers, as well as a recent Productivity Commission inquiry,10 describe why high workplace illness and injury rates confirm the need to improve the management of hazards associated with ADF workplaces, with better emphasis on prevention. To this… Read more »
Colonel Arthur Graham Butler’s ‘Allegiances’: Today’s ‘Military Health Service Missions’
N Westphalen Introduction This article follows previous papers by the author regarding occupational and environmental medicine in the ADF.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 These articles, as well as a 2019 Productivity Commission inquiry,11 explain why high workplace illness and injury rates confirm the need to improve the management of hazards associated with ADF workplaces, with better emphasis on prevention. To… Read more »
Pre-hospital Antibiotics in the Australian Defence Force
C White, MC Reade Abstract Many militaries around the world use oral and/or parenteral antibiotics in the pre-hospital environment. This narrative literature review investigated the potential use of pre-hospital antibiotics in the ADF by searching several electronic databases for primary evidence from comparative studies of both prospective and retrospective design. There are concerns that the… Read more »
Health Promotion in the Australian Defence Force
N Westphalen Introduction This article follows previous papers by the author regarding occupational and environmental medicine in the ADF.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 These articles, as well as a recent Productivity Commission inquiry,9 indicate that high workplace illness and injury rates confirm the need to improve the management of hazards associated with ADF workplaces, with better emphasis on prevention…. Read more »
Innovations from the Battlefield: Tourniquets
D Maher Abstract Background: Despite its use from Alexander the Great’s war with Persia to current conflicts in the Middle East, the tourniquet has been considered both a lifesaver and invention of the Devil. This poor reputation developed through several conflicts, from the US Civil War to Vietnam. Concerns and unfortunate dogmas from these conflicts… Read more »
Roman Warfare, Ships and Medicine
Commander N Westphalen Introduction Previous articles describe the development from prehistory to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, of a cycle whereby increasing trade required larger and more efficient ships to transport merchandise and better weapons to defend or attack them; both of which in turn facilitated further trading opportunities.1;2 However, it was not until the 18th… Read more »
Military Medicine Capabilities in the Australian Defence Force
Commander N Westphalen Introduction This article is the latest of a series regarding the role of occupational and environmental medicine in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).1,2,3,4,5,6,7 These articles, as well as a recent Productivity Commission inquiry,8 indicate that high workplace illness and injury rates confirm the need to improve the management of hazards associated with… Read more »
2025 AMMA Conference
