Force health protection: 10 Years of lessons learned by the Department of Defense

Abstract

The Department of Defense has applied lessons learned since the Persian Gulf War to develop the force health protection (FHP) strategy. The goal of this new, unified strategy is to protect the health of military members from medical and environmental hazards associated with military service to the maximum extent possible. FHP is an evolving strategy that seeks to balance the military health system's responsibilities to promote and sustain health and wellness throughout each person's military service; prevent acute and chronic illnesses and injuries during training and deployment; and rapidly stabilize, treat, and evacuate casualties. In addition, FHP demands a continuous assessment of the current and future health of military members through medical surveillance, longitudinal health studies, adequate medical record documentation, and clinical follow-up. Effective communication with military members, leaders, veterans, families, and the public regarding military members' health status and the health risks of military service is a key element of the FHP strategy.