Occupational Health Screenings of the Virtual Warrior: Distributed Common Ground System Intelligence Operators Compared with Non-Combatant Support Personnel

摘要

U.S. Air Force Distributed Common Ground System intelligence operators have a critical role in the analyses and exploitation of vast amounts of real-time and archival auditory and visual information from the battlefield and other global regions of national interest. The health and wellness of these airmen are key to sustaining intelligence capabilities and readiness across the globe. As a result, the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine conducted a field survey that assesses for general areas of health-related behaviors (i.e., sleep and exercise; alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine use; common reasons for seeking medical care and mental health support services; as well as reasons for increased prescription and over-the-counter medication usage). A total of 1,091 intelligence operators and 447 support personnel participated in the study, resulting in an estimated 36% response rate to the survey. Study results reveal a larger proportion of intelligence operators reported an increase in alcohol use, 'elevated' alcohol use, and increase in caffeinated beverage use, as well as musculoskeletal injury/pain, sleep problems, and emotional distress created or made worse by their occupational environment. Intelligence operators also reported having less access to medical care during work hours and were at greater odds to cite occupational stress as a reason for increased medical care usage. A larger proportion of intelligence operators reported an increase in mental health care utilization and over-the-counter medication usage. Intelligence operators were also at greater odds to cite sleep-related difficulties as reasons for increased prescription and over-the-counter medication usage. Recommendations are provided for line and medical leadership for optimizing health for intelligence operators as well as airmen including optimizing shift schedule rotations, improving work-rest-break cycles and routines, and embedding mental health providers within line intelligence units.