Hearing Loss Prevention: Improvements to DOD Hearing Conservation Programs Could Lead to Better Outcomes

Hearing Loss Prevention: Improvements to DOD Hearing Conservation Programs Could Lead to Better Outcomes
GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC
Congressional rept.


Exposure to hazardous noise can have negative implications for both servicemember health and readiness. Moreover, in fiscal year 2009, some of the most common impairments for veterans receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits were hearing related, as annual payments for such conditions exceeded $1.1 billion. To examine Department of Defense (DOD) efforts to prevent hearing loss, GAO is reporting on (1) how well the DOD and armed services identify and mitigate hazardous noise; (2) how well the military evaluates hearing conservation program performance; and (3) the status of DOD's Hearing Center of Excellence and the extent that DOD and VA are sharing information to inform this and other efforts. GAO reviewed DOD and services' policies and guidance, reviewed DOD performance data, interviewed officials and servicemembers, and conducted site visits to nine military bases.
Descriptors : *AUDITORY DEFECTS, *MILITARY PERSONNEL, HAZARDS, NOISE, PAYMENT, CONSERVATION, PREVENTION, HEARING, POLICIES, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, EXPOSURE(PHYSIOLOGY)

The Role of Sleep in the Military: Implications for Training and Operational Effectiveness

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA550390&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf


The Role of Sleep in the Military: Implications for Training and Operational Effectiveness
Miller, Nita L ; Matsangas, Panagiotis ; Kenney, Aileen

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH

This chapter addresses the role of sleep in a variety of military settings, ranging from military education and training regimes and extending to military missions and combat operations. It first overviews the scientific literature related to sleep and performance. It then describes a 10-year series of studies conducted at the Naval Postgraduate School that addresses fatigue and sleep restriction in military settings. These studies examine sleep patterns of Sailors aboard warships and submarines; shift the timing of sleep during training in Navy Recruits and Army Basic Combat Trainees; follow Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point in a 4-year longitudinal study; and assess sleep in operational environments including surveys of warfighters while deployed and recently returned from combat in Southwest Asia. Results of many of these studies are reviewed concluding with recommendations advocating the inclusion of sleep as a factor when calculating military effectiveness.
Descriptors : *MILITARY PERSONNEL, *SLEEP, EDUCATION, FATIGUE(PHYSIOLOGY), MILITARY OPERATIONS, MILITARY TRAINING, OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS, PERFORMANCE(HUMAN), SLEEP DEPRIVATION

The Effects of Aircrew Illness and Aircraft Availability on Manning Rates for Selected CF188 Force Employments

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA550994&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

The Effects of Aircrew Illness and Aircraft Availability on Manning Rates for Selected CF188 Force Employments
Hunter, D G
DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL DEFENCE OTTAWA (ONTARIO)

This report examines the relationship between the likelihood of overall mission completion and the number of pilots assigned to the executing force for a set of generic but typical force employment scenarios. The scenarios were created in cooperation with A3 Fighter. The effects of factors such as seasonal variation in illness rates and day length, mission duration and intensity and aircraft serviceability are considered. The primary result is a set of tables indicating the probability of achieving various levels of mission completion as a function of the factors indicated above.
Descriptors : *FLIGHT CREWS, AVAILABILITY, CANADA, EMPLOYMENT, FIGHTER AIRCRAFT, ILLNESS, MISSIONS, RATES

Identifying Best Bet Entry-Level Selection Measures for US Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot and Sensor Operator (SO) Occupations

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA554209&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Identifying Best Bet Entry-Level Selection Measures for US Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot and Sensor Operator (SO) Occupations
Paullin, Cheryl ; Ingerick, Michael ; Trippe, D M ; Wasko, Laurie

AFCAPS-FR 2011-0013
HUMAN RESOURCES RESEARCH ORGANIZATION ALEXANDRIA VA

In this project, we selected best bet predictor measures to help the U.S. Air Force (USAF) identify early career officers and airmen likely to succeed as a Remotely-Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot (officer) or Sensor Operator (enlisted). We compiled existing information about skills, abilities, and other characteristics (SAOCs) predictive of success in RPA Pilot or SO training and information about the context in which this work is performed. We organized the SAOCs from diverse sources according to the U.S. Department of Labor s O*NET content model to minimize redundancy across constructs and to ensure broad coverage of several different domains of individual differences. Ultimately, 21 critical SAOCs were identified, most of which can be adequately measured with assessments already used by or accessible to the USAF. After considering practical constraints on the entry-level selection process for officers and airmen, we recommended two possible batteries of predictor measures for each position (Pilot and Sensor Operator). Finally, we addressed measurement gaps by developing a measure of time-sharing ability that does not couple cognitive processing and psychomotor tasks and a Person-Environment (P-E) fit measure customized for the RPA work context. The new measures require further evaluation before they can be used to make operational decisions.
Descriptors : *PERSONNEL SELECTION, CAREERS, DECISION MAKING, OPERATORS(PERSONNEL), PILOTS, PSYCHOMOTOR TESTS, REMOTELY PILOTED VEHICLES, SKILLS, TEST AND EVALUATION, TRAINING

Incidence of Testicular Cancer in U.S. Air Force Active Duty Enlisted Male Aircrew

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA547195&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

AFRL-SA-WP-SR 2011 0002
Incidence of Testicular Cancer in U.S. Air Force Active Duty Enlisted Male Aircrew

Yambo-Arias, Ramon
SCHOOL OF AEROSPACE MEDICINE WRIGHT PATTERSON AFB OH

Research studies have provided conflicting results regarding the possible link between flying duties and a higher incidence of testicular cancer. Most of these studies have looked exclusively at pilots or civilian aircrew. No studies to our knowledge have looked at the incidence of testicular cancer in enlisted male aircrew. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Automated Central Tumor Registry and Air Force Personnel Center data to determine the incidence of testicular cancer in U.S. Air Force active duty (AFAD) enlisted male aircrew and nonaircrew from 1998 to 2008. There were 13 AFAD enlisted male aircrew and 187 AFAD enlisted male nonaircrew diagnosed with testicular cancer. The sample of AFAD enlisted male nonaircrew had an incidence rate of 7.8 per 100,000, and the sample of AFAD enlisted male aircrew had an incidence rate of 16.6 per 100,000. The odds ratio (2.12) suggested that AFAD enlisted male aircrew had twice the odds of getting testicular cancer than their nonaircrew counterparts. However, a two-tailed t-test on the annual incidence rates revealed that there was no statistical significance between the testicular cancer incidence rates of male aircrew versus male nonaircrew in the AFAD enlisted sample population between 1998 and 2008.

ADA547195
AIR FORCE PERSONNEL, *CANCER, *MALES, *TESTES, *ENLISTED PERSONNEL, NEOPLASMS, ACTIVE DUTY, PILOTS, FLIGHT CREWS