THE SHIFT LENGTH EXPERIMENT: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT 8-, 10-, AND 12-HOUR SHIFTS IN POLICING

http://policefoundation.org/  

THE SHIFT LENGTH EXPERIMENT: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT 8-, 10-, AND 12-HOUR SHIFTS IN POLICING


by Karen L. Amendola, David Weisburd, Edwin E. Hamilton, Greg Jones, Meghan Slipka, with Anneke Heitmann, Jon Shane, Christopher Ortiz, Eliab Tarkghen





Most law enforcement agencies have traditionally deployed their patrol officers based on a 40-hour workweek in which personnel work five consecutive, 8-hour shifts, followed by two days off. In recent years, however, an increasing number of agencies have moved to some variant of a compressed workweek (CWW) schedule in which officers work four 10-hour shifts per week or three 12-hour shifts (plus a time adjustment to make up the remaining four hours of the standard 40-hour workweek). While this trend towards CWWs has been moving apace, there have been few, if any, rigorous scientific studies examining the advantages and disadvantages associated with these work schedules for officers and their agencies.




This report presents the results of the first known comprehensive randomized experiment of CWWs in law enforcement. The Police Foundation experiment was designed to test the impacts of three shift lengths (8-, 10-, and 12-hour) on performance, health, safety, quality of life, sleep, fatigue, alertness, off-duty employment, and overtime among police. In addition to scientifically rigorous research design and methodology, the number of reliable outcome measures employed to analyze the impact of shift length, including departmental data, laboratory simulations and exercises, and previously validated self-report instruments, make this study one of the most comprehensive ever undertaken in this area. The experiment was conducted in the Detroit (MI) and Arlington (TX) Police Departments between January 2007 and June 2009.



The study found some distinct advantages of 10-hour shifts and identified some disadvantages associated with 12-hour shifts that are concerning. It is important that agencies implement strategies and policies that are evidence based, and the findings of this study provide important information for law enforcement leaders and other policy makers to consider when examining both the most efficient and effective practices for their agency, as well as the safety and quality of life of their personnel and the public they serve.

In addition to the primary project report above, additional reports from the shift length experiment are available as follows.




Results of a random national survey of police agencies:



As part of the shift length experiment, the Police Foundation conducted a random telephone survey of 300 police agencies to determine the proportion of agencies that have adopted compressed schedules. We also examined variables based on agency size and the use of shift rotation, as well as trends associated with each over time. The purposes of this telephone survey, conducted first in November 2005 and again in November 2009, were to determine the proportion of agencies that use compressed shift schedules (e.g., 8-, 10-, or 12- hour shifts, or some variation) for their field patrol officers, and to identify the extent to which agencies employ rotating shifts. The first report below is a comparison report of the survey results in Time One and Time Two.

Other reports from the same website

Trends in Shift Length: Results of a Random National Survey of Police Agencies

Police Foundation Report

Karen L. Amendola, Meghan G. Slipka, Edwin E. Hamilton, with Michael Soelberg and Kristen Koval

December 2011. (155 KB) 7 pages.



Law Enforcement Shift Schedules: Results of a 2005 Random National Survey of Police Agencies

Karen L. Amendola. Edwin E. Hamilton, Laura A. Wyckoff

May 2006; revised November 2011. (127 KB) 5 pages.



Law Enforcement Shift Schedules: Results of a 2009 Random National Survey of Police Agencies

Karen L. Amendola, Meghan G. Slipka, Edwin E. Hamilton, Michael Soelberg

November 2011. (132 KB) 6 pages.



Final reports submitted to the National Institute of Justice:



The Impact of Shift Length in Policing on Performance, Health, Quality of Life, Sleep, Fatigue, and Extra-Duty Employment

Karen L. Amendola, David Weisburd, Edwin E. Hamilton, Greg Jones, Meghan Slipka

Full technical report December 2011 (4.52 MB) 201 pages.

Executive summary March 2011 (199 KB) 24 pages.

The link is to the generic website - you will probably have to search for the reports from this point

Modeling of Helicopter Pilot Misperception During Overland Navigation

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA560584&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
Modeling of Helicopter Pilot Misperception During Overland Navigation


Master's thesis
NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH
Cowden, Bradley T



This thesis provides a framework to model human belief and misperception in helicopter overland navigation. Helicopter overland navigation is a challenging mission area because it is a complex cognitive task, and failing to recognize when the aircraft is off-course can lead to operational failures and mishaps. A human-in-the-loop experiment to investigate pilot misperception during simulated overland navigation by analyzing actual navigation trajectory, pilots' perceived location, and corresponding confidence levels was designed. Fifteen military officers with prior overland navigation experience completed four simulated low-level navigation routes, two of which entailed autonavigation. Analysis shows that there is not a negative correlation between perceived and actual location of the aircraft, inferring that confidence is not a good indicator of performance. However, there is some evidence of a negative correlation between perceived location and intended route of flight, suggesting that there is a bias towards that intended flight route. If aviation personnel can proactively identify the circumstances in which misperception usually occurs in navigation, they may reduce mission failure and mishap rate. This study can help fleet squadrons and instructional commands improve operations that require low-level flight as well as crew resource management.


*AIR NAVIGATION, *CONFIDENCE LEVEL, *HELICOPTERS, *LOW ALTITUDE, *PERCEPTION(PSYCHOLOGY), *PILOTS, *POSITION(LOCATION), *VISUAL PERCEPTION, BAYES THEOREM, BIAS, COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION, ERRORS, FLIGHT PATHS, FLIGHT SIMULATION, OVERFLIGHT, PERFORMANCE(HUMAN), THESES, TIME, TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS

User Evaluation of a Bone Conduction Communication Headset During the Patriot 2007 Joint Field Training Exercise

User Evaluation of a Bone Conduction Communication Headset During the Patriot 2007 Joint Field Training Exercise


ARMY RESEARCH LAB ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND MD


Tran, Phuong K ; Binseel, Mary S ; Letowski, Tomasz R
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA560035&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

Despite many advantages utilizing bone conduction (BC) technology, it has not yet made inroads in military communications applications. Military systems applications need to be subjectively evaluated by Soldiers to assess their utility and acceptance in military environments. In this study, a commercial BC headset was used and evaluated by the National Guard Special Operations Forces (SOF) during the 2007 Joint Field Training Exercise. Five participants wore BC headsets for 40 continuous hours during sustained operations. After completing the mission, the participants rated the BC communication system regarding speech intelligibility (SI), situation awareness, face-to-face communication, comfort, ease of use, and overall satisfaction of the device, and were asked to provide suggestions for improvement. The participants were also asked to rate an air conduction (AC) headset for comparison. The overall rating score for the BC headset was high (5/5) compared to the AC system (2.5/5), indicating the technology was favored over the AC system. The BC headset was chosen over the AC due to its light weight and because it allowed the user to maintain awareness of ambient sound. However, some important issues and suggestions for improvement were raised, including the need to ruggedize the system and to incorporate a quick-disconnect cable.


COMMUNICATION AND RADIO SYSTEMS, *EARPHONES, *HEADGEAR, *MILITARY EXERCISES, ALTERNATING CURRENT, ARMY PERSONNEL, AWARENESS, COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT, CONDUCTIVITY, DISCONNECT FITTINGS, ENVIRONMENTS, INTELLIGIBILITY, INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS, JOINT MILITARY ACTIVITIES, LIGHTWEIGHT, MILITARY APPLICATIONS, MISSIONS, QUICK REACTION, SOUND, SPEECH, SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, TEST AND EVALUATION, TRAINING, USER NEEDS

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Crew Resource Management Programme in Naval Aviation

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA556595&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Crew Resource Management Programme in Naval Aviation


NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF OPERATIONS RESEARCH



O'Connor, Paul ; Jones, Douglas W ; McCauley, Michael E ; Buttrey, Samuel E


The US Navy's Crew Resource Management (CRM) training programme has not been evaluated within the last decade. Reactions were evaluated by analysing 51,570 responses to an item pertaining to CRM that is part of a safety climate survey. A total of 172 responses were obtained on a knowledge test. The attitudes of 553 naval aviators were assessed using an attitudes questionnaire. The CRM mishap rate from 1997 until 2007 was evaluated. It was found that naval aviators appear to think than CRM training is useful, are generally knowledgeable of, and display positive attitudes towards the concepts addressed in the training. However, there is a lack of evidence to support the view that CRM training is having an effect on the mishap rate. As the next generation of highly automated aircraft becomes part of naval aviation there is a need to ensure that CRM training evolves to meet this new challenge.


Descriptors : *FLIGHT CREWS, *NAVAL AVIATION, *RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, *SAFETY, *TRAINING, AERONAUTICS, AIRCRAFT, ATTITUDES(PSYCHOLOGY), AUTOMATION, CLIMATE, DISPLAY SYSTEMS, MANAGEMENT, NAVAL PERSONNEL, NAVY, PILOTS, QUESTIONNAIRES, REPRINTS, RESOURCES, SURVEYS

Impact of Soldier Helmet Configuration on Survivability

ARL-TR-5476

Impact of Soldier Helmet Configuration on Survivability

ARL-TR-5476 2011

Natalie Eberius and Patrick Gillich

 March 2011; 18 pages

Abstract: The survivability provided by different types of U.S. Army helmets is influenced by the ballistic protection offered and the geometric area of coverage. The fit and wear of each type and size of helmet is a significant factor in survivability grading. The modeling resolution currently available in the Army survivability/lethality/vulnerability models, MUVES-S2 and Operational Requirement-based Casualty Assessment (ORCA), support the ability to assess minor changes seen in helmet configurations and their associated effects on survivability. This report describes how MUVES-S2 with ORCA can be leveraged to model slight wear differences between helmet configurations and their effect on Soldier survivability. The sensitivity of observed fit and wear and current guidelines will be examined. While this type of assessment is not an end-all means for grading helmets, it can provide decision makers and personal protective equipment designers a means for evaluating benefits vs. costs in risk-benefit analysis.

A Summary of Simulator Sickness Ratings for U.S. Army Aviation Engineering Simulators

A Summary of Simulator Sickness Ratings for U.S. Army Aviation Engineering Simulators


ARL TR 5573 2011
Jamison S. Hicks; David B. Durbin

June 2011; 50 pages

Abstract: The U.S. Army Research Laboratory Human Research and Engineering Directorate (ARL HRED) uses U.S. Army Aviation engineering helicopter simulators to assess crewstation design for new or modified aircraft. This report summarizes pilot Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) ratings for seven engineering simulators. The ratings were obtained from pilots during the assessments and used to identify if the simulators induced simulator sickness (SS) symptoms, if the symptoms caused significant discomfort which distracted the pilots during missions, and contributed to an increase in perceived workload. To assess whether the SSQ ratings provided by the pilots during the assessments were similar or different to ratings obtained in other helicopter simulators, the mean SSQ scores for the evaluated simulators were compared to the mean SSQ scores for several other helicopter simulators. Data collection and analysis of SSQ ratings will continue to play a meaningful role in the assessment and future development of U.S Army Aviation engineering simulators.

A Summary of Visual Gaze and Dwell Times for Army Pilots During Mission Simulations

A Summary of Visual Gaze and Dwell Times for Army Pilots During Mission Simulations

Jamison S. Hicks, Michael Sage Jessee, and David B. Durbin


February 2012; 68 pages

ARL-TR-5900 2012


The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Human Research and Engineering Directorate (ARL HRED) uses engineering helicopter simulators to assess crewstation design for Army Aviation aircraft. This report summarizes pilot (PI) visual gaze and dwell times obtained during operational missions conducted with seven engineering simulators. The data were obtained from pilots wearing a head and eye tracker during the simulations to identify if the crewstation design caused significant heads down time during missions. The visual gaze and dwell times for each simulator were compared to the other simulators. Analysis of visual gaze and dwell times will continue to play a meaningful role in the assessment and future development of Army Aviation systems

User Evaluation of a Bone Conduction Communication Headset During the Patriot 2007 Joint Field Training Exercise

User Evaluation of a Bone Conduction Communication Headset During the Patriot 2007 Joint Field Training Exercise
ARL-TR-5973
Phuong K. Tran, Mary S. Binseel, and Tomasz R. Letowski
April 2012; 28 pages


ARL TR 5973 2012

Despite many advantages utilizing bone conduction (BC) technology, it has not yet made inroads in military communications applications. Military systems applications need to be subjectively evaluated by Soldiers to assess their utility and acceptance in military environments. In this study, a commercial BC headset was used and evaluated by the National Guard Special Operations Forces (SOF) during the 2007 Joint Field Training Exercise. Five participants wore BC headsets for 40 continuous hours during sustained operations. After completing the mission, the participants rated the BC communication system regarding speech intelligibility (SI), situation awareness, face-to-face communication, comfort, ease of use, and overall satisfaction of the device, and were asked to provide suggestions for improvement. The participants were also asked to rate an air conduction (AC) headset for comparison. The overall rating score for the BC headset was high (5/5) compared to the AC system (2.5/5), indicating the technology was favored over the AC system. The BC headset was chosen over the AC due to its light weight and because it allowed the user to maintain awareness of ambient sound. However, some important issues and suggestions for improvement were raised, including the need to ruggedize the system and to incorporate a quick-disconnect cable.

Base Level Guide for the Occupational Exposure to Isocyanates

Base Level Guide for the Occupational Exposure to Isocyanates

AFRL SA WP SR 2012-0003

AFRL 2012-0003

Batten, Timothy W


This fact sheet provides the current recommended sampling and analysis technique available by the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine for determining occupational health risk from isocyanates.



*ISOCYANATES, EXPOSURE(PHYSIOLOGY), HAZARDOUS MATERIALS, MONOMERS, OLIGOMERS, PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, SAMPLING, VAPORS

NOISE ATTENUATION LOSS DUE TO WEARING APEL EYE PROTECTION WITH EAR-MUFF STYLE HEADSET SYSTEMS

NOISE ATTENUATION LOSS DUE TO WEARING APEL EYE PROTECTION WITH EAR-MUFF STYLE HEADSET SYSTEMS
EFREM REEVES, ELMAREE GORDON, & SUMMER NOMURA
USAARL 2012-09

THIS REPORT DESCRIBES A BASELINE STUDY TO DETERMINE THE LEVEL OF ACOUSTIC LEAKAGE THAT CAN BE EXPECTED WHEN DONNING APEL EYE PROTECTION WHILE USING EARMUFF TYPE COMMUNICATION HEADSETS. FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS STUDY, THREE HEADSETS, TWO HELMETS, NINE PAIR OF APEL EYEWEAR, AND FOUR PAIR OF NON-APEL EYEWEAR WERE TESTED USING AN ATF TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF ATTENUATION LOSS DUE TO EYEWEAR. FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF THE STUDY THREE HEADSETS, THREE HELMETS, THREE PAIR OF APEL EYEWEAR, WITH AND WITHOUT PRESCRIPTION INSERTS, AND TWO ADDITIONAL PAIR OF EYEWEAR WERE TESTED USING AN ATF TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF ATTENUATION LOSS DUE TO EYEWEAR. BOTH PHASES MEASUREMENTS WERE DONE FOLLOWING THE INSERTION LOSS MEASUREMENT PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN ANSI S12.42-2010. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT WEARING APEL SPECTACLES WITH HEADSET STYLE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE AMOUNT OF NOISE ATTENUATION PROVIDED BY THE HEADSET. HOWEVER, SOME SPECTACLES PRODUCE SMALLER LEAKS THAN OTHERS, RESULTING IN A SMALLER AMOUNT OF ATTENUATION LOSS. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, HOWEVER, TO STRIKE A BALANCE SO ONE SENSE ORGAN WILL NOT BE PROTECTED AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER.

*ARMY EQUIPMENT, *EAR PROTECTORS, *EYE SAFETY, *PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, ACOUSTIC ATTENUATION, BASE LINES, EARPHONES, EYEGLASSES, HELMETS, SENSE ORGANS, WOUNDS AND INJURIES

CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE NOISE IMMUNE STETHOSCOPE ABOARD A U.S. NAVY CARRIER

CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE NOISE IMMUNE STETHOSCOPE ABOARD A U.S. NAVY CARRIER

USAARL 2012-02


STEVEN J. GAYDOS, CARL E. LONG, CHRISTINE MACLAN, ANGELO LUCERO, ALFRED F. SHWAYHAT, AMANDA M. KELLEY

THIS STUDY WAS CONDUCTED IN SUPPORT OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT FOR CLINICAL AUSCULTATION IN HIGH NOISE ENVIRONMENTS. THE DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMANCE OF THE NOISE IMMUNE STETHOSCOPE (NIS) WAS ASSESSED BY USER-CLINICIANS IN A DEPLOYED ENVIRONMENT. THE NIS IS A HYBRID DUAL FUNCTION STETHOSCOPE WITH BOTH ELECTROMECHANICAL ACOUSTIC (PASSIVE) AND ULTRASOUND DOPPLER (ACTIVE) MODES. DATA WERE COLLECTED OVER A 7 MONTH OPERATIONAL DEPLOYMENT BY THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT OF A NIMITZ-CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIER. EIGHTEEN OBSERVATIONS WERE MADE WITH BOTH MODES FOR CASES OF ADVENTITIOUS CARDIOPULMONARY SOUNDS AND INTUBATION INTEGRITY. OVERALL, USERS EVALUATED THE DEVICE TO BE MODERATELY HELPFUL IN MAKING CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS AND DECISIONS IN NOISY ENVIRONMENTS. SMALL ENROLLMENT NUMBERS PROHIBIT DEFINITIVE CONCLUSIONS, BUT RESULTS SUGGEST HIGH USER CONFIDENCE IN ABILITY TO MAKE DIAGNOSES IN ACOUSTIC MODE WITH FAVORABLE RATINGS FOR EASE OF USE. DOPPLER MODE PROVED PROBLEMATIC WITH LOW MEDIAN RATINGS COMPARED TO A TRADITIONAL STETHOSCOPE. THIS MAY REFLECT LACK OF FAMILIARITY AND EXPERIENCE WITH AN ULTRASOUND MODALITY. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ARE DISCUSSED.

MOTION SICKNESS PREVENTION BY 8 HZ STROBOSCOPIC ENVIRONMENT DURING ACTUAL AIR TRANSPORT

 MOTION SICKNESS PREVENTION BY 8 HZ STROBOSCOPIC ENVIRONMENT DURING ACTUAL AIR TRANSPORT

CATHERINE M. WEBB, ARTHUR ESTRADA, JEREMY R. ATHY, MELODY R. KING

USAARL 2011-21


PREVIOUS RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT RETINAL SLIP CAN BE A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR IN CAUSING MOTION SICKNESS. STROBOSCOPIC ILLUMINATION IS BELIEVED TO PREVENT RETINAL SLIP BY PROVIDING SNAPSHOTS OF THE VISUAL ENVIRONMENT THAT ARE BRIEF ENOUGH SO EACH IMAGE IS STATIONARY ON THE RETINA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AN 8 HZ STROBOSCOPIC ENVIRONMENT AS A MOTION SICKNESS COUNTERMEASURE DURING A NAUSEOGENIC FLIGHT IN A HELICOPTER. THE STUDY POPULATION WAS COMPRISED OF 20 MOTION SICKNESS SUSCEPTIBLE PARTICIPANTS. PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED A MOTION SICKNESS SYMPTOM QUESTIONNAIRE, COGNITIVE TASKS, REACTION TIME TESTS, AND WEAPONS UTILIZATION TASKS AFTER NAUSEOGENIC FLIGHTS WITH AND WITHOUT 8 HZ STROBOSCOPIC ILLUMINATION IN THE CABIN. RESULTS INDICATE THAT SELF-REPORTED NAUSEA SCORES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED IN THE STROBOSCOPIC CONDITION. ALSO, THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER PERFORMANCE DECLINE OVER THE COURSE OF THE REACTION TIME TASK IN THE NON-STROBOSCOPIC CONDITION. THESE RESULTS SUPPORT THE USE OF STROBOSCOPIC ILLUMINATION AS A NON-PHARMACOLOGIC COUNTERMEASURE FOR MOTION SICKNESS RELATED TO RETINAL SLIP.

THE EFFECTS OF SUBTHRESHOLD VISUAL CUES ON FLIGHT PERFORMANCE IN THE NUH-60FS BLACK HAWK RESEARCH SIMULATOR

THE EFFECTS OF SUBTHRESHOLD VISUAL CUES ON FLIGHT PERFORMANCE IN THE NUH-60FS BLACK HAWK RESEARCH SIMULATOR

USAARL 2011-19


JEREMY ATHY, ARTHUR ESTRADA, EDNA RATH, SANDRA BORN, JOHN RAMICCIO

PILOTS WORK IN ONE OF THE MOST COGNITIVELY DEMANDING ENVIRONMENTS. WHILE TECHNOLOGY CONTINUES TO ADVANCE WITH RESPECT TO QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF INFORMATION PRESENTATION, THE HUMAN VISUAL SYSTEM REMAINS WITH LIMITATIONS AND THUS INFORMATION PROCESSING MAY BECOME MORE COMPLEX FOR PILOTS. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO FIND IMPROVED TECHNIQUES FOR INFORMATION PRESENTATION IN THE COCKPIT WITHOUT SACRIFICING OVERALL FLIGHT PERFORMANCE. ONE POTENTIALLY USEFUL FORM OF PRESENTATION IS SUBTHRESHOLD CUEING. THIS STUDY REQUIRED PILOTS TO FLY A MISSION IN THE UH-60 SIMULATOR WHILE PRESENTED WITH SUBTHRESHOLD CUES ON A MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY. RESULTS SUGGEST THAT PILOTS WERE ABLE TO PROCESS SUBTHRESHOLD CUES WITHOUT COMPROMISING FLIGHT PERFORMANCE

ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEY OF FLIGHT SURGEON PRIMARY COURSE GRADUATES AND LINE COMMANDERS: EVALUATION OF SATISFACTION WITH CURRENT FLIGHT SURGEON TRAINING

ANONYMOUS ONLINE SURVEY OF FLIGHT SURGEON PRIMARY COURSE GRADUATES AND LINE COMMANDERS: EVALUATION OF SATISFACTION WITH CURRENT FLIGHT SURGEON TRAINING


USAARL 2011-15

NICOLE POWELL-DUNFORD, AMANDA KELLEY


THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY WAS TO EVALUATE SATISFACTION WITH FLIGHT SURGEON TRAINING, GAIN INSIGHT INTO COMMANDERS’ AWARENESS OF THE RESIDENT IN AEROSPACE MEDICINE (RAM) ABILITIES/TRAINING, AND IDENTIFY WEAKNESS IN FLIGHT SURGEONS FROM THE LINE COMMANDER PERSPECTIVE. A TOTAL OF 76 RESPONDENTS COMPLETED THE FLIGHT SURGEON COURSE GRADUATES SURVEY ON-LINE AND 27 COMPLETED THE LINE COMMANDER SURVEY ON-LINE. THE RESULTS AFFIRMED A HIGH LEVEL OF OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH AEROMEDICAL PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS AND FLIGHT SURGEONS, HOWEVER, A NUMBER OF IMPORTANT ISSUES EMERGED SUCH AS MILITARY PROFESSIONALISM, BASIC AVIATION KNOWLEDGE, AND LEADERSHIP SKILLS. ALSO, A NUMBER OF DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE PERCEIVED LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY BY THE LINE COMMANDERS TO THE SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF THE FLIGHT SURGEONS WERE DISCOVERED INCLUDING PERCEPTION OF THE EXTENT TO WHICH FLIGHT SURGEONS TRY TO KEEP PILOTS FLYING.