Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
14:17
The Portable Chemical Sterilizer (PCS), D-FENS, and D-FEND ALL: Novel Chlorine Dioxide Decontamination Technologies for the Military
Published on: June 29, 2014
The unit field sanitation team: a square peg in a round hole
Timothy Bosetti1, Davin Bridges
1Department of Environmental Sciences, US Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine - Europe.
U.S. Army Medical Department Journal
|January 21, 2010
Summary
The unit field sanitation team (FST) needs to be modernized to advise commanders on essential soldier hygiene and waste management. Lessons from recent conflicts highlight the need for adaptable sanitation practices in today's Army.
Area of Science:
- Military Science
- Environmental Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Basic field sanitation and hygiene practices are declining in the modern Army.
- There is a critical need for effective unit field sanitation teams (FSTs) to advise commanders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the existing unit field sanitation team (FST) concept.
- To support the Army's transformation and address challenges in persistent conflict.
Main Methods:
- Review of lessons-learned and after-action reports from the Global War on Terrorism.
- Analysis of current Army operations, doctrine, and expeditionary requirements.
Main Results:
- The current FST concept, focused on company-sized units in open terrain, is inadequate for modern operations.
- Existing FST models do not align with transformed formations or rapidly evolving doctrine.
Conclusions:
- A renewed focus on basic field sanitation and hygiene is essential for soldier well-being.
- The FST concept requires adaptation to meet the demands of contemporary military operations and persistent conflict.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
Cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization are the methods that help to break the infection chain and prevent disease.
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
01:36Conversion of Units
Sometimes, there is a need to convert from one unit to another one. For instance, reading a cookbook in which quantities are expressed in units of liters or ounces may require conversion of quantities to cups. Or, when looking up directions on how to get to a location, we may be interested to know how many miles we are going to walk. In this case, we would have to convert units of feet or meters to miles.
The first step in the unit conversion is to list the given units and the units required...
The first step in the unit conversion is to list the given units and the units required...
01:18Handwashing I: Introduction and Types of Equipment
Handwashing is hand hygiene with plain or antimicrobial soap and water to physically remove dirt, organic material, and microorganisms. However, it may not kill all microorganisms. The handwashing procedure requires a hand wash basin, liquid soap, paper towels, a domestic waste bin, and disposable nail cleaner as optional equipment.
Hand wash basins in clinical areas should have faucets that can be turned on and off without using the hands; that is, they should be non-touch or lever-operated.
Hand wash basins in clinical areas should have faucets that can be turned on and off without using the hands; that is, they should be non-touch or lever-operated.
01:27Units of Measurement
Mechanical engineering is one of the oldest branches of engineering. It deals with designing, analyzing, and manufacturing machines and mechanical systems. To ensure precise and accurate calculations, units of measurement are used. They provide a standard system for expressing and comparing physical quantities.
There are various well-known historical measurement systems, such as the Babylonian system, the Roman system, the Egyptian system, the Olympian system, the British system, and the Indus...
There are various well-known historical measurement systems, such as the Babylonian system, the Roman system, the Egyptian system, the Olympian system, the British system, and the Indus...
01:10Units and Standards of Measurement
A physical quantity is defined either by specifying its measurement method or by stating how it is calculated from other measurements. For example, consider a metallic cube. We might define its mass and dimensions by specifying methods for measuring them, such as using a weighing machine and a meter scale. Then, we could define the volume by stating that it is the cube of its side, and we could calculate the density as the mass divided by the volume.
Measurements of physical quantities are...
Measurements of physical quantities are...
01:14Scale-Up Processes
The scale-up of microbial fermentation processes is essential in industrial biotechnology, allowing the transition from laboratory-scale experiments to commercial-scale production while aiming to maintain product yield and quality. This process requires meticulous adjustment of equipment design, process parameters, and contamination control strategies to accommodate increasing culture volumes.At the laboratory scale, cultures are typically maintained in 1 to 10-liter glass or autoclavable...