Urinary stones, active component, U.S. Armed Forces, 2001-2010

Urinary stones can cause debilitating morbidity that impairs the operational effectiveness of affected members of the U.S. Armed Forces. This report describes a "gender shift," i.e., the narrowing of prevalence differences between men and women, similar to trends described in the U.S. civilian population. Rates of incident diagnoses of urinary stones increased in the active component during the past decade - particularly among females. On average, 60 service members were medically evacuated from combat zones each year during the period. Service members with a history of urinary stones should be counseled on reducing risk, particularly in the deployment setting.