Military Occupational Specialty Codes: Utility in Predicting Inhalation Exposures in Post-9/11 Deployers

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Occupational Medicine
• Military Health

Background:

• Southwest Asia deployments expose military personnel to various inhalation hazards.
• Respiratory illnesses are a significant concern for deployed service members.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate military occupational specialty (MOS) codes for identifying personnel at risk of inhalation exposures.
• To correlate MOS-based exposure risks with self-reported respiratory issues in deployed military personnel.

Main Methods:

• An expert panel rated the exposure intensity of various hazards (diesel exhaust, sandstorms, burn pit smoke, combat dust, VDGF) for Army/Marine MOS codes.
• Panel-rated exposure scores were compared with questionnaire data from military personnel reporting postdeployment respiratory illnesses.

Main Results:

• Combat MOS codes generally had higher exposure ratings than noncombat codes for most hazards.
• Personnel with respiratory illnesses reported higher exposures to diesel exhaust, burn pit smoke, and sandstorms.
• Deployed individuals with respiratory illnesses were concentrated in MOS codes with the highest inhalation hazard exposure intensity.

Conclusions:

• Military occupational specialty codes are valuable tools for pinpointing high-risk occupations.
• Targeted medical surveillance and exposure control strategies can be effectively focused on identified high-risk MOS codes.
• This approach aids in mitigating inhalation risks for military personnel in deployment settings.