Update: Cold Weather Injuries, Active and Reserve Components, U.S. Armed Forces, July 2015-June 2020

From July 2019 through June 2020, a total of 415 members of the active (n=363) and reserve (n=52) components had at least 1 medical encounter with a primary diagnosis of cold injury. The crude overall incidence rate of cold injury for all active component service members in 2019-2020 (27.4 per 100,000 person-years [p-yrs]) was lower than the rate for the 2018-2019 cold season (35.1 per 100,000 p-yrs) and was the lowest rate during the 5-year surveillance period. In 2019-2020, frostbite was the most common type of cold injury among active component service members in all 4 services. Among active component members during the 2015-2020 cold seasons, overall rates of cold injuries were generally highest among males, non-Hispanic black service members, the youngest (less than 20 years old), and those who were enlisted. The number of cold injuries associated with overseas deployments during the 2019-2020 cold season (n=10) was the lowest count during the 5-year surveillance period. Frostbite accounted for three-fifths (n=6; 60.0%) of the cold weather injuries diagnosed and treated in service members deployed outside of the U.S during the 2019-2020 cold season.