Predictors of basic infantry training success

Area of Science:

• Military Medicine
• Sports Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Military readiness depends on efficient soldier training.
• Medical issues can significantly disrupt soldier training and overall efficiency.
• Previous research has not fully identified predictors of medical impact on trainees.

Purpose of the Study:

• To document medical problems in infantry basic trainees.
• To identify easily obtainable predictors of medical impact on training.
• To inform military recruitment and training strategies for improved efficiency.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 649 infantry trainees at the US Army Infantry Training Center was studied over a 13-week training cycle.
• Data collected included sick call attendance, training limitations (profile days), and medical diagnoses.
• Predictive factors assessed included smoking history and initial performance on the Army Physical Fitness Test.

Main Results:

• Upper respiratory infections were the most common reason for sick call.
• Training injuries, particularly overuse syndromes of the foot/lower leg and patellofemoral knee pain, caused the most lost training time.
• History of cigarette smoking and lower initial Army Physical Fitness Test scores were the strongest predictors of medical impact.

Conclusions:

• While common, many medical issues did not significantly reduce training time for the majority of trainees.
• Cigarette smoking and lower baseline fitness are key factors influencing medical impact on training.
• Recommendations include considering smoking history and pre-induction fitness standards in recruit selection to enhance training efficiency.