U.S. Army Reserve optometry mobilization in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

Reserve participation contributed significantly to the successful optometric support of the U.S. Army in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. This survey profiles the experiences of reserve optometry officers during these operations. Many doctors suffered personal and financial hardship, the latter being particularly common for those in private practice settings. Readiness may be impaired as many responses indicated that a considerable number plan to separate from the reserve in order to avoid future activation.