Role of the flight surgeon in fighter squadron Arctic deployments

Operational fighter squadrons frequently find themselves deployed to semi-isolated stations in the Arctic. This paper discusses the major issues necessary for flight surgeon consideration. In particular, the areas of pre-deployment planning, preparing for the worst, routine operations, and post deployment actions are discussed. A recent month-long deployment of a 12-ship squadron of F18s with support elements from Bagotvi le, Canada, to Evenes, Norway, is examined. A proposed kit list to support a similar deployment to a semi-isolated station is provided.