The road less taken: modularization and waterways as a domestic disaster response mechanism.

Preparedness scenarios project the need for significant healthcare surge capacity. Current planning draws heavily from the military model, leveraging deployable infrastructure to augment or replace extant capabilities. This approach would likely prove inadequate in a catastrophic disaster, as the military model relies on forewarning and an extended deployment cycle.

Identifying new diseases and their causes: the dilemma of illnesses in Gulf War veterans.

Since the Gulf War, investigation continues of symptoms and illnesses among its veterans. Yet, identifying a specific "Gulf War Syndrome" remains elusive. With new disease entities, causal associations are relatively easily established when the condition is serious, verifiable, and has excess disease rates in specific groups.

Possibilities for unexplained chronic illnesses among reserve units deployed in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Because Armed Forces Reserve members, especially combat support units, were rapidly mobilized during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, they were at higher risk for anxiety and stress-related disorders. Personnel in reserve units in the military force structure are at greater risk for psychologic stress due to rapid mobilization and demobilization, which allows minimal time to process adverse experiences or fears. The unexpected disruption of families and careers and resulting financial pressures are magnified in older age groups who have increased personal and family commitments.

Lack of association of human immunodeficiency virus seroconversion with visits to foreign ports in US Navy personnel.

Background: The US Navy visits ports on all continents and many islands of the world, many of which are reported to have a high endemicity of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The objective of this study was to determine whether visits to foreign ports by active-duty navy personnel were associated with increased risk of HIV infection.

Methods: The Naval Health Research Center in San Diego, Calif, maintains records of all HIV enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot tests given in the navy.