The 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing (70 ISRW) engages in intelligence operations to provide accurate and timely intelligence products to military and national-level decision-makers. Understanding 70 ISRW health patterns is critical to developing relevant and appropriate medical and mental health strategies to foster optimal health across the entire community. The objective of this study was to identify and discuss between-group differences among the intelligence operators and support personnel on the following items: (a) the frequency of health behaviors related to sleep obtained before work and physical exercise throughout the week; (b) the frequency and increase of poor health habits related to alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine use and the reasons for these increases; (c) self-reported medical conditions believe to have been caused or worsened by occupational stress; (d) availability or access to medical care and the increases in healthcare utilization and the reasons for these increases; and (e) self-reported increases in medication usage and the reasons for these increases. A total of 1223 intelligence operators and 599 support personnel participated in the study. The participants were asked to electronically complete a survey assessing demographics; sleep and physical exercise health behaviors; alcohol, tobacco, and caffeinated beverage use; medical conditions believed to have been created or made worse by current unit assignment; medical, mental health support, and alternative healthcare utilization; and medication utilization. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were calculated. Although the overarching findings of this study indicate substantial similarity between 70 ISRW intelligence operators and support personnel, when differences occurred, intelligence operators tended to present the more notable health concerns, such as poor access to medical health resources, increased use of mental health services due to work stress and personal issues, and self-medication through over-the-counter drugs for stress and sleep difficulties. Both groups attributed their increase in alcohol and tobacco use, as well as alternative health services and prescription medication use, to stress. Additionally, shift work and exhaustion emerged as common attributions for increased caffeine use among all 70 ISRW personnel. Based on these results, it is recommended that line leadership strive to facilitate ready access to medical and mental healthcare, identify areas that will optimize work/rest cycles, and consider supplying sufficient manning to allow for adjustments in shift length, shift work rotations, and break frequency and decreased work hours.
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