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The distributed common ground system (DCGS) community assigned to the U.S. Air Force 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing is responsible for around-the-clock analysis and exploitation of real-time, critical information in support of combat operations and in decision-making regarding global issues of national interest. Maintaining an accurate understanding of health and wellness trends among DCGSRead more

U.S. Air Force (USAF) combat search and rescue (CSAR) fixed- and rotary-wing aircrew special duty rescue personnel are highly trained airmen operating across the globe in a wide range of Department of Defense and Joint Military Coalition combat rescue and recovery missions. The health and wellness of such aircrew and special duty operators are criticalRead more

MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA; “drones”) operators participate in a diverse range of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, as well as weapon strike missions for close air support to ground troops and aerial sniper missions of enemy combatants. Such operators are required to sustain around-the-clock operations to meet the demand fromRead more

U.S. Air Force (USAF) combat search and rescue (CSAR) aircrew and special duty rescue personnel are specially trained airmen with high levels of direct exposure to combat-related medical trauma. The purpose of this study was to explore the prevalence rate of CSAR military personnel meeting the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(fifth edition; DSM–5)Read more

Over the past decade, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) have become critical military assets. With the proliferation of this unique form of warfare, concerns have been raised regarding the psychological impact such operations have on RPA operators directly engaged in combat-related missions. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess for prevalence of posttraumaticRead more

The U.S. Air Force’s (USAF) aeromedical evacuation (AE) team and Critical Care Air Transport Team (CCATT) are vital components of the military’s medical evacuation mission, transporting wounded, ill, and injured military members to (and between) medical facilities throughout various parts of the globe. The performance, readiness, and health of such airmen are essential to aRead more

Imagery analysts are critical to the intelligence capabilities of the United States Air Force (USAF) and are known as the “eyes” of the USAF. The purpose of this study was to assess for posttraumatic disorder (PTSD) symptoms among this cohort. Of the 498 imagery analysts who participated, a total of 4.22% met provisional diagnostic criteriaRead more

The goal of this study was to assess for the main sources of occupational stress, as well as self-reported symptoms of distress and post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. Air Force (USAF) Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) intelligence exploitation and support personnel. DCGS intelligence operators (n = 1091) and nonintelligence personnel (n = 447) assigned toRead more

United States Air Force Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) and Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATT) play a crucial role in transporting patients from a wide range of military missions, including wartime, peacetime, crisis response, humanitarian, and disaster relief operations. The psychological demands of these missions and high operational tempo are not well studied, and the impactRead more

The goals of this study were to assess self-reported occupational sources of stress, as well as levels of burnout, psychological distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms among United States Air Force 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing (ISRW) intelligence operators and support personnel. A total of 1,822 Airmen responded to the web-based survey, with anRead more