ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT IN OFFICERS AND NCO, INVOLVED IN THE EXERCISE "RED FLAG" 2012 AT NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA,

UNITED STATES

Lieutenant Colonel

Daniel Fernando Aparicio Gómez

Sports Medicine Specialist

Centro de Medicina Aeroespacial

Fuerza Aérea Colombiana

DISCLOSURE INFORMATION84th Annual AsMA Scientific Meeting

Lieutenant ColonelDaniel Fernando Aparicio Gómez

I have the following financial relationships to disclose:

• Employee of Colombian Air Force

I will not discuss off-label use and/or investigational use in my presentation

OPERATIONAL ASPECTS

What is RED FAG?

•Realistic combat training exercise involving the Air Forces of the United States and its allies.

•The exercise was organized at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, from 16 to 27 July 2012.

•Is the most important Air Force Base in military training with more than 12,000 square miles of asigned airspace and 11.700 kilometers land.

•With 1,900 possible targets, realistic threat systems and an enemy force that can not be replicated in the rest of the world.

•This "peacetime battlefield" provides combat air forces with the ability to train and fight together, survive together and win together.

OPERATIONAL ASPECTS

• The Combat Training Squadron 414A is responsible for the execution of "Red Flag" and the exercise is just one of a series of advanced training programs ruled by Nellis AFB.

• More than 70 aircraft are scheduled to depart from Nellis AFB twice a day, one at noon and other at night.

OPERATIONAL ASPECTS

• The airplanes can remain airborne for up to eight hours.

• Flights are scheduled to accommodate the other flying missions at Nellis AFB. and provide Red Flag participants with valuable training in planning and executing a wide variety of combat missions.

OPERATIONAL ASPECTS

TEAM MOVILIZATION

Was conducted in 3 stages: (8 Kfir 1-767 1-727)•1. Departure from Colombia (Barranquilla) - to San Antonio, Texas

TEAM MOVILIZATION• 2. San Antonio Texas – Tucson Arizona Davis

Monthan AFB, 15 days, training

TEAM MOVILIZATION

• 3. Tucson Arizona (Davis Monthan AFB), to Las Vegas Nevada (Nellis AFB)

1 Stage(1000kms)

2 Stage(4360kms)

3 Stage(670 Kms)

Bogotá (COL)

Barranquilla (COL)

Davis Monthan AFB, Tucson

Nellis AFB, Las Vegas

• Along with this great amount of responsibilities and external stress factors, these crews and technicians had to face the unfrendly environmental added in the areas where operations are carried out.

• The temperatures of 40 º C to 45 º C were the average during the 15 days of operations, with a very low relative humidity (not exceeding 15%).

• Those enviromental factors can generate health issues due to lost fluids during the training performed by the pilots and thecnicians.

OBJETIVE

• To observe and describe the trend of hydration behavior of Colombian Air Force personnel exposed to extreme temperatures during Red Flag 2012 exercise, performed at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, United States.

OBSERVATIONS

• Temperature average behavior at Nellis AFB over the last five years

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov DicTemperatur

e max average (°C)

13 17 20 25 31 37 40 38 34 27 18 13

Temperature min

average media (°C)

1 3 6 10 15 20 24 23 18 12 5 1

Precipitation (mm)

15 13 13 5 5 2,5 10 13 7,6 5 10 10

METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Type of Study•Transversal descriptive Population

•Staff officers and NCOs of Colombian Air Force, pilots and flight engineers who attended the Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB.

•Sample: 60 subjects, 16 pilots (Kfir, B-767 and B-707), 44 flight engineers.

Location:•Nellis AFB, Nevada, United States of America. 

Method: •The chosen sample was taken within pilot officers and NCOs maintenance personnel involved in flight duties during the day shift.

METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

Inclusion criteria:•Working day shift, average 8 hours, •Were part of the personnel exposed to outdoors environment (heat and low humidity)

Exclusion criteria:•Personnel who worked in controlled environments throughout the day (temperature).

METHODOLOGICAL ASPECTS

MATERIALS AND METHODS• The staff who attended Red Flag 2012 was

previously selected from fit to fly crews.

1. Public awareness of this study among the

crews.

2. Selection of officers and NCO´s according

selection criteria.

3. Systematic data recording.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

4. Assessment of hydration percentage , with

reference bio impedance and weight.

5. Fluid intake survey.

6. Excel data processing.

7. Submit findings.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RESULTS

Patients (60) Min Max Average

• Age (years)• Weight total (kg)• Weigth lost NCO (ramp)

(gr)• Weigth lost Kfir pilots

(gr)• Lost Weight percentage

1852

1780

11001.3%

4298

4710

17804,8%

31.579.2

3250

14503,1%

RESULTS

• Fluids loss:– NCO´s ramp: 3.250 cc of fluids ± 1462.5 cc (after

about 8 - 12 hours of work)– Kfir pilots: 1450 cc of liquid ± 331.6 cc (planning +

after 2 hours of exposure in ramp + sorties).– Boeing 767 filler tanker: there were no significant

losses due to low exposure.

DISCUTION

• Although the information received previously, this personnel exposed to this harsh environment didn´t realize the risk involved in the exercise.

• They showed dehydration of more than 3% (2nd grade).• Average dehydration 3.5 kgr in NCO´s and 1,5 kgr in

Kfir pilots.• This grade of dehydration can impair their

performance.• Need to stress the importance of hydration within our

crews.• Safety involved issue.

QUESTIONS !!!QUESTIONS !!! COLOMBIAN AIR FORCE COLOMBIAN AIR FORCE

AEROSPACE MEDICINE CENTREAEROSPACE MEDICINE CENTRE

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