EFFECTS OF HIGH TEMPERATURE ON PERSONNEL AND RATION STORAGE

File: aaalm_15.txt
Page: 15
Total Pages: 21
PSYCHOLOGICAL & PHYSIOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE

I.   Moderate to high physical exertion in the heat or in chemical protective gear
is so fatiguing that mental performance and combat effectiveness are obviously
compromised. Mental performance of those working at sedentary tasks deteriorates
sharply over time in the heat or in chemical protective gear. Thus, a soldier in a
tactical operations center, preparing what appears to be routine communication
dispatches, will likely make errors.

2.   There is a poor correlation between the early stages of declining performance
and the signs and symptoms of illness or combat stress. Soldiers who say they
feel fine may make careless errors. This is particularly true when the stress of
combat is exacerbated by heat, MOPP, and sustained operations. Minor
discomforts, confusion, disorientation, memory loss, etc. should not be taken for
granted or accepted as inevitable. Very simple fixes can prolong combat
effectiveness. Regular quality checks and specific feedback on performance should
be SOP. Many errors can be detected and corrected before they become important
to the mission or for safety.

3.   In continuous operations, or in conditions requiring sustained performance,
soldiers miss needed sleep. This is particularly true of commanders, leaders, and
other command and control personnel. 

    a.   Sleep obtained under sustained combat conditions is often intermittent,
of short duration, and not sufficient to restore alertness. This problem is
exacerbated by long periods of exposure to heat, or MOPP IV.

    b.   Command attention must be given to enforcing adequate work/rest
schedules and sleep discipline. Since sleep loss leads to degraded decision
making and cognitive performance earlier than it does physical performance
decrements, command and control personnel must be particularly attentive to their
own sleep discipline needs.

    c.   Generally, longer duration sleep sessions are better than short ones,
but some sleep is also better than none. Four to six hour sleep periods, or longer,
are desirable.

    d.   Night fighters who must rest during the day may have difficulty
sleeping, especially in the desert. Instructing soldiers to be careful not to awaken
those who are supposed to be sleeping, is very important since this is a common
complaint.

4.   Performance decrements due to heat and/or wear of chemical protective gear

    a.   Who's at greatest risk?

          * inexperienced soldiers/soldiers new to the unit

                                                         10