MILITARY PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE IN THE POST-COLD-WAR ERA

In response to the end of the cold war, the United States developed ne w foreign policy and national security strategies. As a result, many m edical support concepts that were operative during the cold war were i nvalidated. Recently, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff provid ed direction and guidance for long-range strategic planning (Joint Vis ion 2010). Medical support doctrine that is being developed within the framework of Joint Vision 2010 relies on currently unavailable preven tive medicine and medical surveillance capabilities. This report analy zes the relevance and roles of military preventive medicine and medica l surveillance in the context of post-cold war resource constraints an d military medical support needs, presents the rationale for and objec tives of a demand-reduction medical support strategy, and outlines the roles, responsibilities, and characteristics of a defense medical sur veillance system.