Military deployment toxicology: A program manager's perspective

The Persian Gulf War drew attention to the potential hazards of chemicals t hat personnel may encounter during military operations and deployments over seas. During the War, the oil well fires of Kuwait highlighted the military threat of industrial chemicals in the area of operations. Following the Wa r, the occurrence of Gulf War Illnesses brought home concerns and suspicion s regarding "low level" and "mixed" exposures to chemicals. The public's co ncern and attention resulted in numerous institutional responses to the rea l and perceived problems of health risks during military deployments. These institutional responses ranged in scope from a Presidential Review Directi ve to the initiative known as the Deployment Toxicology Research, Developme nt, Testing and Evaluation (RDT&E) Program. Most institutions, however, see m to agree that additional research is needed to assess the health risks fr om chemical exposures during military deployments. Establishing and managing an effective RDT&E program in risk assessment for deployed forces is a challenging enterprise. The Deployment Toxicology RDT &E Program was conceived utilizing the military's acquisition framework, an effective methodology with a proven record of fielding of new technologies . Based on a series of structured meetings with military representatives th at would utilize new risk assessment tools, a hierarchical set of plans was developed to identify and prioritize end products. The challenge ahead for the Deployment Toxicology RDT&E Program is to execute these plans, provide the necessary oversight, and transition the results into successful produc t development.