CHAPTER 2
PHYSIOLOGIC RESPONSES AND ADAPTATIONS TO COLD
2-1. Cold stress in military operations
a. Troops participating in military deployments will often encounter cold stress that requires management for successful mission accomplishment. Excessive cold stress degrades physical performance capabilities, significantly impacts morale, and eventually causes cold casualties. Cold stress environments include not only exposure to extremely low temperatures (for example, Arctic regions), but also cold-wet exposures (for example, rain, immersion) in warmer ambient temperatures.
b. U.S. military operations have been conducted successfully in cold-weather climates where troops were required to endure low temperatures and cold-wet exposure for long hours and push their physiologic limits (for example, World War II European campaigns, Korea, Balkans, and Afghanistan). However, cold-weather conditions impair many aspects of normal military functioning in the field, which can in turn influence soldier health and performance.
(l) Food and water requirements may be high, yet supply can be difficult, resulting in inadequate nutrition and hydration.
(2) Furthermore, cold weather contributes to increased disease and non-battle injury since maintaining proper field sanitation and personal hygiene is difficult, and sick and injured individuals are susceptible to medical complications produced by cold.
(3) Operational problems often arise in cold weather. Mission completion may be delayed because of physical performance decrements, equipment malfunctions, and slow movement of vehicles and personnel. Also, cold-weather clothing can be difficult to integrate with nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protective clothing/equipment.
(4) In addition, mission requirements that demand intense physical activity, little food, and no sleep make successful cold stress management difficult because these requirements disrupt the normal physiological responses to the cold.
c. Military operations can occur in the coldest weather and with minimal logistical support, leaving troops under-equipped for the hostile conditions. Individuals in these situations must rely on