Sleep Disturbance Implications for Modern Military Operations

Abstract : As is evident from current military operations that are happening around the globe (e.g., Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea), today's military is being called on in numerous new and innovative ways (e.g., Foster & Lindsay, 2011). One of the primary forces behind this change is the pervasiveness of enhanced information systems. In fact, the concept of networked warfare is the basis of operations and doctrine for the armed forces (Wesensten, Belenky, & Balkin, 2005). With respect to Admiral Cebrowski's quote, it appears that this notion of information in warfare is going to continue to influence the way that we approach and conduct war for the foreseeable future. While this use of information and information systems have been used successfully in recent operations (Cammons,Tisserand, Williams, Seise, & Lindsay, 2006), it must always be considered with respect to the operational context. This context is made up of the military's primary weapon system (the individual solider) and the features of the operational environment in which they are expected to perform.