The importance of Personal Hygiene and Field Sanitation

Staying Clean and conducting personal hygiene is a vital role in a Soldiers life. Soldiers may spend weeks in an environment where proper facailities are not established and it is vital that one stay clean to prevent illness because military units are unable to carry out their missions when the soldiers are weakened by disease. In all US conflicts three times as many soldiers have been lost to illnesses/diseases rather than battle wounds. The most common injuries that soldiers may face are heat, cold injuries and communicable diseases. Personal Hygeine and cleanliness are an extremley important role in a soldiers life and it is important to know when one is getting sick and how to prevent it. Heat injury is one of the most common among soldiers who have lived in a temperate climate their entire life. When they go to another country to fight a war, most people arnt'e used to the dramatic changes in temperature and are unaware of the signs of heat injury. Hydration is key to staying in the battle when in extreme heat. Being thirsty is already an early sign of dehydration and should be avoided. Three meals a day should be standard to help replace the lost electrolytes and salts in the body. An example of extreme heat during a battle would be during the 1967 Arab Israeli battle where almost 20,000 egyptian soldiers died. It is crucial that a soldier pay attention to the signs of heat exhaustion, heat stroke and heat cramps. Air humidity cn plsy a big role in heat injury, sush as making it harder to sweat or sweating too much and not replenishing the lost fluids. Other factors include drugs, the use of alchoholic beverages, heavy meals and being over weight and out of shape. All of them contribute to becoming more suseptible to sustaining a heat injury. Cold weather is also very dangerous and can hinder a soldier on the battlefield if not properly dressed. During World War 2 over 54,000 U.S. soldiers were admitted to the hospital due to cold weather injuries and over 90,000 thousand during the entire war. There are several contributing factors to cold injuries such as discipline, training and experience, poor nutrition and proper clothing. Some soldiers are better trained than others to deal with the cold. Taking care of the feet is also essential to preventing injury. A healthy diet with the right nutrients is also important in be able to function in cold weather. It is important to stay mentally strong as well during cold weather and physically active. It has been shown that negativity upon one can result to cold injury faster. One should be changing socks regularly to avoid trench foot and frostbite on the toes. Trench foot is very common for people who dont change socks regularyly. To prevent such injury it is important to wear or carry the adequete colthing needed for the environment intended to be in. Remove excess clothing when near heat or sleeping. Also try to dry damp socks out before wearing them again. While in the field/or deployed soldiers have increased vulnerability to disease and non battle injury because of the environment, changes in the bodies natrual defense, breakdowns in sanitation and little to no hygeine facilities. Soldiers may travel into areas that are mosquito infested jungles, sandfly villages or dusy and cold environments which are all harsh on the body. Now deploying a soldier half way across the world can throw a bodies immune system off leading one becoming more suseptible to illness. Also due to the lack of sleep and stress in combat can weaken the immne system. Due to the lack of a proper latrine and running water, it is important that one doesnt shit or piss near there living areas. Doing so can cause the spread of several diseases. Proper hygeine of clothing is important too. Unwashed hair is a good way to get lice, it is important to change dirty underwear, shirts and pants. A soldier needs to have several pairs of socks to keep their feet in good condition because without feet a soldier is useless. Being a soldier not all about being physiaclly fit, it requires a lot more. And personal hygeine and field sanitation can mean the difference between life and death if not treated properly. Improper hygeine can lead to several different types of illnesses and diseas such as extreme heat or cold injury, bacteria illnesses from improper sanitation after relieving one's self or shitting near a living area and infecting a water supply. Keeping clean feet and having a pair of clean socks is also very important to one because without feet, a soldier is useless. A soldier who operates in extreme environments needs to be aware of all signs and symptoms of injuries and illnesses to avoid becoming a casualty and slowing down the unit. As long as the soldier practicies good hygeine and proper sanitation while out in garrison, out in the field or deployed illness and injury is likely to be avoided.