IntroductionOptimal mental state and physical fitness are crucial factors affecting training of military personnel. Incorporating components aimed at improving mental status and physical composition of soldiers into training programmes can lead to better outcomes. Previously, cold exposure has been used to promote human health in multiple ways, with a plethora of reported benefits. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine the effect of regular cold exposure on the psychological status and physical composition of healthy young soldiers in the Czech Army.MethodsA total of 49 (male and female) soldiers aged 19–30 years were randomly assigned to one of the two groups (intervention and control). The participants regularly underwent cold exposure for 8 weeks, in outdoor and indoor environments. Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and InBody 770 device were used to evaluate life satisfaction and body composition, respectively. Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale was used to assess anxiety produced by cold exposure.ResultsTheoretical and practical training in cold immersion in the winter did not induce anxiety. Regular cold exposure led to a significant (p=0.045) increase of 6.2% in self-perceived sexual satisfaction compared with the pre-exposure measurements. Furthermore, considerable increase (6.3% compared with the pre-exposure period) was observed in self-perceived health satisfaction; the change was borderline significant (p=0.052). In men, there was a reduction in waist circumference (1.3%, p=0.029) and abdominal fat (5.5%, p=0.042). Systematic exposure to cold significantly lowered perceived anxiety in the entire test group (p=0.032).ConclusionsCold water exposure can be recommended as an addition to routine military training regimens. Regular exposure positively impacts mental status and physical composition, which may contribute to the higher psychological resilience. Additionally, cold exposure as a part of military training is most likely to reduce anxiety among soldiers.

A new subject which is focused on the training of students in the conditions of combat operations of tactical units was accredited at the University of Defence (UD) in 2015. The subject was entitled Field training and it is aimed to teach students basic military skills during performing tactical operations at the squad-platoon level. The subject is intended for students of the 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd years at all faculties of the UD, including the Faculty of Military Health Sciences, University of Defence in Hradec Kralove (FMHS UD). Training and drilling medical support, its organization and realization is a part of instructions and training of the FMHS UD students.

Food and catering and its impact on health and life satisfaction of coalition soldiers during their deployment on a military operation in the Middle East area was the aim of our research. Our fundamental research question was how food and catering in the military operational environment affects the life satisfaction and health of deployed soldiers.

Evidenced-based medicine drives best practices. The Lessons Learned (LL) process in clinical medicine for deployed and military support services drive the NATO Military Medical Center of Excellence (MILMED COE). This review article focuses on the Lessons Learned process and its use in NATO and partner countries medical services. Organizational learning drives development and progress; capturing lessons from mistakes, colleagues’ interactions and institutional experience can be lost without an organized lesson learned process. Therefore, in 2014, NATO institutions and Centers of Excellence across disciplines began to focus on the quality management, information sharing and evidence-based practices to maximize outcomes. Since this inception, NATO has implemented the Lessons Learned process and expanded the impact across the alliance in order to save life and prevent illness. The Lessons Learned process and sharing of experience is also a way to improve the quality of care in the military medicine, from preventive, epidemiological, trauma related, casualty evacuation and forward surgical care, among many others, to the medical standardization and organization of military medical services. The Lessons Learned process is an undertaking and an instrument that can also be used to achieve better international and civil-military cooperation. Finally, we deal with the current situation and use of the information obtained from the areas of military health care.

Váleční veteráni tvoří specifickou komunitní skupinu, která donedávna nebyla v popředí zájmu poskytovatelů zdravotní péče. Počet lidí v této skupině však v české populaci roste a jedná se nejen o veterány II. světové války, kteří jsou vnímáni většinovou společností nejvíce, ale také o veterány novodobé historie České republiky, kteří se podíleli na zahraničních misích v Iráku, na Balkáně a dalších oblastech, kde působila Armáda české republiky. Váleční veteráni mají specifické požadavky na zdravotní péči, které jsou determinovány právě jejich válečným prožitkem. Proto je nutné k těmto požadavkům systematicky přistupovat a pomocí taxonomie konkrétně definovat potenciální problémy, které mohou ovlivnit jejich zdravotní stav. Nejedná se tak pouze o možné choroby, kterými mohou být tito lidé postiženi, ale také o celkový koncept péče, což je ve své podstatě hlavním zájmem disciplíny Ošetřovatelství. Z hlediska přístupu k řešení tohoto problému se jako nejvýhodnější jeví koncept ošetřovatelské péče a taxonomie NANDA, v kombinaci s ošetřovatelským modelem Gordonové, což ve své syntéze umožňuje jasnou definici potenciálních ošetřovatelských problémů, jejich popis a nástin možných intervencí. Výstupem tak může být plán péče, který tak může být významným vodítkem v plánování ošetřovatelské péče o daného válečného veterána ve všech svých aspektech.