Injuries and Physical Fitness Before and After Deployments of the 10th Mountain Division to Afghanistan and the 1st Cavalry Division to Iraq, September 2005 - October 2008

This project examined injuries and physical fitness before and after deployments of the 10th Mountain Division to Afghanistan (10thMt cohort, n=505 men) and 1st Cavalry Division to Iraq (1stCav cohort, n=3242 men). Deployed Soldiers' outpatient medical encounters were obtained from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center and examined for injuries during two consecutive 90-day periods before (Periods 1-2) and two consecutive 90-day periods after deployment (Periods 3-4). Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) data were obtained from testing 4-6 months before and after deployment. Both deployed groups showed post deployment increases in injury incidence (10thMt=14.1%, 14.1%, 16.4%, 23.4%; 1stCav=15.1%, 12.4%, 35.4%, 43.4%; Periods 1-4, respectively). Limited APFT data (n=178, 10thMt; n=90, 1stCav) indicated that average post deployment body weights were higher (3-9 lb), but there was generally little difference in the pre- and post deployment push-up and sit-up scores. The 10thMt group had similar pre- and post deployment 2-mile run times, but the 1stCav demonstrated an average 5% slower post deployment run time. This project documented a post deployment increase in injuries. Further, in some cases, physical fitness may not return to pre deployment levels even 4 to 6 months post deployment, although an appropriate physical training program may ameliorate this effect.
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