Introduction: Aeromedical evacuations from the deployed combat theater for both physical (battle-related) and psychological injuries consume a great deal of US military resources. Aeromedical evacuations attributable to mental health disorders are often the leading cause of evacuations and need to be monitored and studied further for the development of future prevention and treatment strategies. Although there has been recognition of the increase in aeromedical evacuations due to mental health disorders over the past 2 decades, little attention has been dedicated to examining the longitudinal trend of mental health aeromedical evacuations as compared to those for battle injuries in consideration of medical planning for future conflicts.
Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive epidemiological review analyzing selected publications in the Medical Surveillance Monthly Reports published by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division that reported counts of aeromedical evacuations for service members deployed to the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility between 2001 and 2023.
Results: There was an overall decrease in the percentage of aeromedical evacuations out of CENTCOM for battle-related physical injuries between 2001 (11.0%) and 2023 (1.9%) corresponding to the decrease in active military conflict and the US withdrawal of forces from Iraq and Afghanistan. Conversely, there was an overall increase in the percentage of aeromedical evacuations out of CENTCOM related to mental health conditions between 2001 (6.0%) and 2023 (27.5%). The total number of aeromedical evacuations fluctuated across the surveillance period and the resulting impact on the percentages of those attributed to mental health conditions and battle injuries will be discussed.
Conclusions: Battle injuries are the leading cause of aeromedical evacuations during times of active military conflict. During times of decreased military conflict, mental health conditions are often the leading cause of aeromedical evacuations. Mental health conditions have been the leading cause of aeromedical evacuations from CENTCOM since 2009 and as of 2023 account for 27.5% of aeromedical evacuations as compared to 1.9% for battle injuries. The increase in the percentage of mental health aeromedical evacuations highlights the importance of continued psychological screening and support for deployed active duty military personnel, with implications for the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders in medical planning
for future conflicts.