Air-conditioned deployable force infrastructure as a strategy to combat sleep deprivation among troops in hot countries

High-tech peacekeeping and humanitarian interventions form an increasing part of the range of duties of the military, dispatching troops to all parts of the world, with emphasis on hot climate areas. These missions call for fewer soldiers but with a more thorough, detailed and timely awareness level to reach predetermined goals. High ambient temperatures in the operational environment have a deleterious effect on performance, which is aggravated by poor sleep. Current deployable force infrastructure is often unable to support the restoration of body and brain sufficiently, while troop fitness is essential to the success of the mission. Supplying the peacekeepers with air-conditioned housing is becoming an increasingly important non-pharmacological strategy to counter the negative effects of heat. This paper investigates the influence of the military field environment, and high temperatures in particular, on sleep, comfort and performance of personnel and equipment, and looks at the benefits of installing air-conditioning systems and future trends in deployable force infrastructure.

Practical application: Results of this study can be used for innovations in designing comfortable mission housing and accompanying building services that do not only offer comfort to military personnel in field settings, but also provide better conditions for sleep. Improved comfort and sleep can in turn benefit operational performance. The results can also be used for a large range of civilian purposes, for instance, the creation of comfortable bedrooms and hotel rooms.