Stay strong in the heat

For many Soldiers, the extended daylight of spring and summer means additional opportunities to meet physical training requirements or catch up on outside work and fun. The heat and humidity that accompanies these long days, however, increase the probability of heat injuries and other physical problems.

In much of the United States and within overseas theaters, heat injuries remain a persistent, significant threat to the health and operational effectiveness of Soldiers and other Army personnel. During the past two years, at least 250 Soldiers have been treated for clinically severe heat injuries, including heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Sadly, these conditions can be fatal—in late summer 2009, a young Soldier died after suffering a heat injury during a road march.