title: Women in Combat: Summary of Findings and a Way Ahead.
abstract: The Women in Combat Symposium was held at the Defense Health Headquarters April 29 to May 1, 2014, cohosted by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and the Consortium for Health and Military Performance. The conference was a call to renew and extend research investment and policy commitment to recognize operational scenarios, requirements, health priorities, and combat-related injury exposures uniquely relevant to the performance and well-being of female Service members. Symposium participants worked in groups to identify knowledge and capability gaps critical to the successful integration, health, and performance of female Service members in combat roles and to develop recommendations for researchers and policy makers to address gaps in three specific areas of concern: Leadership and Peer Behavior, Operational Performance, and Health and Well-Being. Consensus findings are summarized as 20 research gaps and accompanying recommendations. Each represents an opportunity to advance health and performance outcomes and to leverage female Service members' strengths and capacities to the general benefit of all Service members and their families.
authors.affiliation: Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence (HCE), 2200 Bergquist Drive, JBSA Lackland, TX 78236.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tepe
authors.affiliation: Center for Military Psychiatry and Neuroscience Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yarnell
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Institute of Public Health, U.S. Army Public Health Command, 5158 Blackhawk Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21010.
authors.forename: Bradley C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Nindl
authors.affiliation: Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20814.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Van Arsdale
authors.affiliation: Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Rd, Bethesda, MD, 20814.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Deuster
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000639:trends; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000639:trends*; D008889:Military Personnel; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000639:trends*; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D014930:Women; D016387:Women's Health / Q000639:trends*