Integrating Medical Surveillance into the Mission of the Medical Detachment (Preventive Medicine)

Over the last decade, the United States Army has played an increased role in stability and support operations in which the Medical Detachment (Preventive Medicine) [MED DET (PM)] has taken on a new mission, medical surveillance. This research studies the impact of taking on the new mission and identifies the changes needed to integrate medical surveillance into the mission of the MED DET (PM) based upon the doctrine, training, leader development, organizational design, material, and soldier systems (DTLOMS) model. In order to address primary question, this research analyzes medical surveillance conducted by the MED DET (PM) in the Balkan theater of operations. The findings suggest that medical surveillance is not fully integrated into the mission of the MED DET (PM) and changes are required in all DTLOMS domains. The investigator makes the following recommendations: defining medical surveillance and its requirements (Doctrine), defining the training requirements for medical surveillance in training manuals (Training), providing training on medical surveillance in officer and non-commissioned officer development programs and schools (Leader Development), defining the technical chains of communication in the organizational structure (Organization), providing equipment specifically designed to conduct medical surveillance (Materiel), and including medical surveillance into military occupational specialty proficiency tasks (Soldier Systems).