COMDTINST 3500.2
error, performance decrements, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, Type II diabetes, obesity,
gastrointestinal disorders, and reduced immune-system resistance. While we might like to believe
that we can be Semper Paratus under any condition, this simply is not the case: erratic work/watch
schedules, long work hours, insufficient sleep, and exposure to extreme environmental conditions do
not allow the human body to replenish physical and mental resources, and leave even the most
experienced and dedicated CG member ill-prepared to meet operational challenges and unable to
maintain personal health and well-being. While certain foods (e.g., energy bars) are often used to
provide a boost of energy, these external sources of energy do not replenish the basic physical and
mental resources lost by sleep debt. Only sleep can restore these resources and functions.
Fortunately, crew endurance can be managed, and resources are now available to identify and
control endurance risk factors.
a. Endurance Risk Assessments. It has long been recognized that long workdays and reduced sleep
produces levels of human fatigue that can compromise the health, safety and performance of
operators. Mounting concerns from operators and inferred evidence from mishap data prompted
research efforts to document and assess the incidence and severity of fatigue in CG operations.
These efforts confirmed levels of fatigue that compromise the safety, health, and performance of
CG personnel. In addition, factors such as diet, exercise, and stress were identified at levels that
compromise the crews' ability to endure operations and maintain alertness and performance.
These efforts revealed that many of the CG's traditional work practices do not leverage basic
principles of human physiology that are necessary for members to adapt to and endure work
environments. Operational field tests that integrated basic fatigue and endurance principles into
work practices produced demonstrable improvements in alertness, performance, and general
well-being. It was concluded that crew endurance could be maintained and improved if exposure
to specific risk factors were managed and controlled.
b. Endurance Risk Factors. A review of the scientific literature, and results from assessments of
CG operations, produced a list of endurance risk factors that can promote or compromise crew
endurance. These risk factors can be categorized into two groups: (1) core and (2) modulating.
Core risk factors have a direct effect on endurance levels and determine whether physical and
mental resources are replenished. Modulating risk factors by themselves may or may not
compromise endurance. Modulating risk factors are often associated with the physical and
emotional state of `burnout' because they can artificially sap energy stores and at the same time
retard the ability of core factors to replenish physical and mental resources. The Core and
Modulating risk factors are described below.
(1) Core Risk Factors.
(a) Insufficient Daily Sleep. It is well established that the human body needs approximately
8 hours of continuous sleep per 24-hour period in order to replenish physical and mental
functions. On average, sleep lengths between 7-9 hours are considered within the
"normal" range for restoring human physical and mental resources. Sleep lengths
outside the 7-9 hour range that are not the result of meeting some external demand (e.g.,
work schedule or other obligation) may underlie a health problem (e.g., obesity) or sleep
disorder (e.g., insomnia).
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