Deployment: Southwest Asia

Southwest Asia (SWA) is a harsh and unfamiliar environment to American Soldiers. Deploying Soldiers, sailors, and airmen in Southwest Asia will confront a very harsh climate, exposure to diseases, military and psychological stresses. SWA is one of the hottest places on earth during the summer months. Temperature and humidity are high enough to require changes in unit work schedules and rates. Soldiers will need protection from the heat and sun. Soldiers must prepare to keep cool in the day as well as warm at night. The desert can be dangerously cold in winter, especially at night when wind-chill can fall well below freezing.

Although most of the SWA theater is dry, coastal areas of the Persian Gulf are marshy and can be cold in winter. Soldiers operating in these conditions need to protect themselves against cold-wet injuries.

Source: Sustaining Soldier Health and Performance in Southwest Asia: Guidance for Small Unit Leaders, USARIEM, Research for the Soldier, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5012