Health promotion research in active duty army soldiers: The road to a fit and ready force

In the last decade the Military Health System has changed its paradigm to focus on health promotion and disease prevention. This paper reviews a decade of research exploring the effects of military life on nutritional status and bone health of Army soldiers. Descriptive and experimental approaches have assessed occupational demands on soldiers in variable environments that require optimal nutrition status and physical health. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in the military has risen dramatically and the implications for health, readiness, productivity, and cost demands attention. The related nutritional deficits such as suboptimal vitamin D status likely contribute to musculoskeletal injuries which have a greater impact on the performance and readiness of soldiers than any other medical condition in peacetime or conflict. The greatest challenge in our system for health is optimizing the performance of all soldiers while minimizing health risks and long-term disability resulting from occupational hazards, particularly those inherent to war. •Military health promotion includes optimizing performance and reducing occupational risks.•Musculoskeletal injuries are number one complaint and reason for disability and discharge.•Overweight and poor physical fitness of recruits contribute to injuries and nondeployable status.•A decade of research on bone health and nutrition can inform predeployment assessments.