Flag conditions, hydration schedules vital in arid environment Published June 21, 2013 By Senior Airman Benjamin Stratton 379th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs SOUTHWEST ASIA -- "ALERT! BLACK FLAG!" Blips the AtHoc notification as temperatures break into the triple digits at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here, significantly restricting duty for both acclimated and unacclimated service members. Knowing how to combat heat related injuries is important to service members deployed here, especially during the summer months. It is vital for members to understand how to combat these mission-limiting factors, and according to Senior Airman Dustyn White, the 379th Expeditionary Medical Operations Squadron bioenvironmental engineering environmental quality program manager, it starts with what you drink. "Soda and energy drinks should not be a primary means of fluid intake," White said. "These will cause the body to convert sugar into fat more rapidly leading to obesity. The sugar will slow down your body's hydration rate, restricting the amount of water your body is taking in." White said drinking cool water is best daily, but one should not exceed more than 12 quarts in a 24-hour period and no greater than one quart per hour. According to Air Force Instruction 48-145, "Occupational and Environmental Health Program," and Air Force Pamphlet 48-151, "Thermal Injury," the work/rest time and fluid replacement volumes will sustain performance and hydration for at least four hours of work in the specified work category. Individuals should drink small volumes of cool, palatable water every 20 minutes for proper fluid replacement equating to approximately 1.5 bottles of water per hour. "In a deployed location, we need all hands on deck to effectively execute our mission," White said. "Awareness and understanding of thermal injuries is the key to prevention. It's imperative our workers, such as flightline personnel and engineers, who are constantly working in the heat of the day, know this so they do not succumb to the effects of heat injuries and illness." Symptoms of heat stroke include: hot/dry skin, profuse sweating, hallucinations, chills, throbbing headache, high body temp, confusion/dizziness and slurred speech. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include: heavy sweating, extreme weakness or fatigue, dizziness/confusion, nausea, clammy/moist skin, pale or flushed complexion, muscle cramps, slightly elevated body temps, and fast and shallow breathing. Heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms usually in the abdomen, arm, or legs. "Heat Rash can also occur and is a skin irritation caused by caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather," White said. "Personnel need to understand the categories of work they fall under as well so the proper parameters are followed." White said easy work duties include weapons maintenance, manual of arms, marksmanship training, drill and ceremonies. Easy work jobs include combat arms, tower operations, aircrew, honor guard, refueling, avionics and aircraft maintenance. Moderate work includes patrolling, low/high crawl, defensive position construction and field assaults. Hard work includes walking on hard surfaces at 3.5 mph while carrying a load greater than or equal to 40 pounds, or walking on loose sand at 2.5 mph with a load. Jobs considered as hard work include armament crews, heavy aircraft repair and the fire department while responding. "Understanding flag conditions is very important to not only Airmen, but also sister services, military coalition forces and civilian counter parts as well," said White. The flag conditions are outlined in AFPAM 48-151. There are different standards for personnel who are acclimatized to their environment and ones who are not acclimatized. Adaptation to a new climate usually takes anywhere from 10 to 14 days with the biggest changes occurring in the first 3 to 5 days. "The primary notification system is the AtHoc update that pops up on the computers," White said. "Personnel can also call us for a current reading at 437-8865."