Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)/Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Psychiatric MEDEVACS

The safe aeromedical evacuation of military casualties from combat theater is one of the most important missions of the U.S. Air Force Medical Service during times of military conflict. Approximately 10 of all patients aeromedically evacuated over the past 10 years from Operation Enduring Freedom OEF and Operation Iraqi Freedom OIF have been psychiatric patients. The purpose of this study was to conduct a retrospective database review and analysis of OIFOEF psychiatric aeromedical evacuations from 2001 to 2013 to determine the medical and military career consequences of psychiatric aeromedical evacuation. The primary study objectives were to describe the pre-deployment, during deployment, and post-deployment medical and mental health treatment history of service members returned from deployment for psychiatric reasons. A secondary objective was to assess the relationship between diagnoses at the time of evacuation and service members assigned classification in the aeromedical patient classification system. All research subjects were active duty U.S. military personnel who were evacuated from the OIFOEF combat theater for psychiatric-related events between 2001 and 2013. Psychiatric-related events were defined by using 1A, 1B, or 1C movement classification codes for air evacuation.