Effect of Combat on Aircrew Subjective Readiness During Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

The Persian Gulf War provided a unique opportunity to collect data for examining aircrew work/rest cycles and operational tasking as they relate to aircrew readiness in a combat environment. For 4 consecutive weeks during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 18 A-6 (9 pilots, 9 bombardier/navigators) and 18 F-14 (10 pilots, 8 radar intercept officers) aircrew on board the USS America provided detailed daily activity data. Additional operational data and subjective reports of aircrew readiness (the amount of crew rest required before a combat mission could be flown) were obtained following each mission. Multiple-regression analysis indicated that flight duration, time of day that a flight occurred, number and order of flights in a day, and amount of sleep obtained 12 hr before flying aided in the prediction of aircrew combat readiness. These data provide valuable information for air wing commanders, senior mission planners, and air wing flight surgeons to consider when assessing aircrew readiness.