The issues addressed in this report as well as in the previous activity report, Committee on Military Nutrition Research Activity Report April 1, 1992–November 30, 1994 (IOM, 1994a), illustrate the diversity of activities addressed by the Committee on Military Nutrition Research (CMNR, the committee). This diversity has required the use of a broad range of expertise to respond to the issues brought to the CMNR. The range of scientific disciplines represented on the CMNR has been augmented as necessary through the use of workshops or special advisors to enable the CMNR to bring the degree and breadth of expertise necessary to properly respond to the subject under review. The committee has been pleased with and is very appreciative of the willing participation of the invited participants in these sessions and of their provision of written papers, which have constituted a major part of the CMNR reports. Many of these workshops have included experts from within the military who have shared their research activities and information. They have been excellent representatives of the quality of research conducted by the military on many of these problems.

The military is to be commended for continuing to ensure that the nutritional needs of its personnel are adequately met during the stress of military operations through its support of nutrition and related research. There has also been interest and support for modifications of rations of military personnel consistent with the advice provided by the nutrition and public health leadership in the United States. The CMNR is cognizant of the desire to balance long-term health considerations with the demands of maintaining performance under the environmental extremes of military operations.

The ability of operational rations to help sustain military performance has been the subject of CMNR review since 1982. Field studies have shown nutrient intake, other than calories, is sufficient to maintain the weight and performance of troops in the field. Complex interactions involving palatability of the ration components, convenience, fluid intake, socialization, and physical and psychological stresses that influence the consumption of operational rations are discussed in the publication, Not Eating Enough, Overcoming Underconsumption of Operational Rations (IOM, 1995a). Further evaluation of these complex factors are reviewed in the reports, Military Strategies for Sustainment of Nutrition and Immune Function in the Field (IOM, 1999b), The Role of Protein and Amino Acids in Sustaining and Enhancing Performance (IOM, 1999c), and the letter report on Antioxidants and Oxidative Stress in Military Personnel (February 12, 1999) and will undoubtedly continue to be of interest to the military and the CMNR.

We appreciate the close working relationships with James A. Vogel, who is now retired; Harris R. Lieberman, who replaced him at the Military Nutrition Division (currently the Military Nutrition and Biochemistry Division) at the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine; and LTC Karl E. Friedl of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command for the excellent liaison they have provided between the military and the committee. They greatly assisted the work of the committee by bringing issues forward for consideration and helping to identify expertise familiar with these problems, particularly from within the Armed Forces.

As chair, I express my deep appreciation to all of the committee members past (Richard L. Atkinson, William R. Beisel, Joël A. Grinker, G. Richard Jansen, Gilbert A. Leveille, Douglas W. Wilmore) and present who have given their time, dedication, and expertise to the careful analysis of the issues and to developing the conclusions and recommendations of the committee. I would especially like to thank Dr. Robert O. Nesheim, who retired as Chair of the committee in June 1998, for providing the strong and thoughtful leadership for CMNR since its inception in 1982. He is a hard act to follow. I also thank all participants in the many workshops who have greatly aided our activities and assured that the appropriate expertise has been available to the committee.

Finally, I wish to express my appreciation to the staff of the Food and Nutrition Board assigned to this activity over the past 5 years. In particular I acknowledge for myself and the entire committee the outstanding support presently provided to this activity by Mary I. Poos, study director and Mariza Silva, project assistant. I also extend my sincere appreciation to Rebecca B. Costello, former study director; Bernadette M. Marriott, former study director; Sydne J. Carlson-Newberry, former program officer; Susan M. Knasiak-Raley, former research assistant; Melissa L. Van Doren, former project assistant; and Donna F. Allen, former project assistant. They have worked with extreme dedication to update and complete publication of several pending CMNR reports and to assure a timely response to the issues currently under consideration by the committee.

JOHN E. VANDERVEEN, Ph.D.

CHAIR