Abstract

The injury from multiple conflicts during war and peace affects military personnel, families and their communities. In this regard, Total Force Fitness is an emerging concept that is defined as a state in which the individual, family, and organization can sustain optimal well-being and performance under all conditions. The Total Force Fitness is accomplished by requiring the integrity of its components in the mind and body that can be used in state of war and peace. Charge requires us to seamlessly combine the multiple components of fitness in the mind and the body. Within the category of the mind; spiritual, psychological, behavioral, and social fitness, are included whereas within the category of the body, physical, nutritional, medical, and environmental fitness are included. Physical fitness; addressed through endurance, mobility, strength, and flexibility, is part of military culture. Nutritional fitness refers to the provision and consumption of food in quantities, quality, and proportions sufficient to preserve mission performance and to protect against disease and/or injury. Medical fitness, described as a state of general mental and physical well-being, is determined by medical metrics. Environmental fitness is defined as the ability to perform mission-specific duties in any environment, especially stressfull environments of deployment and war. Psychological fitness is defined as the integration and optimization of mental, emotional and behavioural abilities, in order to optimize performance of military personnel. Spiritual fitness, from the perspective of some people, considered to be distinct from religion, however, is to ensure optimal force readiness and protection and enhancing recovery following combat-related trauma. The role of behavioral fitness on military fitness, including substance abuse (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs) and psychophysical behaviors associated with weight and sleep problems. Social fitness, often used metaphorically, refers to the nature and quality of the emotional bonds of friendship, liking, caring, and closeness among military group members. In addition to the above mentioned components, the role of occupational fitness, which includes areas of stress and social influences, and environmental physical, chemical, and biological stressors, as well as family fitness as a concept for the development and coordination of family-centred programs and resources, to reduce costs and and promote overall family functioning and health, are addressed in the present review. To achieve total force fitness, the individuals and commanders need a simple and integrated approach to monitor and provide the necessary modifications for resilience and performance optimization. It is now abundantly clear that if military personnel are to protect the freedom and security of the nation and the country, the authorities should also go beyond the simple idea of having a healthy body, with a more general view of health and fitness, including both mind and body. © 2018 Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences. All Rights Reserved.