Cold weather injuries among the active and reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces, July 2019-June 2024.

Abstract

Over the 5-year surveillance period, from July 2019 through June 2024, the crude incidence rate of any cold weather injury was 31.1 per 100,000 person-years (p-yrs) for the active component and 6.4 per 100,000 persons for the reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces. From July 2023 through June 2024, a total of 456 members of the active (n=403) and reserve (n=53) components of the U.S. Armed Forces had at least 1 cold weather injury. During the 2023-2024 cold season, the rates of any cold weather injury increased slightly for the active (31.1 per 100,000 p-yrs) and reserve (6.4 per 100,000 persons) components compared to the previous cold season. The rate of any cold weather injury varied among the services for the 2023-2024 cold season, with higher rates observed in the Army and the Marine Corps. Over the entire surveillance period, active component service member cold weather injury rates were higher among males, non-Hispanic Black or African Americans, and those under 20 years old.