aerospace medicine m ^ JULY-AUGUST 1968 air u n I ve r s ity R KYI EW THE PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE Aer o spac e Me d ic in e ......................................................................................................................................................2 Maj. Gen. Charles H. Roadman, usaf (mc ) M edica l Eval uation of Ast r o n a ut s and USAF T est Pil o t s ....................................................6 Col. Timothy N. Caris, usaf (mc ) T oxicolocy Consideration in Ext ended Aer o spac e Flight.......................................................... 16 Dr. A. A. Thomas T he Physiological Clock Across Tim e Zones and Beyo n d..........................................................28 Dr. Hubertus Strughold D evel o pmen t of Aer o spac e Esc a pe Syst ems.................................................................................................34 James W. Brinkley Post-Vie t n a m Role of the Mil it a r y in Foreign Policy................................................................ 50 Cen. Maxwell D. Taylor, USA (Ret) V ie t n a m : O ur World War II L ec a c y............................................................................................................. 59 Maj. John F. McMahon, Jr., usaf S trategic Stability................................................................................................................................................... 67 Mrs. Amoretta M. Hoeber On C lausewitz and the Appl ic a t io n of F orce...................................................................................... 74 Dr. Robert D. Miewald S yst em Ma n a gemen t and Logistics................................................................................................................... 79 Maj. Graham W. Rider, usaf In My Opinion W hy the VTOL F ig h t e r ? ................................................................................................................................ 86 Lt. Col. Kennith F. Hite, usaf On L ea r n ing from the Soviets............................................................................................................. 92 Maj. Robert H. Kelley, usaf Books and Ideas Civ ic Action—A W ea pon for Pea c e.................................................................................................97 Maj. Laun C. Smith, Jr., usaf T he Contributors....................................................................................................................................................101 the cover Address manuscripts to: Editor, Air Univer- With the advent of manned space flight early sity Review, Aerospace Studies Institute. Max- in this decade, aerospace medicine came into well Air Force Base, Ala. 36112. Printed by Government Printing Office, Washington, D C. its own. Through intensive scientific research, Subscriptions are sold by Air University man has been enabled not only to withstand 7 ?°^ Maxwell Air Force Base. the alien conditions of space but also to Ala. 36112: yearly $4.50. back issues 75 understand hitherto unknown aspects of the cents. USAF rbcubbinc pu bl ic a t io n 50-2. human organism. In this issue, Major Gen- eral Charles H. Roadman, Commander, Aero- space Medical Division, AFSC, and several Vol. XIX No. 5 of his specialists discuss some of the Air Force J uly-August 1968 contributions to that body of knowledge. AEROSPACE MEDICINE M ajor Gen er a l Charles H. Roadman • In this issue, Air University Review presents several aspects of aerospace medicine. First is an introductory overview by Major General Charles H. Roadman as Commander of Aero- Space Medical Division, Air Force Systems Command. The succeeding articles deal with areas that are receiving intensive ; study because of their applicability to current and future USAF and NASA aerospace programs. Colonel Timothy N. Caris ex- plains some of the techniques used in medical evaluation of astro- nauts and test pilots. Dr. A. A. Thomas discusses toxicology factors affecting occupants of closed cabins during extended space flight. Dr. Hubertus Strughold sees a problem in man’s reactions to time cycles different from the normal 24-hour, day-night cycle. And Mr. James W. Brinkley describes the work in developing escape systems for aerospace vehicles. INCE man’s first feeble efforts to lift health standards of this country have been himself on fragile wings, medical men derived from sick people, for they were the S have had a part in his struggle to con- ones most in contact with the nation’s physi- quer aerospace. Military men had been flying cians. We are now dealing with very healthy onlv a few months during World War I when people, we have amassed considerable infor- it was discovered that over half of all pilot mation about their normal state of health, and casualties were directly attributable to the thus we are establishing new health standards. physical unfitness of the man for flying duty A case in point, during the past few years rather than to mechanical or other external we have found that one of the peculiarities of causes. an electrocardiogram tracing that had been Although the term “aerospace medicine” thought to be indicative of heart disease is in is relatively new, aerospace medicine as a sepa- fact benign. The result is that we have several rate technical discipline began in America thousand pilots flying today who might have early in 1918 with the establishment of the been grounded because of their electrocardio- Army Medical Research Laboratory at Hazel- gram interpretation a few years ago. hurst Field on Long Island. The history of this Another important facet of our medical discipline can be traced through the last fifty evaluation program is that we are actually do- years by following the development of that lab- ing predictive medicine. The astronaut or aero- oratory into what is today the usaf School of space test pilot who takes his initial medical Aerospace Medicine. The school and asso- evaluation today will not go into space for an- ciated units that make up the Aerospace Medi- other four to five years. Our job is to predict cal Division ( amd) of the Air Force Systems his fitness at that time. Command, together with the personnel who In the area of environmental control, amd have served in them over the years, have has for several years been involved in research played a key role in the development of aero- to determine the best gaseous mixture and the space medicine. best possible pressure for a specific space cabin Aerospace medicine today encompasses on a given mission. In an effort to determine specialty areas that did not exist fifty years ago, man’s ability to survive and perform normally primarily because we did not know as much in an atmosphere that can be provided by the about the human body as we know today. The engineers, some of our more comprehensive progress in aerospace operations has also re- studies have required human volunteer sub- sulted in physiological stresses being applied jects to remain in space-cabin atmospheres for to the human body that could not have been up to sixty days. During this time we not only foreseen fifty years ago. Both these factors have study their ability to survive and perform but influenced the efforts of aerospace medical per- also do detailed analysis of their bodies’ ability sonnel. Most of the research work being done to metabolize certain space foods while in this in aerospace medicine falls within three very environment. broad categories: medical evaluation, environ- We as a nation are becoming more and mental control, and physiological stresses im- more conscious of the air we breathe and the posed by aerospace operations. possible contaminants that it might contain. It The physical standards that were devel- is important to realize, of course, that we are oped for the early aviator were considerably surrounded by and exposed to materials that simpler than those used today. The earlier were not even known fifty years ago, and some medical evaluation procedures were also less of the simplest of our everyday, materials can sophisticated. As we learn more about the hu- become toxic in such confined quarters as a man body and the physiological stresses im- space cabin, amd has expended a considerable posed by contemporary aerospace operations, amount of its resources in recent years to deter- we are modifying our standards. In the process, mine the toxicity of various materials in con- we are developing completely new standards fined quarters and the possible effect of long- for the healthy human being. Traditionally, the range exposure on the human body. These The Aerospace Medical Division of Air Force Systems Command and the USAF School of Aero- space Medicine share these facilities at Brooks Air Force Base, Texas, as well as the threefold mission of research, education, and clinical evaluation in the field of aerospace medicine. studies will provide some basic data to the na- the main problem was to push oneself over the tion’s clean air program. side in such a way as to avoid the vertical or Almost from the beginning, medical per- horizontal stabilizer. Escape from the aero- sonnel have been concerned with the physio- space craft of today and tomorrow imposes logical stresses imposed by aerial flight on the problems that make a “step over the side im- human body. These stresses manifest them- possible. selves in many ways, and they become more We are now flying at speeds and altitudes important as our aircraft fly faster and higher. that