Fatigue Management

B Sqn 5 Avn Regt achieved 1000 operational flying hours
on 28 Oct 99. This indicates an ROE of about 700 hrs per
month. The operational tempo is still high and mental
fatigue is of some concern. Although people are getting
sufficient rest, there is some indication that two months
(including Tindal) of deployment, tasking and
maintaining is taking its toll.
5 Avn Regt, East Timor,
War Diary Entry, 1999
The trend clearly represented in Figure 1 is consistent with a general view
that the first six weeks of the deployment in East Timor was characterised by
extremely heavy workloads and a consequent high level of sleep deprivation.
After the six week period, there was a notable decrease in operational tempo
for many personnel as units became familiar with the area of operations and
routines were established. Other factors also contributed to initial high levels
of fatigue including the strain of uncertainty (particularly about the actual
level of threat), the reliance of many troops on hard rations and the need for
many to acclimatise to the heat and humidity. Of course, level of training and
experience with weapon handling are likely to have been factors in the
relatively high initial incidence of UDs.
Sub-units have indicated that soldiers can only sustain
patrolling with NFE goggles for approximately two hours
due to the onset of fatigue. Accordingly, night patrols also
include periods of static observation tasks to provide
individuals with eye relief. At platoon level a patrol
tasking rate of 2 /3 operating and 1 /3 resting was employed to
ensure an extended day and night operational presence in
the AO could be sustained ... Individuals and commanders
should also be cognisant of fatigue and other side effects
associated with the use of NFE when planning operations.
Land Operational Analysis Team,
Lessons and Impressions:
Operation WARDEN/Operation STABILISE, 2000
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