The Eagle Tactical Athlete Program Reduces Musculoskeletal Injuries in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault).

UNLABELLED The Eagle Tactical Athlete Program (ETAP) was scientifically developed for the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) to counter unintentional musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs). PURPOSE To determine if ETAP would reduce unintentional MSIs in a group of 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Soldiers. METHODS ETAP-trained noncommissioned led physical training. 1,720 Soldiers were enrolled (N = 1,136 experimental group [EXP], N = 584 control group [CON]) with injuries tracked before and after initiation of ETAP. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes were analyzed and described the anatomic locations, anatomic sub-locations, onset, and injury types. McNemar tests compared the proportions of injured subjects within each group. RESULTS There was a significant reduction in the proportion of Soldiers with preventable MSIs in the EXP (pre: 213/1,136 (18.8%), post: 180/1,136 (15.8%), p = 0.041) but not in the CON. In addition, there was a significant reduction in stress fractures in the EXP (pre: 14/1,136 (1.2%), post: 5/1,136 (0.4%), p = 0.022) but no significant differences in the CON. CONCLUSION The current analysis demonstrated that ETAP reduces preventable MSIs in garrison. The capability of ETAP to reduce injuries confirms the vital role of a scientifically designed training program on force readiness and health.