Exploring the Possibility for a Common System for Joint Aeromedical Standards

The Physical qualification standards for aviation service used by the United States Army, Navy/Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard developed in parallel, diverging in many instances due to differences ranging from terminology to mission. Presently, standards and requirements for waiver vary widely between the services, in spite of minimal differences in aeromedical concerns for any given medical condition. Standardization or increased concordance between the services would have several advantages leading to more efficient and effective delivery of aviation medical support to the operational forces. This is particularly true in an increasingly joint operational environment. The authors have identified four major hurdles that must be overcome before the concept of joint aviation physical standards can be explored. These include: a difference in terminology including aviator classification, a difference in mission definitions and requirements, a difference in the processes of policy development, and a difference in the review and application of those policies. These hurdles are explored, and suggestions for their mitigation are presented with open discussion following.