Veterans May Contribute to Long-Term Health Study

A federal effort is underway to track the long-term health effects of military service, and selected veterans will have an opportunity to participate in a health survey for the project.

Starting in May, the Department of Defense will launch the third and final recruitment phase of the largest health project in military history - the Millennium Cohort Study. Designed to evaluate the long-term health effects of military service, including deployments, the cohort is tracking the health status of more than 140,000 service members from active, Reserve, and Guard duty status until well into their civilian careers or retirement.

"This ground-breaking venture is expected to be one of the most important and comprehensive looks at the effects military service has on long-term health," said Navy CDR Margaret Ryan, a medical doctor who is the principal investigator for the study.

Survey participants are chosen at random from personnel rosters of all service branches. While cooperation is not mandatory, the program has been endorsed by several veterans' service organizations.

"Participating in the cohort will support the long-term health of our military forces, and we hope that everyone who receives a letter in the mail in May will choose to do so," CDR Ryan said. "All participants can be assured that their identities and health information are held in the strictest of confidence within the investigation team."

While the study is entering its sixth year of a 21-year study period, initial data has already sparked interest in the medical community.

"This project will usher in a new era of insight and understanding in the areas of deployment-related exposures, and ong-term mental health challenges... to name just a few of the topics these findings will address," CDR Ryan said.

Funded by the Department of Defense and supported by military, Department of Veterans Affairs, and civilian researchers, nearly 110,000 people are already participating in this study.