Operating in Extremes: Preparing Soldiers for Heat and Cold

Military & Tactical Medicine
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This webinar is Part 1 of a 3-part series exploring how military personnel are prepared for environmental extremes in operational settings.

In this session, Professor Tim Hodgetts draws on decades of frontline and strategic military medical experience to unpack the physiological challenges and clinical realities of operating in extreme heat and cold. From hypothermia and non-freezing cold injuries to dehydration and heat stroke, Tim shares actionable insight into how the military mitigates environmental threats through training, kit optimisation, and medical intervention.

Whether you work in expedition medicine, military healthcare, or disaster response, this session offers timely knowledge and powerful field-tested guidance on working in the world’s harshest climates.

Tim Hodgetts is the former Surgeon General of the UK Armed Forces and Professor of Emergency Medicine. He has held senior NATO medical leadership roles and continues to advise on extreme medicine strategy and field deployment preparation.

Watch Part Two here.

Watch Part Three here.

More Information

Length: 24m
Guests: Tim Hodgetts
Host: Eoin Walker

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

  1. Recognise the physiological responses and risks associated with extreme heat and cold

  2. Identify early signs of cold-related and heat-related injuries in field settings

  3. Understand practical prevention strategies used in military environments

  4. Describe the role of acclimatisation, hydration, and nutrition in mitigating environmental threats

  5. Explore wearable technology and its future applications in extreme climate monitoring

  6. Apply lessons learned from military deployments to expedition and humanitarian medicine contexts

  7. Consider the leadership and team-level responsibilities in safeguarding mission success in extreme conditions

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