Force Health Protection is the military's umbrella health care program designed to prepare you for deployment, keep you healthy during deployment, treat you when you need it and provide the best care for you and your family during your entire period of military service.

TRICARE, the military's health care program, plays an integral role in Force Health Protection, by protecting the health of our service members and ensuring that family members have access to high quality health care at all times.

Our commitment to you has three major components:

• keeping you healthy and fit at all times
• giving you and your leaders the know-how and tools to prevent illness and injury before, during and after deployment
• providing the best care possible

Some key initiatives in operation and others under development are:

• physical fitness training;
• nutrition education programs;
• smoking cessation programs;
• substance abuse counseling;
• hearing conservation;
• preparing for the stresses of a combat environment;
• miniature, computerized medical record;
• immunizations for service members;
• testing of soil, water and air for contaminants;
• pre- and post-deployment health assessments;
• advanced field surgical capability that can be set up and ready in 15 minutes;
• armored medical treatment vehicle for evacuation and treatment of casualties;
• critical care air transport (CCAT) teams that provide care and treatment during aeromedical evacuation; and
• telemedicine, providing specialized care to the patient anywhere and at any time.

To do your part:

• maintain a healthy lifestyle -- stay in shape, eat right, avoid tobacco, practice safe sex, use alcohol moderately or not at all;
• know and follow the military skills that will keep you healthy and safe during deployment;
• ensure family members know where and how to get health care and family support while you are deployed.