A Review of Force Health Protection Aspects of Lyme Disease in the U.S. Military.

This article examines Lyme disease (LD) as a significant and often underrecognized threat to U.S. military readiness, emphasizing its impact on service members’ health both during duty and off-duty outdoor activities. LD, caused by the bacterium *Borrelia burgdorferi* transmitted by *Ixodes scapularis* ticks, has shown increasing incidence among military personnel, particularly in high-risk geographic regions such as the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States. The Department of Defense (DoD) employs multiple mitigation strategies including permethrin-treated uniforms, insect repellents, surveillance programs like the Military Tick Identification/Infection Confirmation Kit (MilTICK), and ongoing research funded by DoD initiatives such as the Global Emerging Infections Surveillance (GEIS) and the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). Despite these efforts, challenges remain in diagnosis, prevention compliance, and comprehensive education, highlighting the need for enhanced, regionally tailored training and improved diagnostic and preventive tools to safeguard military health and operational readiness.