Caffeine for the Sustainment of Mental Task Performance: Formulations for Military Operations

Here's the latest research from the Institute of Medicine regarding the use of caffeine in military operations.

From the executive summary:

The goal of any employer, regardless of the field of endeavor, is optimal job performance without compromising the health and well-being of the worker. Intermittent or prolonged physiological and psychological stressors that employees bring to the workplace have an impact not only on their own performance but also on those with whom they work and interact. These stressors are compounded by the physical and mental stressors of the job itself. Military personnel in combat settings endure highly unpredictable timing and types of stressors, both personal and job related, as well as situations that require continuing vigilance for extended periods of time.

Changes in military operations over the last 50 years have required continued assessment and adoption of technologies that will sustain or enhance physical and cognitive performance of the individual service member. This urgency in maintaining and enhancing performance is fostered by increased reliance on the individual's cognitive skills in the operation and maintenance of complex military equipment in an increasing variety of environmental conditions. [...]

These scenarios can have severe impacts on the individual's level of fatigue, alertness, response time, mood, judgment, reliability in decision making, and other cognitive skills. Increased likelihood of decrements in cognitive function coincides with greater dependence on the individual's performance, and both have a profound impact on the success or failure of a mission.