The Mosquito Can Be More Dangerous than the Mortar Round

Authors

Arthur M. Smith
Craig Hooper

Abstract

These words, penned in 1943 by the commander in chief of British forces in Burma during World War II, underline the reality that losses to malaria and other preventable diseases among Allied forces operating in the China-Burma- India theater far exceeded the number of casualties inflicted by enemy action.1 Today, as the global war on terrorism evolves, a similar failure to appreciate noncombat environmental threats—including mosquitoes and other disease- carrying insect vectors—will once again degrade combat effectiveness of deployed forces.

Recommended Citation

Smith, Arthur M. and Hooper, Craig (2005) "The Mosquito Can Be More Dangerous than the Mortar Round," Naval War College Review: Vol. 58: No. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/nwc-review/vol58/iss1/5