Perspectives on history: army dietetics in southwest Asia during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

The Army dietitians deployed during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm exemplified the commitment, dedication, patriotism, and professionalism of their predecessors. Although some were continuously on the move and all dealt with the extremes of a desert environment, were frequently handicapped with equipment shortages, and coped constantly with the monotony of limited ration variety, throughout their experiences these professionals expressed pride in participating in this national undertaking. The purposes of this article are to familiarize members of The American Dietetic Association with the responses of their colleagues in the US military to another of their nation's calls, to relate some aspects of Army dietetics experienced in Southwest Asia, and to identify the lessons learned in that engagement.