Deployed War-Fighter Protection (DWFP) is a DOD-sponsored research program administered by the Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB). It is tasked with the development and testing of management tools for pest and vector species that transmit diseases to the deployed war-fighters.

Why is DWFP needed?

Despite existing measures to prevent and control arthropod-borne diseases in military units, diseases constitute serious threats to deployed troops. Due to a shrinking list of safe, cost-effective pesticides for control of disease vectors, new and improved materials and methods for pesticide delivery are needed by the armed forces. Besides encouraging the rapid development of such products, the DWFP program aims to improve the capability of USDA to provide long term, innovative support to military preventive medicine, providing funding to ARS to reinvigorate a mutually beneficial relationship between the two DOD and USDA.

What will be done?

Research at USDA laboratories involves the discovery, evaluation, development, and optimization of: 1) new pesticides effective against mosquitoes and flies; 2) new personal protection products effective in preventing mosquito and fly bites, and 3) new application and personal protection methodologies and strategies.