Tiny Threats, Big Impact: Medical Surveillance Protects Readiness During BALTOPS 2026

In the grass around Camp Turtle, the threat was small enough to miss.

Before service members could focus fully on training during Baltic Operations 2026, U.S. Army medical researchers were already looking for risks that could spread quietly through an expeditionary camp. Some were found in early symptoms of illness. Others were waiting in the environment, including ticks in the grass.

Microbiologists and entomologists assigned to the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) supported force health protection efforts during BALTOPS 2026 by conducting infectious disease and vector surveillance in and around the camp. Their work helped identify potential health threats early, inform preventive medicine recommendations and reduce risks that could affect mission readiness.

BALTOPS 2026 is a maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Sea region designed to strengthen combined response capabilities and support regional security. While ships, aircraft and landing forces often draw the most attention, sustaining the force ashore depends on a quieter kind of readiness: keeping service members healthy enough to train, operate and complete the mission.

For preventive medicine teams, that work begins before illness spreads.

“We conduct infectious disease surveillance in order to determine what pathogens a patient presenting with illness may have,” said U.S. Army Maj. Cody Phelps, a microbiologist assigned to WRAIR Europe-Middle East.

During the exercise, that surveillance focused on patients who may present with respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. Phelps said the team can collect patient samples and run them through BioFire, a portable polymerase chain reaction platform that tests for several likely pathogens and can return results in about an hour.

“Rapid, early detection is important for helping determine patient care and mitigating the spread of disease,” Phelps said.

That capability is especially important in expeditionary environments, where service members live and work in close quarters. Even routine illness can spread quickly if it is not identified and contained.

Outside the camp, another part of the surveillance effort was underway.

U.S. Army Maj. David Denlinger, an entomologist assigned to WRAIR Europe-Middle East, used a tick drag to assess the local environment. The tool is simple: a pole attached to a white sheet, dragged across grass or ground where ticks may be waiting for a host.

“The intent is that the sheet mimics an animal walking through an area where hungry ticks can grab onto the animal as it passes by,” Denlinger said.

The method may look simple, but the information it provides can shape real-time prevention efforts. A tick drag can help determine whether ticks are present, where they are concentrated and what risk they may pose to personnel operating in the area.

During one survey at Camp Turtle, the team collected 10 small ticks. Most were found in one localized area, which helped identify where the highest entomological risk was within the camp.

“Sailors or Marines working on or near that area are at higher risk for getting bit by ticks and should have situational awareness while working there,” Denlinger said.

That information helped reinforce preventive measures such as proper uniform wear, tick checks, use of DEET and continued habitat modification, including mowing and reducing conditions that could support insect vectors.

U.S. Army Maj. Joseph Margotta, also an entomologist assigned to WRAIR, said finding multiple immature ticks showed that the habitat supports an established tick population. That means personnel may encounter ticks during routine activities, not just in isolated areas or unusual conditions.

“That information helps us focus prevention efforts, such as educating service members, recommending proper use of repellents and identifying areas where additional precautions may be needed,” Margotta said.

Insects, ticks and other vectors can transmit bacteria, viruses and protozoans that may lead to preventable illness. In a field environment, those illnesses can affect individual health, unit readiness and mission execution.

For service members, prevention often comes down to simple habits applied consistently. Wearing the uniform properly matters. So do approved repellents, buddy checks, daily tick checks, removing standing water and keeping areas clear of trash or conditions that support insect habitat.

“Most vector-borne illnesses are preventable,” Margotta said. “Simple actions such as applying approved repellents, wearing uniforms properly, conducting buddy checks and performing daily tick checks can dramatically reduce the risk of disease and keep personnel healthy throughout the mission.”

Denlinger said entomologists support exercises, garrison missions and combat deployments with the same basic goal of minimizing non-battle injuries to sustain combat power.

“Performing surveillance and providing force health protection recommendations to leaders, medical personnel, public health staff and all service members allows us to positively influence military operations,” Denlinger said.

During BALTOPS 2026, medical surveillance gave leaders timely information about environmental and biological risks while giving service members practical steps to protect themselves and their units.

“Entomology is a critical but often unseen part of force health protection,” Margotta said. “The surveillance conducted today helps us identify risks early, provide science-based recommendations and ensure service members can focus on the mission while minimizing preventable health threats.”

In an expeditionary environment, threats to readiness are not always visible. Some are found in the grass, in standing water or in the first symptoms of illness. At Camp Turtle, medical surveillance helped turn those hidden risks into actionable information, protecting the force before preventable health threats could affect the mission.