Training Military Psychiatrists to Adapt and Overcome: How COVID-19 Highlighted the Unique Flexibility of Military Psychiatry in Training and in the Fleet.

While the threat presented by COVID-19 was different from the historical battlefield threats and challenges that have given birth to military medicine, it was nevertheless ready to pivot and adjust course, focusing on how to best meet the medical needs of the military patient population in an ever-changing geopolitical environment while continuing to meet and exceed the educational standards that training programs are held to. Historically and currently, mental health remains one of the most common reasons that servicemembers are evacuated from combat zones. The COVID-19 pandemic provided an opportunity for modern military psychiatry to showcase its ability to adjust the educational focus in certain areas of residency training to prepare the next generation of military psychiatrists to be able to face the newest threat to force wellness.