In order to be competitive on the battlefield, research must be vital part of the process.  This includes not only ships and weapons, but the best way to care for the officers and sailors as they participate in the dangerous activity of warfighters.  Naval Medical and Research Development operates both within and outside the United States for the study of infectious diseases, the detection and defense of biological warfare, combat casualty care, environment health concerns, aerospace and undersea medicine, simulation and operational mission support and epidemiology and behavioral sciences.