This will be a long war if for every division I have facing the enemy, I must count on a second division in the hospital with malaria and a third division convalescing from this debilitating disease. The prevention of disease is vital to the success of military missions. Infectious diseases are a significant threat to the fighting strength of our Armed Forces and historically, are the major cause of casualties in all wars. Troops deployed to new geographic areas may encounter pathogens for which they are immunologically naive. General MacArthur's lament would likely to be applicable for American units today with the growing threat of drug resistant malaria.
Malaria continues to pose a major threat to U.S. soldiers and citizens traveling to the region.