# Survival Starts with Hygiene: How to Thrive in the Field - LTCOL Gordon Wing MBBS

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cove-podcast-7033630/survival-starts-with-hygiene-how-to-thrive-in-the-field-ltcol-gordon-wing-mbbs
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cove-podcast-7033630/survival-starts-with-hygiene-how-to-thrive-in-the-field-ltcol-gordon-wing-mbbs.md
Podcast: [The Cove Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cove-podcast-7033630)
Published: 2025-09-14T19:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/HVTCV6813571642.mp3?updated=1757562741
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/HVTCV6813571642.mp3?updated=1757562741
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-cove-podcast-7033630/episodes/survival-starts-with-hygiene-how-to-thrive-in-the-field-ltcol-gordon-wing-mbbs
Duration seconds: 2382

## Resource

‘Again, you’re talking to someone who used to shave and drink out of the same cup ...’ In this week’s episode, we welcome back LTCOL Gordon Wing MBBS, the Senior Medical Officer in the Directorate of Army Health. An infantry Combat Team Commander turned Medical Doctor, LTCOL Wing brings his expertise in military medicine and prevention. His first appearance on the podcast covered the Military Employment Classification System; this time, we explore a topic with immediate, practical consequences for every soldier — field hygiene. From the campaigns at Milne Bay and the Huon Peninsula to the more recent deployment of Australian forces to INTEFET in East Timor, history reminds us that disease and poor sanitation can cripple armies just as easily as the enemy. General Douglas MacArthur is famously quoted as saying ‘[t]his will be a long war if, for every division I have facing the enemy, I must count on a second division in hospital with malaria and a third division convalescing from this debilitating disease.’ In this conversation, LTCOL Wing explains why hygiene remains a commander’s responsibility, and how discipline in the basics — cleanliness, waste management, water control, and illness prevention — is a combat multiplier. He breaks down what good hygiene looks like in austere environments, from simple routines every soldier can maintain without showers, to wider practices like dipping cams and medication. We discuss common illnesses in the field, how quickly poor hygiene can degrade operational effectiveness, and what leaders at every level can do to prevent infections before they spread, particular by enforcing strict routines and checks. Drawing on his medical expertise combined with his time in command in-the-field, LTCOL Wing offers practical, evidence-based advi…

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## Transcript

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