Increasing appreciation of the role of Acinetobacter baumannii in the aetiology of severe nosocomial infections, together with its ability to employ several mechanisms to rapidly develop resistance to multiple classes of antimicrobial agents, has led to growing interest in this organism over recent years. Recognition and subsequent investigation of the significance of pathogenic Acinetobacter infections in military personnel sustaining injuries during the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq has provided an important contribution to the epidemiology of infections with Acinetobacter spp. The following review examines this recent military experience.