PROTOCOL: Deployment of Personnel to Military Operations: Impact on Mental Health and Social Functioning

Abstract

operations internationally with multilateral participation 4 (NATO, 2014). Furthermore, there are international coalitions with active military operations in other countries, e.g. Iraq. 5 Third, technological advancements in body armor and other military technology, medical technologies, and military tactics, have increased chances of survival among those who face military deployment (Regan, 2004;Warden, 2006).In the period 2001 to 2008, approximately 1.64 million US troops were deployed to Afghanistan or Iraq (Tanielian & Jaycox, 2008). As recently as 2011, Canada had over 3,500 military personnel deployed overseas (National Defence and Canadian Forces, 2011), Australia had approximately 2,900 soldiers deployed to international missions (Australian Department of Defence, 2011), and Denmark had approximately 1,500 military personnel deployed to international missions and has had approximately 50,000 military personnel deployed to international military missions since 1992 (Danish Armed Forces, 2011). As a consequence of the growing demand for international security, larger proportions of military personnel are being deployed, re-deployment is becoming more frequent, and breaks between deployments are being shortened in order to meet demand (Hosek, Kavanagh, & Miller, 2006).Set against this change in the scope and nature of military deployments are some of the consequences of deployment. Returning personnel will, depending on mission type and/or assignment, have been exposed to a wide variety of stress factors, such as witnessing violent death, physical abuse, dead and/or decomposing bodies, maimed soldiers and civilians, been captured as prisoners of war, or witnessed movements of refugees as a result of civil war. Frequently, military personnel face deployment to theatres of insurgence or counterinsurgency, where insurgents operate using guerrilla tactics such as suicide missions and road-side bombings (e.g., improvised explosive devices). Deployments to such theatres carry their own risk scenarios, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and loss of limb (Tanielian & Jaycox, 2008). The lack of a real frontline of war implies that even support troops face increased risk of combat exposure (Street, Vogt, & Dutra, 2009). In addition, such experiences frequently take place within a context that is very different from everyday life: much of the social support network of the deployed is missing, as family and friends are far away, use of civilian communication systems may be difficult, there is often a lack of personal space, and living quarters may be unhygienic (MHAT-IV, 2006).