Military 101

Today's members of the military serve in a very challenging and fluid environment. All branches of the military have been significantly affected by an increased operations tempo since combat operations commenced in Afghanistan (2001) and Iraq (2003). National Guard and Reserve Component units are no exception.

The traditional notion of “weekend warriors” no longer applies. Reserve/National Guard personnel may only serve one weekend a month in uniform, but they share responsibility for the readiness of their units all year round.

The likelihood of a Guard/Reserve troop being mobilized and deployed in today's military is almost a certainty. Many troops have even been deployed more than once and despite the promise of a downsizing of U.S. Forces in Iraq, the American military will likely remain busy around the world in the foreseeable future.

When troops are deployed, combat operations present the immediate threat for combat stress reactions and PTSD. However, there are many other deployment related threats that can lead to combat stress or PTSD including separation from family, unit cohesion/morale, loss of income, and leaving a civilian employer behind. The effects are not limited to the soldier either. Families can be put under great duress during the deployment of a spouse, parent or close friend.

Military communities and units are close-knit groups with strict values and norms. Threats to these communities are not taken lightly. Just as the military works to keep service members safe in life-or-death situations in combat theaters, the military goes to great lengths to protect its members and limit the factors for developing combat stress reactions once service members return home.

Some of these factors include the nature of the unit's mission, where the unit is operating (is it generally calm or safe), good leadership, tempo of operations, and deployed living environment. All of these can affect how a service member may deal with a combat deployment.

All branches of the service have been greatly affected by the current conflicts. Services such as the Air Force and Navy have had to assume some combat roles/missions that have typically belonged to the Army and the Marines. Everyone--from the soldier on the front line to the spouse and child back home--has been affected in one way or another.