COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Leaving Military: Stop-Loss
Mental stress of troops in Iraq no bar to longer duty, US says
Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
June 21, 2007
The Pentagon could extend combat tours in Iraq despite an official
report showing that hundreds of thousands of US troops who have been
involved in at least one war zone in Iraq or Afghanistan are
experiencing serious psychological problems, including post-traumatic
stress disorder.
According to the Pentagon's own mental health taskforce, US troops
have been undertaking higher levels of sustained combat duty than
that experienced by soldiers during the war in Vietnam and in the
second world war.
It found that 38% of soldiers, 31% of marines, 49% of national guard
members and 43% of marine reservists showed symptoms of
post-traumatic stress disorder or other psychological problems within
three months of returning from active duty. Its report also noted
inadequate mental healthcare and facilities, and prejudice over
mental health problems.
The US has about 155,000 troops in Iraq, most of whom typically spend
15 months in combat zones with a guaranteed 12 months at home. But
that is a breach of the Pentagon's own rules saying equal time should
be spent on and off duty.
This week, Peter Geren, acting army secretary, told Congress that
extended stints of frontline duty could be ordered if President Bush
opted to push the 30,000-strong troop surge in Iraq beyond September.
The senate armed services committee heard that while no decisions had
been made, plans had to be started.
Yesterday, Vice-Admiral Donald Arthur, co-chairman of the Pentagon's
mental health taskforce, said there was "no doubt" that more numerous
and lengthier deployments were exacerbating mental health problems.
"Not since Vietnam have we seen this level of combat," he said.
The taskforce's report said symptoms of post-traumatic stress
disorder and traumatic brain injury - the two "signature injuries"
associated with service in Iraq and Afghanistan - included anger and
substance abuse. And soldiers' reticence meant the problem was
probably greater than research indicated. The report also questioned
the practice of returning troops to frontline duty while they were
taking medication such as lithium or Prozac.
A cut in combat duties to lessen psychological stress was also urged
by an army study based on research in Iraq last year. But that
proposal was rejected this week by a senior aide to the ground forces
commander in Iraq. Brigadier-General Joseph Anderson told USA Today:
"We would never get the job done."
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