There is a debate under way about the best strategic plan for our efforts in Afghanistan. General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander there, has reportedly given President Obama a range of options—all involving an increase in the number of U.S. troops deployed to the region. This decision not only has critical implications for the military campaign but also will have a significant impact on the psychological well-being of those who serve.
To better understand how these strategic decisions affect the overall mental health of our armed forces, we need to understand the current capacity of our military and the importance of understanding the consequences of war on those who fight and those who wait for their return.
Much has been written about the strain on our military force over the years since the start of the Iraq War in 2003. While most troops complete 12 month rotations, there was a period of time when our military personnel spent 15 consecutive months in theater. In addition, many veterans of these conflicts have been deployed three, four, even five times—with little time between deployments. The decrease in time between deployments has reflected the increase in the size of the force deployed.
In 2007 five brigades, or 20,000 troops, were added to our military presence in Iraq. The “surge,” as it became known, was intended to be a time-limited increase in the number of troops engaged in the war. At the height of the surge there were a total of 20 combat brigades deployed to Iraq, driving up the total number of American forces there to 166,000 in October 2007. When the surge ended in 2008, U.S. commanders sent back five brigades (20,000 troops). The Pentagon then reduced the American presence further by another brigade, leaving 14 combat brigades in Iraq, for a total of 140,000 American troops.
Over the past six months there has been a further reduction in forces in Iraq but simultaneously an increase in troops deployed to Afghanistan. Today there are approximately 100,000 troops in Iraq and approximately 68,000 in Afghanistan. If President Obama chooses to follow one of General McChrystal’s recommendations, a total of 40,000 additional soldiers and marines will be sent to Afghanistan. Unlike the “surge” in Iraq, this will not be a short-term initiative. Indeed, it is likely that troop levels will remain at this level in Afghanistan for two to three years.
Our current active duty force is approximately 550,000 strong. Why then, are we unable to maintain the current number of men and women waging war in Iraq and Afghanistan? Wisely, our military leaders would like to ensure that our troops have a minimum of two years between deployments, so they have time to decompress, to reintegrate, to recover. Unfortunately, even at current troop levels, most of our military families are experiencing much shorter periods between deployments. Even if we draw down the force in Iraq to 50,000—a number suggested as likely to remain until the end of 2011—our capacity to maintain this force along with the recommended troop level in Afghanistan would greatly decrease the likelihood of adequate time between deployments.
Yet having adequate time between deployments is critical if we are to ensure the health of our military community. This may seem like a self-evident statement, but it is important to understand why this is true if we are to effectively support and assist those who serve our country.
Combat experience changes everyone. This doesn’t mean that everyone who experiences combat suffers from post-traumatic stress or returns with a traumatic brain injury. Indeed, some individuals gain tremendous strength, confidence, and pride as a result of their service. But, everyone who goes to war is affected. What does this look like and how does one soldier or marine’s experience affect his or her family? These are complicated questions and issues, with many variations based on individual differences and specific circumstances. One thing that we can say with certainty is that it takes time—months at a minimum—for this process to begin to unfold. And it takes time for each individual member of a family to recognize, understand, and integrate the changes that result from someone’s deployment, which is why the length of time recommended for reintegration is two years.
Let’s walk through a family’s possible experience of deployment and reintegration. A soldier leaves home for a 12-month deployment to Afghanistan. He leaves a wife and two children at home. Perhaps this is his first deployment. While deployed, he is exposed to combat. He is not physically injured but sees loss of life and feels tremendous stress for most of the time he is in theater. Perhaps he is exposed to multiple IED (improvised explosive device) blasts—and suffers a bit of hearing loss in one ear. While away, he grows close to his buddies and watches as they struggle to cope with the stress of war. He communicates as often as possible with his family back home; he wishes he could do more to help his wife; and he misses his children terribly.
Back home, his wife tries not to worry and focuses on raising their kids. She is sad during holidays and birthdays but does her best not to let it show. She notices that she is not very patient and finds it difficult to enjoy things that used to make her happy. Eventually she realizes that she feels sort of numb. The children struggle initially—regressing a bit for the first few months at home and at school—but eventually adapt to life without Dad. They think of him often and look forward to his return
When the soldier returns, there are four individuals who must find their way back to being a cohesive unit—a family. It is not easy.
Dad is ecstatic to see his wife and can’t believe how much the kids have grown. He is happy to be home but notices that he is preoccupied and wants to follow the events back in Afghanistan on the news and the Internet. He thinks it may be odd but admits to himself that he feels sort of bored with life at home—and guilty for being stateside. This doesn’t make sense to him because he was so happy to leave the Middle East. He has trouble sleeping and notices he is drinking more than he used to. He has trouble concentrating and feels more irritable with the kids. Although he is proud that his wife has become so independent and capable during his absence, he feels a bit left out, as if he isn’t needed any more. He and his wife don’t seem as close as they once were, and his kids don’t come to him for advice.
His wife is very relieved to have him home but things seem a bit off to her. She and her husband don’t seem as close as they used to be. He doesn’t seem as attracted to her, and he seems to be drinking too much. He spends more time on the Internet than with the kids, and he never talks about his experience in combat—although she knows he has bad dreams about it. She feels annoyed and then guilty, knowing he has been through so much. She worries about the kids, who are once again having trouble in school. She wants to help her husband but doesn’t know what to do.
We can assume that these are good people who care deeply about one another but lack the knowledge and resources to help them navigate this difficult situation. Fortunately, the military is working hard to get information out about such issues. But it will be a long and labor-intensive process to awaken our military and civilian communities to the very real consequences of war. If this family is strong, has a solid foundation, and has a good support network around them, it is likely they will survive this challenge. If there are repeated deployments, if there are other complicating factors such as significant post-traumatic stress or moderate traumatic brain injury, the road may be much more difficult and they may experience marital difficulties and even divorce. In addition, if this is a Guard or Reserve family, there are other challenges that must be navigated. They do not return to the military community that often buffers and supports active duty families; instead, they return to their communities but may feel isolated and disconnected to those with whom they serve. Furthermore, Guard and Reserve members often expect to return to the jobs they held prior to deployment, which no longer exist. This puts additional strain on an already stressed family system.
Our military leaders and our president must decide the most appropriate course of action in Afghanistan—a course that reflects the values upon which our great nation was formed. That is their job. Our job here at home is to ensure that we wrap our services and our communities around the men, women, and families who serve. If more men and women are deployed to Afghanistan, we must step up our efforts to educate and support those left at home as well as those families required to reconnect and reintegrate with less time than any of us would wish for them.