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Kevlar for the Mind: Drawdown could yield unexpected feelings

Q. Since I joined the Army in 2003, I have deployed to Iraq five times, totaling 43 months. It sounds strange, but I’m a little saddened that I won’t be going back due to the drawdown.

A. Humans like predictability. Even though you’d think you would recoil at the thought of deploying to a hostile environment, many service members will pine for the routines they developed over the years of back-and-forth to Iraq and Afghanistan. From a psychological perspective, this is not strange.

For every year spent deployed, the typical service member will have spent a year preparing for and recovering from the deployment. So if a member spent four years deployed, he will have spent eight years involved in pre-, mid- and post-deployment activities. This is a considerable amount of time. It’s no wonder one would feel nostalgic about this past part of life.

Letting go of this phase is also complicated by emotional ties. Service members experience extreme physical and emotional challenges while deployed. Strong friendships are formed, and relationships become the most stable source of support in an unstable and unpredictable environment. These connections are a buffer against the many things that can and do go wrong in a war zone.

Although it can be difficult, keep as many of those newly formed connections alive upon returning home. Use your resilience and appreciation for life in forming new relationships. Remember to think fondly of the good times, while giving pause to the bad times.

Q. I’ve been in the Marine Corps for more than 25 years. Most of my Marines do not know what it is like serving in the Corps during peacetime. I sometimes worry that they will get bored, which will lead to trouble.

A. I have heard this same concern from numerous senior leaders in all branches. Troops who entered service after 2001 are unfamiliar with how the military operates in peacetime. Training schedules tend to be more relaxed, and there’s more down time. Expectations about performance and following regulations might even be less.

To quote a senior leader who will remain anonymous: “I’m afraid the military will have one long party after these wars. Not because of the troops, but because of the guilt of leaders making these men and women sacrifice so much for so long.”

The challenge for leaders after the wars is finding ways to keep troops interested and engaged. If you provide stimulating, meaningful and consistent training opportunities, there will be less pull toward drinking, fighting and general delinquency.

For leaders, this means less time spent on administrative paperwork.

Bret A. Moore is a clinical psychologist who served in Iraq and is the author of “Wheels Down: Adjusting to Life after Deployment.” Email kevlarforthemind@militarytimes.com. Names and identifying details will be kept confidential. This column is for informational purposes only. Readers should see a mental health professional or physician for mental health problems.