US forces in combat stress

"It's not something we'd even look at in the first six months," said Major Blain Reeves, Commanding Officer for the 1st Battalion 101st Airborne Division based here in the northern deserts of Iraq.

But he said a decision in Washington to extend tours of duty in Iraq from six months to a year had led to programmes being established to reduce fatigue over the longer term.

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This includes R and R (rest and recuperation) with two-week trips home and more down time at base camp, as well as building-up facilities with modern conveniences such as television, Internet, movies, clubs and, where possible, a swimming pool.

"Obviously this is something we've looked clearly at," Reeves said.

Despite the military's best efforts, combat stress is looming as a major factor if Washington and senior brass are to maintain morale.

Staff Sergeant Jon Thibodeau said every soldier in Iraq will endure a mild case of combat stress at some point, and this had been compounded by the style of warfare being waged by anti-US forces.

He said the invasion of Iraq was easier to deal with because it involved set tasks, which married with the troops' expectations in the field.

But now soldiers are faced with ambushes and the dreaded "improvised explosive devices" or roadside bombs and booby-traps which Thibodeau, a medic, said was unnerving for the troops.

"And if they decided to extend our tours by another six months then that will really put everyone on edge," he said.

Symptoms of mild combat stress include being startled by sudden sounds, irritability, vomiting and anxiety attacks.

"It's the thousand yard stare you see in some men," Thibodeau said.

He said mild cases were common with only handful of moderate to severe cases being reported in Iraq.

Mild combat stress is brought about more by fear of what might happen, such as dying, of not doing a job that could lead to someone's death or fear of killing an opponent.

Reeves said this plus a routine of 24 hours a day, seven days a week demanded by the military where "your living on top of each other," and time out to relax becomes mandatory.

However, extreme cases can prove tragic and are often brought on by a severe experience where a soldier endures a pain that could be delivered by killing, or witnessing a scene he could never cope with again.