Affiliations: 254th Combat Operational Stress Control Detachment,
Miesau, Germany | U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental
Medicine, Natick, MA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Amy M. Mattila, United States Army,
6785 Kevin Dr., Bethel Park, PA 15102, USA. Tel.: +1 412 335 9084; E-mail:
amy.mattila@us.army.mil
Abstract: As military conflicts around the world persist, a comprehensive
approach in managing behavioral health issues will continue to be a key
component of military healthcare. Deployed military personnel frequently
exposed to trauma are well-known to be at high risk for developing behavioral
health disorders, including combat stress reactions and posttraumatic stress
disorder. In the U.S. Army, members of combat operational stress control (COSC)
units have unique skills to assist soldiers and their families not only
throughout all phases of a deployment, but also throughout a soldier's entire
career. The purposes of this article are twofold, first to describe the role of
COSC operations with an emphasis on interventions in a deployed environment.
The second purpose is to present a case study from Operation Iraqi Freedom
highlighting the efficacy of the COSC approach to meet a Soldier's behavioral
health needs in a deployed environment.
Keywords: Behavioral health, combat stress, deployment health
