STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERSIAN GULF

File: 110596_sep96_decls2_0003.txt
Page: 0003
Total Pages: 48

Subject: STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERSIAN GULF        

Unit: VAR. BUMED  

Parent Organization: BUMED       

Box ID: BX303818

Folder Title: USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992                                                  

Document Number:          4

Folder SEQ  #:         13











                    once built, the USNS Comfort *at dormant for several

               years. She had never deployed and her capabilities had not

               been tested. On August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein ordered the

               Iraqi army to invade Kuwait. Seven days later the crew of
               the Comfort was notified that they would be deploying in
               support of United Nations Forces. For many, this

               notification marked the beginning of an eight month odyssey.

               Given approximately five days notice, men and women from

               disparate backgrounds were brought together, sent to sea,

               and faced a potentially imminent war.

                    The USNS Comfort crew consisted of 830 medical

               personnel, including 64 doctors, 3 dentists, 200 nurses, and
               560 corpsmen. Mental health resources for the ship

               consisted of two psychiatrists, one psychologist, one social

               worker, approximately 18 psychiatric nurses, 20 psychiatric

               technicians, and three chaplains. During the Persian Gulf

               deployment, the USNS Comfort dedicated approximately 100

               beds located on two contiguous wards to the care of

               psychiatric casualties.
                    Surprisingly little has been written about pre-combat

               stress and the effects on crew members of the rapid

               deployment that accompanies modern warfare. Accounts by
               psychiatrists from prior hospital ship deployments have

               described the number and diagnoses of psychiatric

               casualties, but have not commented on the adaptation of the




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Document 48 f:/Week-39/BX303818/USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992/stress and coping with trauma of war in the pers:1104960910243
Control Fields 17
File Room = sep96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-39
Box ID = BX303818
Unit = VAR. BUMED
Parent Organization = BUMED
Folder Title = USNS COMFORT TAH 20 MEDICAL ARTICLES 1991 1992
Folder Seq # = 13
Subject = STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERS
Document Seq # = 4
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 04-NOV-1996