STRESS AND COPING WITH TRAUMA OF WAR IN THE PERSIAN GULF

File: 110596_sep96_decls2_0030.txt
Page: 0030
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











               transformed their sadness into creativity and activity.

               They devised systems for interactive long distance
               communication using videotapes, audiotapes, and mail. They
               organized a "catalogue mall" for Christmas shopping for the

               entire crew. Mostly they grieved together the temporary

               loss of their children and their fear that they would be

               irrevocably estranged. For some, this loneliness and fear

               was overwhelming.
                   Case Example: In mid-January, the ship received 400

               additional crew members, reservists who had been called up

               on several days notice. They were faced with adjusting to

               military duty, shipboard life, new jobs, new friends, and a

               war zone all at once. Screening was imperfect and added to

               the tension. one single mother was deployed as a corpsman

               six weeks after she had given birth to her fourth child.

               She had not complained to her reserve center because she

               felt powerless to change the situation and duty-bound to
               serve her country. On the ship, her supervisor noted that
               she was listless, withdrawn, sad, and tired. During an

               initial evaluation, she spoke in a bland detached manner
               about her family and the stress of leaving her newborn child

               with an unproven caretaker. But when she was asked to

               describe her baby, tears flowed forth and she said "I can't
               remember, I just can't remember what he looks like. Itm so
               bad." Within days she returned home. Her departure caused



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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