Like participants in all wars, many of these service members find themselves in highly stressful -- even traumatic -- situations. And the effects of exposure to the stress and trauma can linger long after they've left the war zone behind. For many returning service members, homecoming turns out to be considerably more difficult and complicated than expected.
The troops fighting the two current wars face certain challenges not encountered by participants in prior wars:
- Multiple deployments have become commonplace.
- The line between combat troops and support personnel has been blurred. With no clear "front," everyone sent to the war zone -- even those safe inside supposed "green zones" -- faces 24-hour-a-day risks and stressors from suicide attacks, roadside bombs, and other threats.
- And more than at an other time in history, large numbers of women are deployed, and they and their families sometimes find themselves challenged by issues that go beyond those traditionally faced by men.
In After the War Zone -- a Playaway exclusive released earlier this week -- authors Matthew Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., and Laurie Slone, Ph.D., offer a highly practical guide to homecoming for both service members and their loved ones.
Both of the authors are affiliated with the VA National Center for PTSD (where Friedman serves as Executive Director and Slone as Associate Director for Research and Education). And both also serve on the faculty of the Dartmouth Medical School.
It's a book that can be read by service members and their families both before and after deployment.
An awful lot of service members are already familiar with Playaway, since, through the Department of Defense's Family Morale Welfare and Recreation Program, we send over 16,000 units a month directly to troops in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan. (See my earlier posting on this program.) So don't be surprised if some of these service members show up at your library looking for Playaways once they've returned home. After the War Zone -- both the print and the Playaway editions -- would be an excellent additon to any public library collection. Library Journal called it "essential for all libraries." In addition to helpful suggestions for military personnel, it can also be of use to first responders and other people engaged in high-risk, high-stress professions.
In a similar vein, Playaway also offers Down Range: to Iraq and Back by Bridget Cantrell and Chuck Dean. Cantrell, a Ph.D. psychologist who has worked with thousands of deploying and returning service members, and Dean, a Vietnam combat veteran and former Army Ranger drill instructor, offer insight and advice on the homecoming process with particular emphasis on the specific challenges faced by those who serve in Iraq.
Down Range has been distributed to troops in the field through the MWR program and is also available free of charge to military families through the Military OneSource website.
And later this year, look for two more titles on Playaway from Dr. Cantrell -- Souls Under Siege: The Effects of Multiple Troop Deployment and How to Weather the Storm and Once a Warrior - Wired for Life (co-authored with Chuck Dean).
For more information about Bridget Cantrell, visit Hearts Toward Home International.
An interesting interview with Matthew Friedman on Vermont Public Radio is available here.
Posted by David Perrotta, MLIS
Playaway Senior Content Strategist
Twitter: david_perrotta
