The “Tip of the Spear” Revisited: Evidence from Recent Deployments of U.S. National Guard Troops to Iraq and Afghanistan

Abstract

The unconventional wars in Iraq and Afghanistan alter the link between military occupational specialties and proximity to the “tip of the spear,” in other words, military actions on the leading edge of combat. We examine the psychological and behavioral consequences of deployment and combat stressors for a sample of U.S. Army National Guard (ARNG) soldiers. The analyses confirm that combat service and support personnel are more likely than those in the combat arms to experience tip-of-the-spear stressors. However, regardless of specialty, exposure to death carries through the analyses as a significant predictor of negative outcomes. An appreciation of these nuances may help mental health professionals provide assistance more effectively for their ARNG clients.