Army National Guard Units Research Articles

Cohesiveness in previously deployed Army National Guard units: Implications for postdeployment behavioral health.

A major health policy concern of deployed U.S. military personnel has been the observed high occurrence of postdeployment behavioral health problems. Unit cohesiveness is considered one of several protective factors against the negative effects of combat exposure. Studies, however, have not examined cohesiveness' group-level effects on the relationship of combat stressors to behavioral health problems. These relationships were examined both at the soldier level and unit level using hierarchical linear modeling. Recently, returned deployed Army National Guard soldiers (N = 4,567 in 50 companies) responded to questions about combat exposure, postdeployment unit cohesiveness, and behavioral health problems. Combat events were associated with more suicidal thoughts, alcohol misuse, and behavioral health problems. By comparison, unit cohesiveness was associated with fewer behavioral health problems both at the individual level (all three outcome variables) and unit level (alcohol misuse and behavioral health problems). At the soldier level, the buffering effect of unit cohesiveness was evident only for alcohol misuse. At the unit level the protective factor of unit cohesiveness on unit members' behavioral health was evident for alcohol misuse and behavioral health problems. In addition, the relationship of combat events to suicidal thoughts was less evident among units having higher rather than lower levels of unit cohesiveness (cross-leveling effect). Findings suggest that integrative unit relationships better enable soldiers to adjust to combat exposure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Cost Effectiveness of Two Army Physical Fitness Programs

Repeated failure in the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) is associated with lower fitness level, premature discharge, and significant career disruption, at high economic and health costs to the individual soldier and the U.S. Army. We used cost-effectiveness analysis to estimate the health and economic implications of two exercise interventions for Army National Guard (ARNG) soldiers who had failed the APFT, a traditional remediation program and a new pedometer-based program called Fitness for Life, involving individual counseling and follow-up telephone calls. Effectiveness of the interventions was analyzed in terms of APFT pass rates and calculated 10-year coronary heart disease risk. Costs were calculated based on tracking of resources used in the programs. APFT pass rates were 54.3% and 47.9%, respectively, for traditional and Fitness for Life programs, p = not significant. Neither program affected 10-year coronary heart disease risk. For assumed APFT pass rates up to 40% without any formal remediation, both the traditional remediation program and the ARNG Fitness for Life intervention had cost savings without significant group differences. Depending on the ARNG unit and personnel preference, although the Fitness for Life Program was more expensive and thus less cost-effective, either program could be cost-effective and of benefit to the military.

MEDEVAC: Survival and Physiological Parameters Improved With Higher Level of Flight Medic Training

Determine if a higher level of Army flight medic (AFM) training was associated with improved physiological state on arrival to a combat support hospital (CSH). A retrospective study comparing casualties who were evacuated by two AFM units with only Emergency Medical Technicians-Basic (EMT-Bs) to an Army National Guard unit with Critical Care Flight Paramedics (CCFPs) in Afghanistan with an injury severity score >16 in different time periods looking at their 48-hour mortality, hematocrit (HCT), base deficit (BD), oxygen saturation (SpO2), and physiological parameters on arrival to the CSH. The CCFP group had better HCT [36.5 (8.8)] than the EMT-B group [33.1 (11.4); p ≤ 0.001]. BD and SpO2 were better in the CCFP group [-3.2 (4.7)]/[97.8 (4.8)] than the EMT-B group [-4.4 (5.5)]/[96.3 (10.9)] [p ≤ 0.014]. The CCFP group had a 72% lower estimated risk ratio of mortality with an associated improvement in 48-hour survivability of 4.9% versus 15.8% for the EMT-B-group. There is a statistically significant improvement in the HCT, BD, SpO2, and 48-hour survivability at the CSH in the cohort transported by the CCFP group when compared to the cohort transported by the EMT-B group.

Do Secondary Trauma Symptoms in Spouses of Combat-Exposed National Guard Soldiers Mediate Impacts of Soldiers’ Trauma Exposure on Their Children?

This exploratory study examines the associated effects of combat exposure on Soldiers assigned to a Midwestern Army National Guard unit. It also explores the secondary and mediating effects of combat exposure on Soldier’s spouses and children. The correlations of combat exposure with trauma symptoms, substance abuse, domestic violence and secondary trauma symptoms among family members are identified. Survey results suggest that immediate family members of combat-exposed Soldiers with high levels of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at risk for developing secondary traumatic stress. Secondary trauma symptoms in these spouses are a risk-increasing mediating variable between trauma symptoms in combat-exposed Soldiers and secondary trauma symptoms in their children. Results from this investigation emphasize the need for further inquiry into this topic. They further highlight the need for preventive and treatment efforts targeted toward all family members and relationships in order to lessen the effects of combat exposure.

Orthopedic Casualties in an Activated National Guard Mechanized Infantry Brigade during Operation Desert Shield

From November 1990 to April 1991, the 48th Infantry Brigade (Mechanized), an Army National Guard unit, was activated under Operation Desert Shield and deployed to the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, California, for training in desert warfare. All casualties requiring care beyond the battalion aid stations were evacuated to the medical company organic to the 48th Brigade. Each of 727 orthopedic patient visits were grouped into one of eight etiologies: trauma, degenerative, overuse, infectious, neoplastic, congenital/pediatric, miscellaneous, and psychiatric. Each case was also classified according to anatomic region, severity, and disposition as well as need for a minor procedure, operation, or referral. Orthopedic casualties in a reserve mechanized infantry brigade undergoing intensive field training primarily arose from four common etiologic/regional presentations: wrist/hand trauma, knee/leg trauma, spine/pelvis degenerative, and ankle/foot overuse. Many of these injuries are predictable consequences of a particular soldier's military occupational specialty and unit mission.

Group Cohesion and Unit versus Individual Deployment of U.S. Army Reservists in Operation Desert Storm

The common background and reduced disruption among personnel in Army Reserve and Army National Guard units are presumed to make these units very cohesive. The recent Persian Gulf War often necessitated reassigning soldiers from their original units to others to obtain the adequate number of personnel and the right mix of military occupational specialties in deployed units. This study examined the effects of reassigning privates through staff sergeants (E1-E6), some of whom were deployed with their units ( N = 1,572) and some of whom were deployed individually with another unit ( N = 209) during Operation Desert Storm. Possible benefits of keeping soldiers in intact units during deployment included greater civilian employers' support during deployment, fewer administrative procedural problems affecting soldiers (e.g., paying the soldier), and greater community support after soldiers' return. Individually deployed soldiers may have been motivated to go with another unit during deployment (e.g., perceptions of greater readiness in individual military and combat skill and lower readiness of their unit). Being individually deployed was not associated with lower organizational commitment (Army Reserve career intent) or future readiness (willingness to report for future mobilizations and perceived family support).