Combat and Operational Stress Control.

Combat and Operational Stress (COS) includes all the physiological and emotional stresses encountered as a direct result of the dangers and mission demands of combat. Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) in the US. Army may be defined as programs developed and actions taken by military leadership to prevent, identify, and manage adverse Combat and Operational Stress Reactions (COSR) in units. This program optimizes mission performance, conserves the fighting strength, and prevents or minimizes adverse effects of COSR on Soldiers and their physical, psychological, intellectual, and social health. Its goal is to return Soldiers to duty expeditiously. COSC activities include routine screening of individuals when recruited; continued surveillance throughout military service, especially before, during, and after deployment; and continual assessment and consultation with medical and other personnel from garrison to the battlefield.

Transformation of Mental Health Care for U.S. Soldiers and Families During the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars: Where Science and Politics Intersect.

The cumulative strain of 14 years of war on service members, veterans, and their families, together with continuing global threats and the unique stresses of military service, are likely to be felt for years to come. Scientific as well as political factors have influenced how the military has addressed the mental health needs resulting from these wars. Two important differences between mental health care delivered during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and previous wars are the degree to which research has directly informed care and the consolidated management of services. The U.S. Army Medical Command implemented programmatic changes to ensure delivery of high-quality standardized mental health services, including centralized workload management; consolidation of psychiatry, psychology, psychiatric nursing, and social work services under integrated behavioral health departments; creation of satellite mental health clinics embedded within brigade work areas; incorporation of mental health providers into primary care; routine mental health screening throughout soldiers' careers; standardization of clinical outcome measures; and improved services for family members. This transformation has been accompanied by reduction in psychiatric hospitalizations and improved continuity of care. Challenges remain, however, including continued underutilization of services by those most in need, problems with treatment of substance use disorders, overuse of opioid medications, concerns with the structure of care for chronic postdeployment (including postconcussion) symptoms, and ongoing questions concerning the causes of historically high suicide rates, efficacy of resilience training initiatives, and research priorities. It is critical to ensure that remaining gaps are addressed and that knowledge gained during these wars is retained and further evolved.