Morale of US troops in Afghanistan drops

14 Nov 2009, 10:58 am   -   Source: AAP
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A survey of US soldiers in Afghanistan shows declining morale among army units, the US Army says.

A survey of US soldiers in Afghanistan shows declining morale among army units and that troops facing three or more combat tours have higher rates of mental health and marital problems, the US Army says.

A similar assessment of soldiers in Iraq this year showed a lower number of psychological problems compared to previous years, as violence levels there fall, the army said on Friday.

The findings came as President Barack Obama weighs whether to send additional forces to Afghanistan and amid a renewed focus on the mental fitness of troops after a deadly shooting rampage last week by an army psychiatrist at Fort Hood in Texas.

Only 5.7 per cent of soldiers surveyed in Afghanistan rated morale for their units as high or very high, compared to 10.2 per cent in 2007, according to the assessment.

But soldiers were more positive about their personal morale, with 17.6 per cent saying their own morale was high or very high compared to 15.4 per cent two years ago.

Soldiers in Afghanistan who had gone through three or more deployments were "significantly more likely to meet the criteria for a psychological problem" than those on their first and second deployment, the report said.

Among troops facing three or more deployments, 31 per cent were suffering from mental health problems compared to 18.1 per cent of soldiers on their second deployment and 13.6 per cent on their first combat tour, it said.

And marital problems were dramatically higher among soldiers with three or more combat tours, with 30.8 per cent experiencing marital crises compared to 14.3 per cent for those on their first deployment.

The team that carried out the surveys recommended the army deploy more mental health specialists to Afghanistan - where soldiers reported increasing problems getting access to care - to reach a ratio of one provider for every 700 soldiers.

Currently, the ratio is one to 1,123 but officers said more than 60 mental health specialists were due to deploy, ensuring the army would meet the goal of one per 700 soldiers by the end of the year.

"We are making adjustments right now in the request for forces to come within the one to 700 ratio," Lieutenant General Eric Schoomaker, the army surgeon general, told reporters in a teleconference.

The rugged Afghan terrain, difficult weather and the dispersal of troops in smaller outposts required more mental health teams to reach soldiers who needed help, he said.

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