Researchers still trying to determine soldiers' limits
As multiple deployments have become more common over the last decade of war, many scientists have tried to determine what effect it might have on their mental health. Despite many attempts to determine the limit, researchers are still unsure how many deployments is too many, USA Today reports.
Multiple deployments have been a significant issue over the last decade. With a smaller force, a growing number of soldiers has been asked to serve several tours. Military officials say there have been countless studies analyzing the effects of combat, but they have yet to see a clear picture.
"The question we don't have answered is how do we get precision about picking out the people who are really going to be in trouble," Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, director of the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University, told the publication.
Though researchers may not have settled on a specific number of deployments, it's hard to overlook the mental impact of the wars. According to a 2008 RAND study, 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan vets have post-traumatic stress disorder.