For the past 20 years – and longer before that – service members have returned from deployment talking about mental health concerns and illness they believed were linked to their time in the military, with many of their concerns backed by a variety of studies. Now, a study that has been following military personnel, both active-duty and veterans, for 20 years supports the theory that experiencing combat can lead to adverse physical and health effects.

Today's all-volunteer force is arguably one of the most highly trained and highly educated in our nation's history. To maintain that edge, it must have a strong recruiting pipeline, one that seeks out physically fit, smart young men and women who are interested in serving their country and gaining valuable skills for subsequent careers outside the military. Why, then, don't they recruit for mental health and resiliency?

Analyzing the military and health records of nearly 23,000 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, researchers with VA and the Department of Defense found little evidence of a higher risk of respiratory problems among those who served near burn pits.

On Aug. 2, 2021, VA announced it would begin processing disability claims for asthma, rhinitis, and sinusitis based on presumed particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia and certain other areas if these conditions manifested within 10 years of a qualifying period of military service. Much of the data for this significant decision came from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), a partnership between the VA Office of Research and Development’s Cooperative Studies Program and the Department of Defense.

The U.S. military's largest veterans benefits update website, run by Military.com, has recently posted an announcement of the upcoming 2007 Millennium Cohort Study survey ...

The Millennium Cohort Study, Army STARRS, and other studies show that mental-health issues among troops can stem from childhood trauma, which is nearly impossible to screen for and something experts say shouldn't necessarily disqualify recruits.

"Women who deploy and report combat-associated exposures after childbirth are significantly more likely to screen positive for maternal depression than are women who did not deploy after childbirth," concluded the study, titled "Is Military Deployment a Risk Factor for Maternal Depression?" and appearing in the Journal of Women's Health.

More than 300,000 active duty and retired service men and women will receive a valuable document soon --not of financial worth but which could be a key to optimized performance and improved health and longevity for the nation's military personnel ...