scholarly journals Coping With COVID: Does Prior Military Service Play a Role for Vietnam Veterans?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 131-131
Author(s):  
Jeanne Stellman ◽  
Steven Stellman ◽  
Anica Kaiser ◽  
Avron Spiro ◽  
Brian Smith
Keyword(s):  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Combat Exposure ◽  
Military Experience ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Military Combat

Abstract We investigated the impact of earlier military combat on ability to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic in 379 male Vietnam veterans who responded to surveys in 1984, 1998, and 2020. Combat exposure was scored with a validated scale, contrasting lowest tertile (8-15) vs. medium/high (16-40). About one-fourth of veterans (26%) reported that their military experience made it easier to cope with the pandemic, while over half (59%) said it had no effect. Medium/high-combat veterans were more likely to report that their military experience made coping easier (OR = 1.8, p = 0.03), but were less likely to report no effect of service on their coping than low-combat veterans (OR = 0.40, p<0.001). All 19 respondents (5%) who said military experience made coping more difficult were medium/high combat veterans. Military experience, and combat particularly, affected many of these veterans’ ability to cope with the pandemic decades after their service.

scholarly journals Veteran Status Matters! Life Course Perspectives on the Health and Well-Being of Aging Veterans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 636-636
Author(s):  
Avron Spiro
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Veterans Health ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Veteran Status ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

Abstract Military service during early life can result in exposure to traumatic events that can reverberate throughout life. Although much attention is focused on the negative effects of military service, many veterans report positive effects. These papers explore life course effects of military service on veterans’ health and well-being. Three used national US longitudinal cohorts (HRS, MIDUS); two sampled veterans from Oregon or from Korea. Three compared veterans to non-veterans; two examined veterans only. Cheng and colleagues found that veterans in HRS are more likely to be risk-averse than non-veterans. Risk aversion matters because it determines how people make decisions and predicts a wide array of health and economic outcomes. Kurth and colleagues examined Oregon veterans from several wars, finding PTSD symptoms were highest among Vietnam combat veterans, the oldest cohort; there were no differences among non-combat veterans. Piazza and colleagues examined in MIDUS the impact of veteran status on cortisol, a stress biomarker, finding older veterans more likely had non-normative patterns than did younger or non-veterans. Lee and colleagues studied patterns of mental health among Korean Vietnam veterans, identifying two patterns as ‘normal’ and ‘resilient’ encompassing half the sample; these veterans demonstrated positive outcomes of military service. Frochen and colleagues compared depression trajectories between veterans and non-veterans in HRS, finding veterans had less depression than non-veterans, but among veterans, trajectories varied based on extent of service. in sum, these papers demonstrate that military service can have positive as well as negative effects on veterans’ health and well-being in later life. Aging Veterans: Effects of Military Service across the Life Course Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

Validation of the MCMI-III PTSD Scale among Combat Veterans

1997 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 720-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee Hyer ◽  
Stephanie Boyd ◽  
Ellen Stanger ◽  
Harry Davis ◽  
Paul Walters
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Combat Exposure ◽  
Response Style ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Ptsd Treatment ◽  
Mississippi Scale ◽  
Ptsd Scale ◽  
The Impact

The new MCMI-III Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) scale was validated on 104 combat veterans who were divided into two groups, PTSD Treatment Group and Non-PTSD Treatment Group. PTSD status was carefully determined by clinical interview and therapists' reports. The Combat Exposure Scale, the Mississippi Scale for Combat-related PTSD, and the Impact of Events Scale were also given. Analysis showed that the MCMI-III PTSD scale had a low internal consistency, but that it significantly differentiated the two groups and significantly correlated to those on other PTSD self-report scales. This scale appeared to be influenced by an acquiescent response style. Further validation studies are needed.

Military Service and Lifetime Arrests: Examining the Effects of the Total Military Experience on Arrests in a Sample of Prison Inmates

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika J. Brooke ◽  
Jacinta M. Gau
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Justice ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Prison Inmates ◽  
Civilian Life ◽  
Military Experience ◽  
Entry Length ◽  
Life Trajectories ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Impact

Service in the military is an important event that may shape veterans’ life trajectories. Research has shown that military service is associated with increased risk of alcohol and substance abuse, mental illness, and antisocial behaviors, yet it remains unclear whether service places veterans at elevated risk of criminal justice involvement. In addition, most prior research treats military service as a dichotomous variable and does not consider the specific components of the military experience that might affect the impact that service has upon veterans. In the present study, a large sample of state prison inmates is utilized to test for the potential impact of military service, by itself, as well as age of entry, length of service, combat exposure, discharge type, and branch status on lifetime arrests. Results have implications for both military and criminal justice policies in ensuring that veterans have the assistance they need as they re-enter civilian life.

scholarly journals PTSD Symptoms Among Vietnam, Persian Gulf, and Post-9/11 Combat Veterans: Findings From VALOR

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 636-637
Author(s):  
Maria Kurth ◽  
Carolyn Aldwin ◽  
Richard Settersten
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Combat Exposure ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
The Persian Gulf

Abstract Much is known about the mental health of combat Vietnam Veterans, but less is known about Persian Gulf and post-9/11 veterans and how they compare to those from earlier eras. Using data from an online survey of Oregon veterans, we examine how PTSD symptoms differ by combat exposure across these three cohorts. The sample (N=167, Mage=57.86, SD=12.09), was largely composed of White (88%), male (69%) Veterans. Most served in the Persian Gulf (41%), followed by Vietnam (36%) and post-9/11 (23%) eras. ANCOVAs showed significant cohort differences in PTSD, after controlling for severity of combat exposure and demographics (age, gender, education, income) (F(2, 157) = 4.24, p < .05). Post-9/11 veterans had significantly lower PTSD symptom severity than Vietnam-era veterans but were comparable to Persian Gulf. There were no cohort differences for noncombat veterans. Future research should investigate why Vietnam veterans continue to have worse mental health than younger veteran cohorts. Part of a symposium sponsored by the Aging Veterans: Effects of Military Service across the Life Course Interest Group.

Military Experience and Elite Decision-Making: Self-Selection, Socialization, and the Vietnam Draft Lottery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle L Lupton
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Voting Behavior ◽  
Roll Call ◽  
Military Experience ◽  
Self Selection ◽  
Draft Lottery ◽  
Vietnam Draft ◽  
The Military ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Scholars across international relations (IR) debate the role military experience plays in elite decision-making. I argue there are two critical problems with this debate. First, it fails to adequately consider the underlying mechanisms linking military service to elite policy preferences. Second, it narrowly focuses on the use of force and largely ignores other ways in which military experience may shape elite behavior. I employ vulnerability to the Vietnam draft lottery to disentangle the impact of two key mechanisms linking military service to elite preferences: self-selection and socialization. I compare the foreign and defense policy roll call votes of Members of Congress (MCs) in the House of Representatives across the 94th–113th Congresses who were eligible for the draft and served in the military to those who were eligible for the draft but did not serve. I find significant differences in the roll call voting behavior between these groups, particularly on issues associated with arming and defense budget restrictions, as well as broader oversight of the military. These effects are heightened for MCs who served on active duty, in the military longer, and in combat, providing strong support for socialization effects. My study carries implications for civil–military relations, elite decision-making, and the study of leaders in IR.

scholarly journals The Impact of Adherence to Treatment for ADHD on the Quality of Military Service – The Israeli Military Experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 183 (9-10) ◽  
pp. e518-e524
Author(s):  
Meital Zur ◽  
Racheli Magnezi ◽  
Shirley Portuguese ◽  
Inbal Reuveni ◽  
Ron Kedem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Adherence To Treatment ◽  
Military Experience ◽  
The Impact

Military experience among police officers: an examination of veterans' attitudes toward the community

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacinta M. Gau ◽  
Erika J. Brooke ◽  
Eugene A. Paoline III ◽  
Krystle L. Roman
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Military Veterans ◽  
Community Relations ◽  
Military Experience ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Police Agencies ◽  
Police Community Relations ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Police Studies

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to determine whether prior military service impacts police officers' job-related attitudes.Design/methodology/approachA survey was administered to sworn police officers in a large urban department.FindingsFindings indicate that military service has almost no impact on police officers' perceptions of danger in the community and suspicion toward citizens. The small effect that did surface suggests that military veterans perceive less danger in the occupational environment.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the scant existing research on whether and how military service may impact police officers' attitudes; in particular, it speaks to the concern that veterans bring a warrior mentality to the job. Findings suggest that these fears are not founded.Practical implicationsPolice agencies commonly give preferential hiring to military veterans. Current findings suggest that this practice does not threaten police–community relations.Originality/valueScant research has examined the impact of military experience on police officers' job-related attitudes and specifically on their perceptions of danger and their suspicion of citizens. Additionally, when military service is included in police studies, it is operationalized as a binary yes/no. Here, the authors parse service into different components for a more nuanced examination.

Military service, combat exposure, and health in the later lives of US men

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alair Maclean ◽  
Ryan D. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Military Service ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Combat Exposure ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
War Zone ◽  
Life Threatening Illness ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Post Traumatic

Researchers have produced mixed findings regarding the relationship between military service, war-zone deployment, combat exposure, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and physical health at older ages.  This article uses data drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) to estimate growth curve models that predict how self-rated health and life-threatening illness vary across groups of men defined as combat and non-combat veterans, compared to non-veterans.  According to the findings, combat veterans have worse health than men who did not experience combat during the draft era decades after their service, while non-combat veterans have health that is similar to if not better than non-veterans. Combat veterans were less healthy than these other men based both on a subjective measure of self-rated health and on an objective count of life-threatening illnesses several decades after service.  Studies that simply compare veterans to non-veterans may thus continue to produce mixed findings, because particular types of veterans serve in ways that relate differently to health.

Validation of the Impact of Event Scale on a Sample of American Vietnam Veterans

1994 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 321-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles C. Hendrix ◽  
Anthony P. Jurich ◽  
Walter R. Schumm
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Present Report ◽  
Combat Exposure ◽  
General Level ◽  
Combat Stress ◽  
Single Factor ◽  
Impact Of Event Scale ◽  
Event Scale ◽  
The Impact

The goal of the present report is to validate the Impact of Event Scale for use as a measure of the enduring nature of reactions to combat stress by 60 American Vietnam veterans. Validity was supported through significant correlations with measures of abusive violence and combat exposure. From factor analysis a single factor (general level of distress) supported the validity of the scale and thereby further use with Vietnam veterans.

scholarly journals WAR COHORT DIFFERENCES IN MILITARY SERVICE APPRAISALS AND HOMECOMING EXPERIENCES

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S697-S697
Author(s):  
Dylan Lee ◽  
Soyoung Choun ◽  
Maria Kurth ◽  
Hyunyup Lee ◽  
Carolyn M Aldwin
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Vietnam War ◽  
Persian Gulf ◽  
Vietnam Veterans ◽  
Military Service ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Combat Veterans ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
The Persian Gulf

Abstract Nearly all the research on appraisals of military service and homecoming experiences have been done on World War II veterans. However, Spiro et al. (2016) hypothesized that there were war cohort differences in military experiences that could affect life-long adaptation. For example, Boscarino et al. (2018) found that Vietnam veterans reported less welcoming homecoming experiences than OEF/OIF/OND veterans. We examined war cohort differences among OEF/OIF/OND, Persian Gulf, and Vietnam combat veterans in military service appraisals and homecoming experiences. We used pilot data from Veterans Aging: Longitudinal studies in Oregon (VALOR) from an online survey. The sample included male and female combat veterans (Mage = 58.1, SD = 12.0, range = 35-83, 30.5% female): 39 from the OEF/OIF/OND, 68 from the Persian Gulf War, and 60 from the Vietnam War cohorts. Comparable to earlier studies (e.g., Aldwin et al., 1994), combat veterans were surprisingly much more likely to endorse desirable appraisals than the undesirable ones, with each of the 14 desirable appraisals endorsed by over 90% of the veterans. Fewer endorsed the undesirable experience items; the most common was separation from loved ones and loss of friends. Most also reported positive homecoming experiences. Contrary to expectations, ANOVAs revealed that there were no significant differences in appraisals of desirable and undesirable military service experiences, nor in homecoming experiences among the war cohorts. In this small sample, military experiences were perceived similarly among combat veterans despite differences in wartime experiences. Most felt that positive experiences resulted from their desirable military service.

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