Since the First World War, nations have struggled with deployments, retention and their effects on the overall wellbeing of combatants. The consequencies of long stay in the combat zone manifested on a global scale during the first world war when troops exhibited battle fatigue as a result.
This discovery led to the coinage of the classical term ‘shell shock’. Other terms that gained currency were ‘combat fatigue’, ‘combat stress’ or ‘combat neurosis’ which refer to a ‘mental disorder caused by stress of active warfare or a psychiatric condition characterized by fatigue caused by battle’.
In the first and second world wars, Allied Forces were found to suffer from conditions indicative of battle fatigue. These condition among troops has continued through various operational deployments and retention of troops in different combat zones.
From Vietnam through the Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm, to Afghanistan, Iraq and deployments in different theatres of operation around the world, battle stress has led to high rates of suicide and homicide among veterans in the United States.
Apart from deployment under the West African Frontier Force, Nigeria as an independent country started sending troops to peacekeeping operations in the 1960s. But the first major deployment of troops was during the Nigerian Civil War.
Since the end of civil war, Nigeria has gained global recognition as a major troop contributing nation in Peace Support Operations. Nigeria, also in line with her Afro-centric foreign policy, played a leading role in restoring law and order in Liberia and Sierra Leone through ECOMOG.
In the 1990s, Nigerian troops were deployed to the disputed Bakkassi Pennisula to secure the area from Cameroonian gerdames until, regrettably, they were withdrawn and the territory ceded to Cameroon during the Obasanjo administration.
Nigeria has also deployed troops to the Niger Delta to fight militancy in the area. Since 1999 there have been various internal security challenges in different parts of the country requiring the full deployment of the military in almost all the 36 states and FCT. The major area of deployment of troops is the North east where Nigeria has been battling Boko Haram terrorists for a decade now.
There is nogainsay that the challenge of strategic and operational commanders would obviously be how to reduce the long stay of combatants in combat zones.
While the global standard for duration of troops in theatre of operations is between 6 to 15 months, most nations are unable to abide by this due to many factors such as lack of manpower in the rear to replace the fighting force in the frontline, and unintended long duration of an operation. For instance, strategic war planners at the Pentagon in the United States, didn’t anticipate that the operations in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq would take the time they lasted. Further to this, the strategic leaders also didn’t anticipate the high casualty levels of the operations and the negative impact on the combatants.
Like the United States, Nigeria has also been battling with unintended consequencies of long operations such as ECOMOG in Liberia and Sierra Leone. While Nigeria troops were deployed to keep peace and restore law and order within a short period, it turned out to be outright war and long stretches of battle.
Researches and personal interactions with combatants who fought in Liberia and Seirra Leone have proven that many Nigerians officers and men were involved in the operations for over three years. Indeed, some never returned. And those who returned had to work hard to regain their families. It was not the age of GSM and therefore the only means of communication was letters or verbal messages through returnees.
Today, Nigeria has a major operation similar to the deployments to Liberia and Sierra Leone. The operation in the North East started in 2009 and has gone on for one decade. This has invariably led to multiple deployments and long stay of troops in the frontlines. This will also no doubt have negative impact on the troops and usually leads to stress as a result of battle fatigue.
Stress associated with long stay in the theatre of operations is a global phenomenon and developed countries have identified it as ‘war wound’, which deserves special attention and treatment. The UK, US, Germany, Cananda, Russia, France have identified means to ameliorate ‘war wounds’, but this is hardly the case with Nigeria.
With increasing cases of soldiers going beserk either in combat zone or unleashing anger on their families as result of battle fatigue or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD, there is clearly a need for a critical appraisal of pre-deployment, post deployment, reintegration and management of troops and their families.
At strategic levels, the military should evolve new ways of cushioning the effects of stress associated with combat deployment.
There is need for more recruitment of officers and men who are ready to fight. In addition to pre-deployment training physical and mental fitness as well as aclamitazation at Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, and Nigerian Army Special Forces Training School, Buni Yadi, there should be counseling for troops at all phases of deployment.
Commanders at operational and tactical levels must continuously provide battleground supports to troops under their charge. In the same manner, Rear Commanders at unit levels should educate and counsel families of deployed troops on how to manage expectations and communicate with their spouses in the frontlines.
There is also need for women associations such as DEPOWA, NAOWA, NOWA, NAFOWA, and magajiyas to assist in counseling and social support to families of deployed troops.
Above all, Nigerians must continue to support and encourage the troops through positive comments on both traditional and online media.
