Pre and post deployment support

[Ken White]

...The presumption that the commander is responsible for the minute-to-minute care and feeding of his/her soldiers is paternalistic and degrading, imo.

The worse problem is that paternalistic attitude which is pervasive and goes far beyond the mental health problem treats 19 year olds like children and they resent it -- a great deal. it also causes good Officers and NCOs who realize the damage it does to tear their hair out in frustration. So the 'technique' contributes to driving people of all ranks out of the Armed Forces -- not just the Army; the USAF is better about it than the others but all are guilty...

Regardless of intention, this kind of "support" results in stigmatization at the very least.

Even if the CO is benign, there will be others in the chain who are not.

...I think the attitude that mental health issues don't necessarily mean the soldier is "broken" is key to success. Unfortunately, the formal system imputes "broken-ness" as a start-point.

True. I'd also suggest that EVERYONE is a mental aberration to a degree; as long as the person in question can function, he or she should be left alone to function.

As for predicting, based on the past, any future mental deviance or lack thereof in an operational setting. Heh. Good luck...