German army : self-conscious from the Afghanistan deployment

The German armed forces since December 2001 in the Hindu Kush. More than 6300 days of the war in Afghanistan has lasted three times as long as the Second world war. 55 German soldiers have come in the use of killed, Germany has so far cost more than ten billion euros.

A victory is not in sight, a peace more unlikely than ever. The radical Islamic Taliban now control more than half of the country. What makes the more than 90,000 German armed forces members who have served with the use of your health and your life in Afghanistan?

A first response to a study written by a Team led by the sociologist Anja Seiffert from the Potsdam centre for military history and social Sciences of the Bundeswehr. The scientists have men and women of the "22. Quota Isaf“ interviewed. Before, during, and after their use in the year 2010. The topic: "life after Afghanistan." What is also life says: with Afghanistan – with the Experienced and Suffered.

The study provides a differentiated picture. The most striking finding: The political balance is often significantly darker than the personal. So many do not believe in a success of the Mission, on the, at times, troops from 50 countries were involved in a fight that has cost more than 150,000 people on all sides of the life.

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Only every Second able in the use of a meaningful contribution to help the people to recognize. Every Fourth keeps him in retrospect, for useless. Nevertheless, relatively few Respondents are of the view that the Bundeswehr should leave the country immediately – the fear, the violence in Afghanistan will escalate as soon as the international forces, as US President, Donald Trump wished to deduct.

positive feedback

Despite these doubts, the sense of the use of the majority of the returnees has integrated the experiences in Afghanistan a positive self-image: Many say they're up to the challenges, felt calmer, mentally stronger, and would appreciate living in Germany now. They report of a growing self-awareness through the use of. What sounds all in all, a more Mature process than post-traumatic stress disorder.

the finding matches, that despite the high level of family stress most of the partnerships, the soldiers have remained stable. Not a few couples have emerged in the Experience of the respondents even strengthened from the use of time. In fact, soldiers and veterans according to the study, even more than the average of the population in partnerships tied. Also, the proportion is Divorced, less than the national average.

The authors of the study do not attach the same worth to lose on these positive findings, those from the view for which to create the application experiences in the use of psychologically or physically Wounded.

The members of the 22. Quota had to do it in 2010 in Afghanistan with a highly complex operating environment, as it is stated in the study: they had to fight, should stabilize the situation in their area of responsibility and Afghan security forces training. The year of their use, the violence is most intense for the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan. 22. Quota counted seven Dead and 28 part severely Wounded.

About half of the respondents reported that they had been fired upon by the militants, had seen comrades killed or wounded. 36 soldiers had to be prematurely sent home, because of fear, insecurity, and Stress were too much. And every Fifth of the respondents claimed to have directly after Use, and return to medical or psychological treatment.

three years after the withdrawal said, every Fourth, that the memory will be a burden to him, at least sometimes. Some claimed to have become more aggressive, to have more and more private environment to have been withdrawn or to feel foreign in one's own life.

conversation with comrades

The soldiers have developed a variety of strategies, with the experience of the use deal. The most important is the personal interview. And with the comrades, less the with friends and families: Many Respondents are reluctant to burden their Partner with the often dramatic experiences of the use.

Almost every Second has not yet spoken with the family about the experience. Especially combat experienced, it is difficult to open up to others. Open to tell about it only in the PAL circle.

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Perhaps, too, because here is not justified, which could irritate some civilians, given what we know about the war, The majority of soldiers would participate in spite of everything, voluntarily, again in a foreign deployment in Afghanistan.