UK Gulf War Health Professional Veterans’ Perceptions of and Recommendations for Pre-Deployment Training: The Past Informing an Uncertain Future?

Deidre Wild*

Received: June 01, 2018;   Published: June 11, 2018

DOI: 10.32474/RRHOAJ.2018.02.000134

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Abstract

Background: The Gulf War is regarded as a unique war due to its unconventional weaponry threat and the rare deployment of a sizeable number of British non-regular troops. Using data collected in 1991, 95 non-regular health professional veterans gave perceptions of their pre-deployment military training and their related recommendations.

Participants: The first cohort of participants was accessed opportunistically and they invited a second cohort of veterans known to them known to them and in similar military health professions. Reservist participants (on the Reserve list) almost matched those in the Voluntary Services (e.g. Territorial Army) in number.

Method: Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered at six months post War in the first of three six monthly postal questionnaire surveys.

Results: Overall, most veterans found training adequate or good but some one-third (particularly Reservists) found it poor or bad in content and delivery. The minority recipients of stress management training found it lacked personal relevance and attracted trainers’ culture-related derision. Non-recipients believed that had it been received it could have reduced pre-deployment stress.

Conclusion: Although many of the respondents’ recommendations have been met following the Gulf War, arguably fundamental change to the military culture is of a slower pace.

Keywords: Gulf war, Reservists, Pre deployment Training, Stress management training

Abbrevations: TA: Territorial Army, CBW: Chemica Biological Warfare, SPSS: Statistical Package For The Social Sciences

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