Since the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991, the operational tempo for soldiers has steadily increased, whereas the numbers of soldiers available to fulfill these missions has decreased. As a result, soldiers and their families are experiencing increased levels of stress that continue to manifest in ways that can often be destructive for the soldiers, their families, and the Army community. Current mitigation and identification support systems such as the Chain of Command, noncommissioned officer leadership, chaplains, and family support systems have all provided critical services, but may not be expected to optimally perform necessary early risk management assessment. Behavioral health care as a self-referral system is often still perceived as career ending, shameful, or even culturally unacceptable. Our allies have also experienced similar family, operational, and combat concerns. In 1996, at the direction of their Commandant General, the British Royal Marines developed and instituted a peer-driven risk management and support system that has experienced a high degree of success and acceptance among its forces-enough so that the Royal Navy is now in the process of implementing a similar program. The Soldier Peer Mentoring and Support program, as part of the proposed deployment Cycle Support Program, is a model for peer group assessment based on the British Royal Marines psychological risk management and support system. This article presents and describes this project, which has been considered for use within the U.S. Army, as a potential augmenter of existing behavioral health support assets as a culturally acceptable, company-level support program in deployment and home stations.

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The cases of eight Special Forces soldiers who sustained cold weather-related injuries while conducting winter training as part of Operation Arctic Saber in the Northwest Territories and Arctic Circle are reported. Environmentally related injuries can represent difficult diagnostic and treatment challenges in the field. Moreover, they may compromise the overall mission if they are not identified and treated early. Cold weather injuries can also result in long-term disfigurement and disability that may limit a soldier's future worldwide deployability. Mission requirements, equipment utilization, and environmental exposure place soldiers at particular risk for cold weather-related injuries in such austere settings. Nonetheless, with appropriate education and safety precautions, these potentially life-threatening risks can be greatly minimized.