Reservists in a postconflict zone: Deployment stressors and the deployment experience

Abstract

In postconflict zones, both aid and military personnel face chronic stress, including boredom, isolation, family separation, and difficult living conditions, plus the intra-organizational and interpersonal frictions found in all work settings. Australian Army reservists (N = 350) were surveyed during and after peacekeeping in the Solomon Islands. Most respondents reported having a positive experience (66%) and fewer reported their experience was neutral (16%) or negative (17%). The stressors reported by reservists predominately emanated from work-related sources rather than from separation or the operational environment. The discussion considers leadership factors, especially the role of organizational justice in deployed organizations, that may influence the deployment experience.