Effects of Service in Vietnam on Canadian Forces Military Personnel

While the readjustment of combat veterans of the Vietnam War has been studied extensively since the end of that conflict, no studies have focused on the readjustment problems of noncombatants serving in a peacekeeping capacity. Results are presented from a study of the psychosocial adjustment of 121 current and former Canadian Forces military personnel who served in Vietnam as members of an international peacekeeping force during the period of U.S. involvement in the war. These results indicate that the majority of Canadian Forces personnel have not suffered significant long-term adverse effects resulting from service in Vietnam. For a minority of respondents, however, service in Vietnam proved to be very stressful, resulting in symptoms of a stress reaction called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The importance of war zone and postwar experiences in the development and continuation of PTSD are discussed. Policy implications for future Canadian Forces peacekeeping efforts are presented.