2007年VOA标准英语-Study: US Troops Stressed by Iraq Deployments

By Zulima Palacio
Washington
07 May 2007
 

US and Iraqi Army soldiers patrol an area in Baghdad's al-Karrada neighborhood (file)

The United States Department of Defense¹ released Friday the results of a survey on the mental health and well being of the troops deployed² in Iraq.   Producer Zulima Palacio has the details. The story is narrated³ by Mil Arcega.

The study found that long and repeated deployments in Iraq are increasing the mental health problems of U.S. troops. The survey, conducted by the Mental Health Advisory⁵ Team from the United Stated Department of Defense, is the fourth since the war began in 2003. The report's multiple findings were presented Friday at the Pentagon by the Army's Acting⁶ Surgeon General Gale⁷ Pollock and a team of experts.

 

"Not all soldiers and marines deployed to Iraq are at equal risk for screening positive for a mental health symptom,” said the general. “The level of combat is the main determinant of a soldier's or a marine's mental health status."

 

The study involved more than 1300 soldiers and 450 Marines primarily in units with the highest levels of combat exposure and stress. The issues ranged from battlefield ethics⁸, to torture, suicide and family concerns.And most of the findings pointed⁹ to post traumatic stress disorder¹⁰, high levels of anxiety, and depression.

 

General Pollock said, "Multiple deployers [troops who have been sent to battle zones more than once] reported higher acute stress than first time deployers, and deployment⁴ length was related to higher rates of mental health concerns and marital¹¹ problems. Marital concerns were higher than in previous surveys and these concerns were related to the deployment lengths.

 

The study also found that soldiers experience mental health problems at a higher rate than Marines. General Pollock believes that is because Army deployments are several months longer than those of Marines. The researchers went on to say that time at home is important to the mental recovery of the troops.

There is concern among some mental health professionals that President Bush's plans to extend the deployment of soldiers in Iraq could lead to even greater mental health problems for members of the military. General Pollock addressed this issue, echoing calls by Army Chief of Staff George Casey for a larger force. "That the Army is spread very thin and we needed to be a larger force for the number of missions that we were being ask to address for our nation."

The report also examined battlefield ethics, something the three previous studies did not focus on. The study group issued a series of recommendations relating to ethics as well as suicide prevention and behavioral health awareness¹².

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

3 narrated   

v.故事( narrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Some of the story was narrated in the film. 该电影叙述了这个故事的部分情节。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Defoe skilfully narrated the adventures of Robinson Crusoe on his desert island. 笛福生动地叙述了鲁滨逊·克鲁索在荒岛上的冒险故事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

5 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

6 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

7 gale   

n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等）

参考例句：

• We got our roof blown off in the gale last night.昨夜的大风把我们的房顶给掀掉了。
• According to the weather forecast,there will be a gale tomorrow.据气象台预报，明天有大风。

8 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

11 marital   

adj.婚姻的，夫妻的

参考例句：

• Her son had no marital problems.她的儿子没有婚姻问题。
• I regret getting involved with my daughter's marital problems;all its done is to bring trouble about my ears.我后悔干涉我女儿的婚姻问题, 现在我所做的一切将给我带来无穷的烦恼。

12 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。