Reintegrating The Returning Combat Veteran Law Enforcement Officer PDF Download

To conduct research for the purpose of developing data pertaining to the impact of the combat veteran on domestic law enforcement, specifically, combat veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The focus of the thesis is an examination of law enforcement agency responses including training for both the returning officer and new recruit to insure a smooth transition to domestic law enforcement. The attacks of 9/11/2001 resulted in the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of National Guard and Reservists to augment the active forces in the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT). A significant percentage of these men and women are police officers as well as those who are future police recruits. The potential psychological changes resulting from exposure to extended combat operations may have a negative effect on the ability of the veteran to carry out his or her duties as a domestic law enforcement officer. The impact of issues associated with combat such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be mitigated by proactive measures implemented by police agencies. The challenges faced by law enforcement agencies regarding veterans of OIF and OEF are different than those veterans from earlier wars based on the unique nature of the GWOT. The GWOT is the longest war in U.S. history. The burden of fighting the two front war was borne by a small percentage (1%) of the population. This resulted in service members having to serve multiple deployments, often with less than a year between deployments. This has not occurred in previous conflicts and is a side effect of an all-volunteer military. Sufficient time has elapsed since the initiation of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) to examine the law enforcement community response to the issue of reintegrating returning combat veterans to police work. The research includes both quantitative and qualitative results. The following research is cited: A Department of Justice 2008 publication entitled Combat Deployment and the Returning Police Officer; a 2008 Naval Center for Combat and Operational Stress Control publication entitled Can a veteran go into law enforcement after a PTSD diagnosis?; and a 2009 joint International Association of Chiefs of Police/Bureau of Justice Assistance publication entitled Employing Returning Combat Veterans as Law Enforcement Officers - Supporting the Integration or Reintegration of Returning Military Personnel into Federal, State, Local and Tribal Law Enforcement. Chapter Three focuses on specific cases of individual police officers affected by either mental health issues or physical injuries suffered in combat or as a result of their duties as police officers and the agency responses to their employment in law enforcement. Significant progress has been made addressing the challenges confronting law enforcement agencies to successfully reintegrate combat veterans to the role of police officer. Enhancements in prosthetics, a better understanding of PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and treatment protocol and the implementation of policies that have proven to be effective in retaining police officers returning from a combat deployment have contributed to positive results. Litigation has played a role in shaping policy as well. innovations such as Crisis Intervention Teams and Veterans Treatment Courts have played a role in improving the criminal justice system, particularly for veterans. Significant challenges remain and barring a return to a military draft, are unlikely to be resolved.