Research for Seabee

N-13 asked CNA to study operational stress and postdeployment behavior in Seabees. Seabees experience two forms of operational stress: GWOT deployments and regularly-scheduled deployments to Guam, Okinawa, and Spain. Enlisted Seabees have many more alcohol- and drug-related behaviors than do officers, so the following results concern enlisted personnel. Active duty GWOT unit deployments are not associated with later negative behaviors, unless length of deployment is considered. Alcohol-related events are more likely after long (> 6-month) GWOT deployments than after shorter ones. Incidents related to alcohol and drugs occur both soon after return from deployments (< 6 months) and well after return from deployments (> 6 months). Reservists express more negative emotions after return from GWOT deployments than do active duty. Reservists had 30 to 45 total incidents per year (alcohol- or drug-related) from 2003 to 2007, but alcohol incidents of reservists are underreported. We recommend that the Navy seek ways to expand support for active duty who return from GWOT deployments of more than 6 months, and that support efforts continue for more than 6 months after return from GWOT. We recommend an expansion of support for returning GWOT reservists and more detailed study of reservists and Individual Augmentees.