The Combat Experience Log: A web-based system for the in theater assessment of war zone stress

This article presents preliminary data on the Combat Experience Log (CEL) – a web-based prospective data collection system for the in theater assessment of war zone stressors and stress reactions. 177 U.S. Army soldiers deployed to Iraq took part in the study. The overall response rate was 90.1% and the majority of CEL responders perceived the CEL system to be quite easy and convenient to use, and relevant to their war-zone experiences. Preliminary data on stress reactions, CEL utilization and soldier satisfaction are encouraging and suggest that the CEL assessment system offers a potentially useful assessment tool for enhancing our understanding of war-zone stress experiences and their contribution to PTSD and other combat stress disorders.

► Assessment of war zone stress has relied on questionnaires completed after soldiers return from war. ► We tested a web-based system for assessing war zone stress “during” soldiers’ deployment to Iraq. ► Results revealed that 90% of the soldiers completed one or more assessments (mean = 6.1). ► Soldiers perceived the CEL system to be easy to use and relevant to their war-zone experiences.