FAQ For Service members (Page 3)

All Service members who have returned from deployment since September 11, 2001, will have the opportunity to participate in this health reassessment. In most cases, your commander will contact you when you are eligible to participate in the PDHRA. However, if you feel you are in need of immediate medical advice or attention, you do not have to wait to complete the PDHRA in order to access care. Please contact your health care provider directly if any health care concerns arise at any time post-deployment.

Every Service member who returns from a deployment goes through what is called a Post-Deployment Health Assessment, or PDHA. The PDHA includes an educational program called a medical threat debriefing, completion of a series of questions about your health and your experiences during deployment, and a visit with a health care professional. That part is very similar to what you can expect with the PDHRA. But at that moment in time, answering a bunch of questions was probably not your top priority. You may have felt differently then about your health than you do now. You wanted to go home just like everyone else. Now that you’ve been home, your health status may have changed. You have had time to readjust and to focus on your family, your work, and your health. It’s a less hectic time to consider how you feel, reflect on how deployment affected your health and wellbeing and how the readjustment process itself may have affected your health and your life.

Your family’s peace of mind is an important part of your own well-being. Some family members worry about how deployments can affect their loved one’s health. When you complete the PDHRA, you can reassure them that any health concerns you have receive professional attention.

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