vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvXcfvgbnm,Since the mid-1990s, the Canadian Forces (CF) has
placed an increased emphasis on: 1) rigorous, social scientific research in order to better understand the human factor in operations; and 2) the impact of operations on the mental health of military members. Concurrently, and within the context of both a quick operational tempo and an ever changing security environment, awareness and diagnoses of operational stress injuries (OS Is), such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTS D), have increased markedly. As. simple evidence, contemporary national newspapers frequently include articles dealing with such illnesses, attributing onset to the difficult mission that is Afghanistan, describing the militarys reaction and assessing the impact on families.1 As a result, civilian and military researchers, and the broader military community itself, have become increasingly concerned with the potential adverse impact of legitimate research on military members and with the development of parallel strategies to mitigate risk to participants. The need for timely, rigorous and innovative research in order to facilitate mission success, however defined, has assumed an even greater importance in a complex security environment characterized by counter-insurgency, whole of government operations and multi-national coalitions.2 In particular, the CF has recognized that much more attention and resources must be directed towards the rigorous examination of personnel in order to ensure their ultimate success in the field and, of course, the maintenance of their overall physical and mental health. Military personnel researchers are, in fact, one of the fastest growing segments of the civilian research community within Canadas Department of National Defence (DND) today. Current personnel research ranges from issues of quality of life for serving members and their families, to the effects of increased and prolonged operational tempo, to issues impacting on training, professional development, socialization and retention. Such a list is inexhaustible. Yet how can such research, important as it is, be conducted in a safe manner that minimizes risk to the subjects of that research? A recent, multi-year book project undertaken by the Canadian Forces Leadership Institute (CFLI) provided the impetus for this chapter; it also serves as a starting point from which the above question might possibly be answered, if only partially. Very briefly, the larger initiative involved the collection of first-person accounts, as told by decorated veterans, of the circumstances