Fatal shooting shows stress risk facing U.S. troops

By Tim Cocks

COMBAT OUTPOST COBRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Experts say the risk of soldiers suffering Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) goes up substantially on their third tour of duty. Sergeant Joseph Huiet is on his sixth.

The killing of five U.S. soldiers at a clinic in Iraq two weeks ago by a comrade on his third tour, possibly suffering a stress disorder, has led to soul-searching in the U.S. military about the effects of serial deployments.

Huiet, 28, from Modesto, California, took part in the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, just a week after completing basic training. More than six years later, he's still here and on his second marriage.

"Dealing with the stress has been real hard," he said inside combat outpost "Cobra," on the edge of Iraq's violent Diyala province.

"Normally, it's just something you deal with. I smoke like a chimney and my hair's falling out," Huiet said, gesturing to a still full but thinning head of brown hair.

The stress on U.S. troops may pale compared with the suffering of Iraqis, tens of thousands of whom have been killed in bombings, sectarian slaughter or U.S. combat operations and who, unlike Americans, often struggle to obtain basics such as water and electricity.

Few Iraqis have access to mental health services.

Still, the toll of war on U.S. troops can be traumatic.