Special effects of certain types of weapons on military personnel in combat zones

Abstract

Based on the complex of sensations resulting from combat stress factors associated with the use of different types of weapons, three age groups were identified among the military personnel (Group 1: ≈30 years; Groups 2 and 3: ≈41 years). The study demonstrated that age has a significant effect on the nature of sensations caused by combat stress factors: younger respondents exhibited higher sensitivity to most of these factors. The most stress-inducing factors were identified as shelling involving unmanned aerial vehicles, guided aerial bombs, and attacks from tanks and artillery. Military personnel of older age groups tended to exhibit lower levels of sensitivity, which may be explained by accumulated combat experience, habituation to danger, or a decrease in the body's functional reserves. The findings also highlight the physiological and psychological effects associated with exposure to specific types of weapons. The purpose of the study was to identify age-related differences in the effects of certain types of weapons on military personnel who had served in combat zones. Materials and methods. The study was conducted at the Military Medical Clinical Centre of the Central Region (MMCC CR) and involved 136 male military personnel aged 21 to 50 years who were undergoing inpatient treatment. The research was conducted in 2024–2025. The inclusion criteria were the gender and age of the servicemen. Conclusions 1. The working hypothesis was confirmed regarding the complex mechanism underlying the formation of perceptions of the effects of various types of modern weapons. These effects are determined by age-related changes in the physiological capabilities and functional reserves of military personnel, which in turn depend on the total duration of stay in the combat zone, the duration of stay in direct contact with the enemy, and the duration of stay in the combat zone after returning from leave. 2. Age influences the formation of sensory perceptions resulting from exposure to various physical factors caused by the use of modern weapons. In general, the greatest cumulative impact is observed among military personnel aged 30.1±0.7 years, whereas the lowest impact is recorded in older age groups (40.3±1.3 and 41.3±1.5 years). This finding suggests that older service members may exhibit markedly different sensory response profiles to the effects of specific types of weapons, indicating that the quality of such perceptions tends to diversify with age. 3. The factors exerting the greatest impact on military personnel across different age groups include exposure to attacks involving unmanned aerial vehicles, guided aerial bombs, tank fire, and artillery strikes. These stressors predominantly affect younger service members (Group 1). 4. The nonlinear nature of the impact of specific types of weapons on the psychophysiological responses of military personnel of different ages depends on the organization of their direct involvement in armed conflicts and the adequacy of rest periods for restoring functional reserves. This dependence is closely related to such indicators as the total duration of stay in the combat zone, the duration of stay after returning from leave, and the duration of stay in direct contact with the enemy.