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But the Fort Bragg deaths created a perception problem for the military and prompted an assessment, particularly by the Army, into how it helps combat veterans readjust to civilian society. This week, the Army plans to announce new initiatives to help returning soldiers decompress from their battlefield experiences. These steps include counseling and a so-called cooling-down period.

In the last few months, the Army has expanded advocacy programs for victims at all 97 Army posts worldwide. Fewer than half the sites have such programs now. The Army also has a new system to track military-issued protection orders involving domestic violence. Since October, the Defense Department has convened a group of experts from all the armed services to study ways to help troops and their families deal with strains before, during and after overseas deployments.

After Fort Bragg and with this gulf war, "everybody in the area of family support is asking themselves, `Are we doing all we can do?' " said Shelley M. MacDermid, co-director of the Military Family Research Institute, a Pentagon-financed group at Purdue University