The term old sergeant's syndrome is used to describe symptoms of psychological disturbance exhibited by officers in military units that suffer heavy casualties.
However, after prolonged, continuous exposure to combat, they began to exhibit negative psychological symptoms such as difficulty making decisions, being reluctant to accept responsibility for others, and preferring routine, simple tasks over more challenging ones.
These men were either original members of the division or had been with it for extended periods of time, with an average overseas service of 23 months.
When the unit is reinforced with replacements, many soldiers are reluctant to establish emotional ties with the newcomers, mainly in fear of the pain they recently experienced.
[1] In many respects, old sergeant's syndrome is similar to the phenomenon of burnout as the term has since evolved in the civilian literature.