[Military care and expertise]

Psychiatrists play a key role in the care of soldiers suffering from mental disorders. In constant contact with the unit doctor, he or she is an indispensable link in their support, both in France and in overseas theaters of operation. Because of the specific nature of the profession of arms, military psychiatrists go beyond the divide between care and expertise found in the civilian world, to take charge of soldiers as closely as possible to their needs, and make a decision on their fitness for duty that is best suited to the constraints of the environment and the mission. The case of a young sailor hospitalized for severe psychiatric decompensation underlines the characteristics of an unusual medical practice.