The U.S. government classified members of the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MeK), a cult and designated foreign terrorist organization that was listed as an enemy force in Iraq, as civilian protected persons rather than combatant prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions. A RAND study of this controversial decision recommends that MeK members be repatriated to Iran, which has promised amnesty to the group and appears to have upheld its commitment.

This RAND study aimed to facilitate the successful reintegration of guard and reserve personnel after deployment. Data collected from families and resource providers offer insights on how well these personnel and their families fare after deployment, the challenges they face during that time frame, the strategies and resources they use to navigate the reintegration phase, and how to ensure that reintegration proceeds as smoothly as possible.