Designed on the basis of the experiences of foreign armies, particularly Canadian, the end-of-mission airlock was implemented by the Army in 2009 for the benefit of soldiers engaged in the Afghan theatre.

Initially open only to the OMLT (Operational Mentor and Liaison Team), it quickly became a must for all military personnel, all armies and services combined. Army psychologists, with the experience they have acquired over the years, wanted to draw up a document laying the foundations of this particular system.

The end-of-mission airlock may need to evolve, but certain principles remain, particularly those that will achieve the desired end effect: the physical and mental recovery of each individual before returning to France. These conditions of efficiency are all elements to be taken into account when deciding to open an end-of-assignment airlock. They must meet a need that can be identified on the basis of three criteria: the degree of hostility of the theatre, the degree of uncertainty of the missions and the quality of living conditions during the projection. Furthermore, the success of the end-of-mission airlock depends on certain conditions in its implementation: duration, choice of location and the quality of the personnel who arm the support detachment.

Once these conditions have been met, the end-of-mission airlock can pursue its objectives. They contribute to obtaining the most serene state possible for all personnel, thus facilitating their return to France, to the garrison and to their families in the best possible conditions.

The first objective is to end the mission by encouraging the return to oneself and thus allow a progressive distancing between the soldier and the group to which he belongs, while satisfying a need for recognition. To this end, the proposed activities range from a talk group led by the psychologists to leisure and relaxation activities that allow the soldier to regain a certain degree of individual freedom. Closing the mission also means preparing for the return and planning for the near future with the family. An awareness session on the issues involved in returning home is also offered by the psychologists.

The second objective is to speed up the return to "normal", by raising awareness of the combat adaptation mechanisms that may have been put in place in operations and by providing advice on how to deactivate them. Potential Optimization Techniques (TOP), massage, collective awareness sessions given by Human Factor Advisors (HFA), permeability with the civilian environment through leisure and relaxation activities contribute to pursuing this objective.

Finally, the third objective of the end-of-mission airlock is to clarify individual situations by allowing people who wish to do so to meet with a psychologist, whatever the reason (difficulties encountered in the theatre, apprehension of the return, personal or professional questioning, etc.). This possibility makes it possible to prevent psychological difficulties by directing people towards a return care if necessary.

The end-of-mission airlock is a device that still belongs to the external operation. As a result, the soldiers who transit through it are under the orders of their direct leader. The support detachment, for its part, is armed with personnel coming directly from the mainland and mainly from the projected units. Its role is to ensure the smooth running of coherent programming throughout the duration of the end-of-mission airlock. This clear division of roles between command responsibilities and organizational responsibilities promotes the proper positioning of each and, as such, also contributes to the effectiveness of the end-of-mission airlock.