The question is very complex. I am not a scientist or an epidemiologist. So I am speaking from experience, but there is also some supporting evidence out there. Today, neuroscience is starting to provide fairly rigorous evidence that change is possible.
It has been known for some time that there is some plasticity to the brain. I think the true meaning of your question is the following: What can be done to change things? Exposing a whole battalion or unit to unimaginable situations will certainly have a major impact. What can be done to prepare people better?
About seven or eight years ago, I created another program, which is now called the Joint Speakers Bureau. That is a program for educating military members that has taken on a very positive role over the past few years. The program's name is Road to Mental Readiness—that was the “pre-deployment” version of the Joint Speakers Bureau. For the committee, the beauty of this program lies in the fact that the instruction is not provided by doctors. It's given by soldiers, by veterans who have credibility with their audience. That's a first step in the right direction.
To achieve total prevention, we would have to move forward and completely change the military culture. According to doctors like Matthieu Ricard—who is doing studies with Tibet Buddhists—many philosophical changes need to be made in order to exercise the brain. In light of all my current knowledge, I unfortunately don't think a 19-year-old man is either ready or mature enough to accept that philosophical shift. Making a young 20-year-old man who wants to serve his country think differently is a monumental task. However, we know that it's possible.
What kind of contributions will research in neuroplasticity make over the coming decades? That remains to be seen. However, the answer to your question is yes. Figuring out how to achieve that goal is a separate issue.