POSITIVE COMBAT STRESS BEHAVIORS - …

1 FM 22-51 CHAPTER 3 POSITIVE COMBAT STRESS and war bring out the best and the worstin human beings. The direction which a combatstress behavior takes, POSITIVE or negative, resultsfrom the interaction of the physiological and socialcontext in which the STRESS occurs and thephysiologic STRESS response (preparing the bodyfor fight or flight). The purpose of good militaryleadership, discipline, and training is to bring outthe best while preventing the ,Strength,Endurance physiological arousal caused bythe STRESS process feels very good when it isoptimal. Soldiers describe it with words such asthrill, exhilaration, adrenaline rush, and resulting senseof focused alertness,heightened strength and endurance, and thefeeling of competence (ready for instant response)is called being on a hair-trigger or on the razor sedge.

2 It gives its possessors the winning veterans may rememberwar and their missions in it as the most exciting,most meaningful time in their lives the highpeak against which later life may seem flat anddull. Veterans returning from COMBAT may havean experience not unlike withdrawal fromaddiction to stimulant drugs a period of apathy and boredom, perhaps even of depression, duringwhich they may be inclined to deliberatelyindulge in dangerous activity for the thrill of and has been described as theGreat Game. (Conversely, organized sports havebeen called the moral substitute for war.) Manytribal or clan-based cultures have practiced raids,ambushes, and skirmishes against other tribesfor the thrill of the lethal game, valuing the lootmore as trophies and proof of valor than for itsmaterial worth.

3 Many fought carefully to avoidtotal victory because then they would have noworthy enemies left to the sense of war as anhonorable sport and of the enemy as an honorableopponent arose self-imposed rules of fair play orchivalry. These rules have slowly become theLaw of Land organized civilization, warsintensified and were more often fought for victoryand total dominance. The sense of battle as anexciting game continues at many levels, even inmodern many soldiers, not onlystopping enemy machines but also killingindividually-targeted enemies still gives the thrillof the successful conscript armies and the in-creasing mechanization and depersonalization ofcombat, the game metaphor may be rejected bythe frontline rejection occursusually only after they have suffered bitter expe-riences from having tried to play the game.

4 Thebattle-hardened and weary veterans may still viewcombat as the great game among 22-51 These veterans resent having others who do notshare the risk see them as only players, or treatthe deaths of their buddies as nothing more thana normal part of the of Eliteness and Desire of Eliteness. COMBAT veteranswho have achieved a high level of COMBAT -stimulated proficiency and self-confidence arelikely to consider themselves and their unit walk with pride and may expect specialconsideration or deference from others less are likely to want to do things their wayrather than by the book. They may adopt specialemblems, insignias, or TSOPs which set themapart. Up to some degree, this eliteness is apositive COMBAT STRESS behavior which enhancescombat performance.

5 However, it is also likely toirritate others, both peers and superiors in thechain of command. The latter recognize andadhere to the importance of uniformity andfairness (not showing favoritism) as key factorsin sustaining military discipline and higher chain of command mustmediate between these two legitimate positions(eliteness and uniformity) to gain the benefits ofeach. This is done with as few as possible of eachposition s negative side for sol-diers desire public and long-lasting recognitionfor their hard work, suffering, and and decorations are primarily givenfor this reason. Because the desire for recognitionis so strong, it is important that the chain of com-mand be perceived as awarding recognitionproperly and fairly.

6 Failure to award recognitionfairly (or failure to be perceived as awardingrecognition fairly) can have long-term conse-quence on morale and STRESS within a unit. Mostsoldiers accept the fact that not all acts of her-oism will be noticed. They acknowledge thatreceiving an award/decoration depends not onlyon the heroic act but on who observed it. It alsodepends on the leader to write the will differ in their policy regardingthe criteria for the different award. It is desirableto give everyone POSITIVE motivation by makingawards and decorations accessible, but if theyare too easy to get, they quickly lose theirvalue. This devaluation creates resentment inthose who most deserve the special this reason, higher command mayset numerical limits on how many of each typeof decoration that each subordinate commandermay award.

7 Good leaders will try to assure thatexceptional performance and heroic acts getrecognized based on merit. It is important thatawards be distributed across the ranks,commensurate with performance without re-gards for race or gender. When it is not possibleto give everyone a medal, leaders may writeletters of commendation or, as a minimum, give a strong verbal well done for exceptional of PurposeWar, with its stakes of life or death, victory ordefeat, tends to create a sense of patriotism andcommonpurposethat overcomes pettycomplaints, jealousies, and self-interest. This istrue not only in COMBAT soldiers but also in reararea troops. It is even true among the civilianson the home front, provided they are emotionallymobilized and behind the war effort.

8 They, too,may look back on that time of common purposeand unity with Religious FaithIt is probably an exaggeration to say that thereare no atheists in the foxhole, but many soldiersand civilians do find that danger, and especiallythe unpredictable danger of modern war,3-2FM 22-51stimulates a new or stronger need for faith inGod. If this is fused with a sense of purpose infulfilling God s will, it may lead to living a betterlife, increased dedication to duty, and attemptingto make the world better in spite of the horrorsand evils seen in war. In some cultures andreligions, acceptance of God s will, fatalism, faithin the afterlife, or the reward for dying in a holycause may also contribute to exceptional braveryand disregard for death.

9 However, such faith doesnot always promote good tactical common can lead to unproductive loss of life unlessguided by sound BondingWhile patriotism and sense of purpose will getAmerican soldiers to the battlefield, the soldiers own accounts (and many systematic studies)testify that what keeps them there amid the fearof death and mutilation is, above all else, theirloyalty to their fellow soldiers. This loyalty wasfirst called cohesion by Ardant Du Picq (the 19thcentury French officer and student of men inbattle) literally means sticktogether. The objective measure of cohesion iswhether a soldier will choose to stay with his buddies and face discomfort and danger whengiven the opportunity or temptation to choosecomfort and extreme measure ofcohesion is willingness to die with fellow soldiersrather than leave them to die alone, or to choosecertain death (as by throwing oneself on a handgrenade) in order to save their within the COMBAT team isitself a POSITIVE COMBAT STRESS behavior .

10 Workingtogether under STRESS to overcome difficulty anddiscomfort in order to accomplish a common goal is a good way to build cohesion in a small , such bonding requires a long period ofworking together to become ,the addition of danger and potential death whichcan be prevented only by trust and teamwork,plus living together 24 hours a day for days andweeks on end, forges the bond much faster andstronger. COMBAT soldiers describe the bond,hesitantly or openly, as closest bonding naturally formswith one s buddy in COMBAT the only soldier withwhom an individual ideally can share his deepestthoughts and concerns. This bonding will alsoinclude the other close team members. Some ofthese may be people whom a person might haveexpected (and probably did expect on firstintroduction) to dislike intensely due to individualpersonality differences or ethnic or , once these soldiers haveproved themselves reliable, trustworthy, andcompetent, they become bonded brothers in included in the cohesion does have to beearned by COMBAT performance, but onceestablished, it can lead the team to overlook oreven condone other noncombat-related and Vertical bonding is the personal loyaltybetween peers in the small team.