A Soldier's Perspective

CJ Battlemind

According to Army research, approximately 86% of deployed Soldiers know someone who has either been seriously injured or killed in combat. It's a staggering number and reflects the all encompassing nature of this war against terror. Even worse, 75% claim to have had a member of their own team become a casualty (injury or death). That's a difficult thing to reconcile to a Soldier who has created a strong bond with his fellow brothers and sisters in arms, as RG recently pointed out. Here are a few more statistics that can lead to mental and social problems either right now or further down the road:

* 65% of deployed Soldiers have seen a dead or seriously injured American
* 50% have had to handle or uncover human remains
* 48% are responsible for the death of an enemy combatant
* 21% have had to save the life of a Soldier or civilian

These are just some of the things one learns by visiting the Army's new website, Battlemind. The objective of Battlemind is to develop those factors (focusing on Leader behaviors) that contribute to the Soldier’s will and spirit to fight and win in combat, thereby reducing combat stress reactions. I have argued time and again that I believe PTSD would be greatly reduced if the Army would make it's basic and initial training more stressful and realistic. Drill Sergeants no longer have the tools necessary to create steel-nerved recruits because of our soft touch mentality. If a Soldier can't survive the stress of basic combat training, how can we expect them to deal with the rigors and stresses of actual combat? Much of the information that follows was taken directly from various resources within the Battlemind website. You can find a lot more information by checking it out yourself and sharing with your friends or fellow troops.

There are ten unpleasant facts about combat that all members of the military should know prior to any deployment to a combat theater, especially if they realize they are likely to shoot or get shot at. I'll cover the first five here and the last five over at the You Served blog later:

1) Fear in combat is common. It's a natural human emotion to have fear when placed in life or death situations. People deal with this fear in many different ways. A survey by the Walter Reed Institute of Research concluded that two-thirds of all Silver Star recipients reported an increase in fear as the battle increased. I can tell you from experience that during one particular battle in which I didn't I'd survive through, fear was a very real thing. The fear of dying is very real regardless of how big and tough one is. Even heroes feel fear. Fear and anxiety are reduced in combat when Soldiers engage in actions derived from their training experiences. So, it's important to take that training seriously and conduct it as realistically as possible.

2) Unit members WILL be injured and killed. Over 4,000 service members have been killed in Iraq alone. Approximately, 20,000 have been injured. To think that it will not happen to you or someone you know is naive. However, we cannot blame ourselves when such an unfortunate event happens. To reduce our risks, it's important that Soldiers don't take unnecessary risks. Sometimes, that sixth sense telling us not to do something is a good indicator to which we should listen. As leaders, we should ensure that we are personally talking with our Soldiers who have been involved in difficult operations and critical incidences, especially if someone was killed or injured in the operation.

3) There will be communication and information breakdown. No matter how well laid out a plan is, the enemy always has a vote in the outcome. Distance and proficiency will play key factors in ensuring information is passed as far and wide as possible. Even when policies are in place, they will be implemented differently by various leaders. Sometimes, the policies are in place as a strictly CYA protection. However, if Soldiers are not kept informed on the status of their fellow troops and missions, they tend to rely more heavily on rumor and misinformation. This alone can be deadly. My understanding that communication and information will tend to break down in a combat environment, we are less likely to believe the first story and adjust in a negative way. It's important that we as leaders keep our troops as informed as possible. It's also important that troops constantly be open to and seek information aggressively. We must, I repeat – MUST keep our troops informed on the status of our casualties. Only then will they stay focused on the mission in front of them. Leaders try hard to minimize this effect, but it's impossible to prevent entirely.

4) Soldiers frequently perceive failures in Leadership. Good leadership is linked to high Soldier morale and cohesion, and to fewer mental health problems. Soldiers report that frequently leaders engage in actions to enhance their own career and personal well-being. Soldiers also report that leaders often fail to exhibit clear thinking and reasonable action when under stress. We must allow subordinates to seek clarification of orders or policies without being defensive or considering the Soldier disloyal. We can't be afraid to remove those subordinate leaders or Soldiers who fail to measure up. Reassign or demote them, you owe this to assure the success and safety of your Soldiers in combat. In today's environment of high operations tempo and combat, we can't afford to have substandard leaders in charge of our troops. It affects the mission, it affects morale, and it affects retention. Most importantly, it affects the very lives of these troops! On the other side, it is the RESPONSIBILITY of Soldiers to support their leaders whether they agree with them or not. Concerns should be brought up the chain of command without fear of retribution. I'd rather be a persona non grata because I called a spade a spade than risk the lives of my fellow troops because I didn't bring up a leadership failure. Courage and valor in combat and in all matters are the measures of Soldier and leader performance, never personal gain.

5) Combat impacts every Soldier mentally and emotionally. Soldiers who receive mental health assistance in the forward deployments are returned to duty 95% of the time. This isn't because they are told to "shut up and get back out there" but because they are given the kind of support that combat troops need. It's important to talk about our experiences and not hold them in. The real problems come when we DON'T talk to someone immediately and they fester or grow with time. By taking care of our issues as they come up, we are more likely to work through them before they become a burden on the rest of our lives. This is one of the benefits we have over our Vietnam War ancestors. They didn't receive a lot of assistance with mental health and many of them suffer needlessly as a result. If we hold off on treatment until a Soldier is returned home, they risk suffering from "evacuation syndrome" – feeling worse because you were sent away from your troops when they need you most. Combat stress reactions should be viewed as combat injuries.

I'll have more later. Digest this for now and let me know what you think.