On Combat

Clausewitz’s elements of friction: danger, chance, uncertainty, and exertion are the biggest elements that separate war from everything else. Our discussion focused on danger, the emotions it generates, and the impact this has on how we think and act. We then addressed the effect of prolonged exposure to combat stressors, and touched briefly on some of the appeals of battle.

When you read war narratives, you are likely to examine the experiences of warriors through the lenses fashioned by some of our course concepts. The experiences of a young Marine in the Pacific are recorded in E.B. Sledge’s memoir With the Old Breed: [Read more →]

Exceeding the limits on allowable violence appears to be a continuing element of the human dimension in battle. These excerpts from the NYT this month indicate violations of LOAC by professional soldiers who should have known better.

The role of their chain of command is uncertain from current reporting, but here is some speculation: At worst, their brigade commander instructed them to take no prisoners. At best, his hazy instructions led to wrong impressions, and thence to illegal killings: [Read more →]

A small Vignette in the Washington Post “Two ‘Private Fuzzies,’ Diverted on Their Way to War” by Bill Murphy Jr. provided a glimpse of two young soldiers’ transition from peace to war. Temporarily sidetracked in Iraq during a helicopter flight to join their unit (1^st Cav), the two soldiers try to understand their surroundings, grapple with apprehension, and align their expectations with the reality experienced: [Read more →]

Here are 10 propositions on the nature of war at sea. You may fire back when ready!

• Sailors fight from their home and the fate of all sailors is tied to the fate of the ship

• Individual roles in battle are not much different from roles in peacetime [Read more →]

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger”
–Nietzsche

“For most trauma survivors, posttraumatic growth and distress will coexist, and the growth emerges from the struggle with coping, not from the trauma itself”
–Dr Richard G. Tedeschi and Lawrence Calhoun

News coverage of the human cost of war justly concentrates on the plight of veterans grappling with the psychological costs of war. Mental health assessments report one in six soldiers suffer from acute stress symptoms, depression, or anxiety after return from combat.

Psychological casualties of war are real and we have the obligation to care for these wounded warriors. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we still have a long way to go in solving difficulties with access and availability of mental health care. We also have cultural barriers to cross in de-stigmatizing use of mental health services among our troops.

An exclusive focus on mental health difficulties suggests psychological injury is an inevitable outcome of combat. Some have described this undue focus as creating a “culture of victimization.” If combat results in an inescapable slide to psychological casualty, why are veterans of combat sought by commanders of units returning to battle? [Read more →]

Psychological needs of military personnel and their families are increasing—straining military health care system, reports an APA task force. Serious barriers to mental health care exist due to shortage of providers, reduced access to care and stigma of seeking service.

This week, these headlines trumpeted an American Psychological Association preliminary report on US military psychological needs. The effort was part of a Presidential task force on Military deployment services for youth, families and service members. [Read more →]