If you are in the military, you most likely will experience combat assignments. You may face an enemy up close or from a distance. Both types of experiences can be difficult to face and to overcome. Here are four things to keep in mind as you prepare for and carry out your next combat mission.
#1 Have Courage
Being in combat is an eye-opening experience. There will be a flood of emotions that may surprise you or catch you off guard. It’s important to recognize your emotions and to give them their correct place. Fear is normal and should not be ignored. Don’t simply push it away, but use your training to overcome it. Acting like fear doesn’t exist, or like it isn’t common for your fellow service members can be detrimental.
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. – Nelson Mandela
#2 Find a Purpose That Makes the Risk Worth-Taking
Sometimes it is difficult to find purpose in your day-to-day tasks during a combat assignment. You may even experience discouragement with how the conflict is progressing. Take the time to step back and discover a specific purpose for your task. If needed, peel everything back and remember that part of your purpose is to care for and protect the service members around you.
#3 Don’t Dehumanize What You’ve Been Asked to Do
There is a strong tendency to dehumanize the enemy during combat. Taking another person’s life is a hard thing to do and to deal with. Having courage and finding purpose will help you with this. Have the courage to feel the emotions and to overcome them. Remember the purpose that required you to take a life. Never shut yourself down and look at the enemy as “it.” You risk losing yourself in those moments.
[External Resource: ‘Less Than Human’: The Psychology Of Cruelty]
#4 Don’t Lose Touch With Your Loved Ones
In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future. – Alex Haley
Your family is your anchor. The relationships you have before your deployment can help you during your assignment, just as they will support you once you are home. It can be easy to get caught up in your day-to-day tasks, but make sure that you are using the technology available to you (Skype, WhatsApp, etc.) to stay in touch. Every once in a while there will be classified missions when communication is not possible. Prepare for those moments and get back in touch again as soon as you are able to.
[External Resource: Communicating With Your Partner On Deployment]
Combat deployment is difficult. Take time to think through each of the topics discussed above so you can begin preparing for emotional situations you will encounter. Think about how you process fear and how you can overcome it and use it to your advantage. Remember your purpose for the mission. Don’t dehumanize the enemy and lose yourself in the process. And take time to make a plan for different ways you can remain in meaningful communication with your loved ones back home.
Article for this topic by John Meade.
