Article Figures & Data
Tables
Military vs. Community Service Member (SM) in Combat SM at Home B Buddies (cohesion) vs. withdrawal No one understands SM's experience except buddies who were there; life depended on trust in unit. SM may prefer to be with battle buddies rather than spouse, family, or friends; may assume that only those who were with SM in combat understand or are interested. A Accountability vs. control Maintaining control of weapon and gear is necessary for survival; all personal items are important to SM. SM may become angry when someone moves or messes with SM's stuff; may think that nobody except the SM cares about doing things right. T Targeted vs. inappropriate aggression Split-second decisions that are lethal in highly ambiguous environments are necessary. Kill or be killed. Anger keeps SM pumped up, alert, awake, and alive. SM may have hostility toward others; may display inappropriate anger or snap at buddies or NCOs; may overreact to minor insults. T Tactical awareness vs. hypervigilance Survival depends on being aware of surroundings at all times and reacting immediately to sudden changes, such as sniper fire or mortar attacks. SM may feel keyed up or anxious in large groups or situations where feels confined; may feel easily startled, especially when SM hears loud noises; may have difficulty sleeping or have nightmares. L Lethally armed vs. locked and loaded at home Carrying a weapon at all times is mandatory and a matter of life or death SM may feel a need to have weapons, in home and car at all times, believing that SM and loved ones are not safe without them E Emotional control vs. anger/detachment Controlling emotions during combat is critical for mission success and quickly becomes second nature Failing to display emotions around family and friends will hurt relationships; may be seen as detached and uncaring. M Mission operational security vs. secretiveness SM talks about the mission only with those who need to know; can only talk about combat experiences with unit members May avoid sharing any of deployment experiences with family, spouse and friends. I Individual responsibility vs. guilt SM's responsibility is to survive and do his best to keep buddies alive. SM may feel has failed buddies if they were killed or seriously injured; may be bothered by memories of those wounded or killed. N Non-defensive (combat) vs. aggressive driving Driving unpredictably, fast, using rapid direction changes and keeping other vehicles at a distance is designed to avoid IEDs and VBEDs. Aggressive driving and straddling the middle line leads to speeding tickets, accidents, and fatalities. D Discipline and ordering vs. conflict Survival depends on discipline and obeying orders. Inflexible interactions (ordering and demanding behavior) with spouse, children, and friends often leads to conflict. (Each item is marked present or absent by the evaluator) Combat Exposure: Severity of Experience Mortar and rocket-propelled grenade attacks Gunfire Indirect IED/VBED blast hits IED/VBED direct hits Witnessing injury or death of military personnel and near misses Witnessing civilian injury or death Combat duties: search and listen missions in field; medic duties Aircraft duty over warzone/crashes due to enemy fire or mechanical failure in enemy territory War-zone deployment exposure: severity of trauma Mortar/gunfire while on base Witnessing of dead bodies or morgue duty on base Treating battlefield injuries on base (witnessing the severely injured) Knowledge of death of fellow military personnel Warnings of incoming enemy mortar attacks Battlemind Conditioning in Combat Zone High alert-high adrenaline combat duty (night time raids, home raids/village raids for intelligence gathering or capture of enemy insurgents) Several documented instances of instant actions to perceived threat or threat (e.g., discharging weapon) Erratic driving to avoid IEDs Encounters with hostile civilians in combat zone Deployment to high-density urban areas where there are enemy insurgents Travel on routes known to be highly mined with IEDs Security duty at entry and exit points of base and base perimeter Flight crew hazardous flights over hostile territory Security duty at entry and exit points of base Postdeployment erratic behavior Reckless driving Explosive temper loss with family and friends Severe isolation, detachment, refusal to communicate with family and friends Heavy drinking; drug use Physical confrontations with others Irrational suspicion of others Severe rage leading to destruction of property (e.g. punching walls, breaking furniture) Physical violence towards family and spouse Self-harm (suicide attempts) Carries weapon at all times for safety Frustration and inability to cope with stress PTSD symptoms with potential links to aggression Hypervigilance Hyperarousal Severe insomnia impairing judgment Irritability Survivor guilt and remorse-related anxiety and depression Dissociative flashbacks TBI symptoms with potential links to aggression Sleep disturbance and headache leading to easy frustration/loss of temper Impairments in judgment (misinterpretation of others motives) Mood lability Impulsivity (spending sprees, terminating relationships) Angry outbursts that are out of proportion to precipitant
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- Article
- Abstract
- Postdeployment Criminal Violence Among Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans
- Link Between Combat Exposure and Violence
- Dual Challenges: PTSD and TBI
- Combat Battlemind as Maladaptive in the Civilian Environment
- Guide for Review of the Link Between PTSD/TBI Combat Exposure and Civilian Violence
- Use of the Clinical Guide With a Fictional Case Example
- Conclusions
- Footnotes
- References
- Figures & Data
- Info & Metrics