Battlemind Training: Building Soldier Resiliency

Battlemind is a Soldier's inner strength to face fear and adversity in combat with courage. The predeployment Battlemind training program is designed to build Soldier resiliency by developing his/her self-confidence and mental toughness. The training focuses on Soldier strengths, identifying specific actions that Soldiers and leaders can engage in to meet the challenges of combat. The pre-deployment training consists of unique modules for Soldiers, leaders, reservists, and families. The post-deployment Battlemind training focuses on transitioning from combat to home. The acronym BATTLEMIND identifies ten combat skills that if adapted will facilitate the transition home. The post-deployment Battlemind training consists of two training modules to be conducted at different times post-deployment. The first training module is intended to be given within the first two weeks of returning home. The focus of this initial transition training is on safety, relationships, as well as normalizing to common reactions and symptoms resulting from combat. The second training module is designed to be given at 3-6 months post-deployment. This follow-up post-deployment training is designed so that Soldiers can conduct their own Battlemind Check of themselves as well as that of their buddies, allowing them to know when to seek help. The training ends by addressing those barriers which prevent Soldiers from seeking help. The Battlemind training is designed to be given in small groups to encourage interaction and discussion, requiring approximately 35-40 min to complete. See also ADM001955, RTO-MP-HFM-134. Presented at the Conference on Human Dimensions in Military Operations: Military Leaders' Strategies for Addressing Stress and Psychological Support, held in Brussels, Belgium, on 24-26 Apr 2006. Published in the Proceedings of the Conference, p42-1 through 42-6, 2006.