Shalit draws on the research he conducted as field psychologist in the Israeli military to offer an original behavioral model of combat that accounts for the fighting potential of an individual or group. His model is based on the appraisal process that the individual undertakes in combat conditions to assess a situation, whether it concerns him or not and regardless of his role. It is through this process that the individual makes a judgment, taking into consideration his past experience, knowledge, and expectations, that in turn leads to a course of action. Shalit pinpoints and describes specific aspects of the psychology of combat and conflict including the motivation to act in combat with special reference to the aggression drive; the definition of an enemy and the effects such appraisals have on behavior; the situational factors in heroic acts; and discipline and its affects on combat efficiency.

The director of the Killology Research Group shares “a thorough examination of the emotional and physical effects of deadly conflict” (Kirkus Reviews). On Combat examines the stress resulting from engaging in deadly battle and its effects on the human body, from the heart and the nervous system to visual and auditory perception to memory. The historical perspective on the evolution of combat provided in this text further deepens our understanding of the brave men and women who train their minds and bodies to go to that place from which others flee. Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, a war veteran and former West Point psychology professor, presents combat coping strategies, demonstrating how one can train the mind to be inoculated against stress, fear, and even pain. This fresh and informative look at post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) details how to prevent it, how to survive it, how to come out of it stronger, and how to help others who are experiencing it. Grossman underscores the importance of post-combat debriefing, when warriors gather to share, learn from each other, and begin to heal from the horror. Based on extensive new research, Grossman’s findings are supported by revealing quotes and anecdotes from combat veterans and other leaders in the warrior community.

Looks at the effect of deadly battle on the body and mind and offers new research findings to help prevent lasting adverse effects.

Throughout the Classical period, the Athenian hoplite demonstrated an unwavering willingness to close with and kill the enemies of Athens, whenever and wherever he was required to do so. Yet, despite his pugnacity, he was not a professional soldier; he was an untrained amateur who was neither forced into battle nor adequately remunerated for the risks he faced in combat. As such, when he took his place in the phalanx, when he met his enemy, when he fought, killed and died, he did so largely as an act of will. By applying modern theories of combat motivation, this book seeks to understand that will, to explore the psychology of the Athenian hoplite and to reveal how that impressive warrior repeatedly stifled his fears, mustered his courage and willingly plunged himself into the ferocious savagery of close-quarters battle.

The critical link between psychology and the military is imprtant to recruiting, training, socializing, assigning, employing, deploying, motivating, rewarding, maintaining, managing, integrating, retaining, transitioning, supporting, counseling, and healing military members. These areas are hardly distinct, and the chapters in The Oxford Handbook of Military Psychology have contents that cross these boundaries. Collectively, the topics covered in this volume describe the myriad ways in which modern psychology influences warfare and vice versa. The extensive topics included come from within the areas of clinical, industrial/organizational, experimental, engineering, and social psychology. The contributors are top international experts in military psychology -- some uniformed soldiers, others academics and clinicians, and others civilian employees of the military or other government agencies. They address important areas in which the science and practice of psychology supports military personnel in their varied and complex missions. Among the topics addressed here are suitability for service, leadership, decision making, training, terrorism, socio-cultural competencies, diversity and cohesion, morale, quality-of-life, ethical challenges, and mental health and fitness. The focus is the ways in which psychology promotes the decisive human dimension of military effectiveness. Collectively, the 25 topical chapters of this handbook provide an overview of modern military psychology and its tremendous influence on the military and society as a whole.

Traditional explorations of war look through the lens of history and military science, focusing on big events, big battles, and big generals. By contrast, The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspective views war through the lens of the social sciences, looking at the causes, processes and effects of war and drawing from a vast group of fields such as communication and mass media, economics, political science and law, psychology and sociology. Key features include: More than 650 entries organized in an A-to-Z format, authored and signed by key academics in the field Entries conclude with cross-references and further readings, aiding the researcher further in their research journeys An alternative Reader’s Guide table of contents groups articles by disciplinary areas and by broad themes A helpful Resource Guide directing researchers to classic books, journals and electronic resources for more in-depth study This important and distinctive work will be a key reference for all researchers in the fields of political science, international relations and sociology.

This volume of the Textbook of Military Medicine addresses the delivery of mental health services during wartime. The foreseeable future of the U.S. military includes the potential for involvement in a variety of conflicts, ranging from peace-keeping missions to massive deployments of personnel and materiel and possible nuclear, biological, and chemical threats as was seen in the Persian Gulf War. The medical role in wartime is critical to success of the mission. For the mental health disciplines, this role encompasses identification and elimination of unfit personnel, improvement of marginal personnel to standards of acceptability, prevention of psychiatric casualties, and their treatment when prevention fails. All of these efforts must be guided by past experience and sound principles of human behavior.

A “can’t-miss for anyone interested in current military affairs,” On Killing Remotely reveals and explores the costs—to individual soldiers and to society—of the way we wage war today (Kirkus Reviews, starred). Throughout history society has determined specific rules of engagement between adversaries in armed conflict. With advances in technology, from armor to in the Middle Ages to nerve gas in World War I to weapons of mass destruction in our own time, the rules have constantly evolved. Today, when killing the enemy can seem palpably risk-free and tantamount to playing a violent video game, what constitutes warfare? What is the effect of remote combat on individual soldiers? And what are the unforeseen repercussions that could affect us all? Lt Col Wayne Phelps, former commander of a Remotely Piloted Aircraft unit, addresses these questions and many others as he tells the story of the men and women of today’s “chair force.” Exploring the ethics of remote military engagement, the misconceptions about PTSD among RPA operators, and the specter of military weaponry controlled by robots, his book is an urgent and compelling reminder that it should always be difficult to kill another human being lest we risk losing what makes us human.

Provides military social workers, military scholars, and civilian social workers with an overview of diverse practice settings as well as the history and future of military social work practice to give readers an understanding of the military persona as an ethnic identity. Offers in-depth coverage of issues such as family violence, substance abuse, combat settings, and managed care's impact on the military. Daley teaches social work at Southwest Missouri State University. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

For decades, the Canadian Armed Forces has used the work of foreign scholars and writers in its professional military education to try to understand the human dimension of warfare: why and how people are motivated to fight, and how they behave once they do fight. Yet the specific Canadian context, experience, and perspective are often lost in favour of appeals to universal truths. The first major Canadian study of combat motivation in almost forty years, Why We Fight redresses this imbalance by presenting some of the best new work on the subject. Bringing together top military practitioners and scholars to discuss some of the most controversial issues of modern warfare, Why We Fight examines the face of battle as experienced by Canadians. It explores sexual violence in war, professionalism, organizations, leadership, shared intent, motivation in extremis, and the toxicity of the "warrior" culture. Its chapters offer key insights on combat motivation theories, the modern operating environment, and the collective and individual identities of the men and women who fight for Canada. Many worry that technology is leading us towards a post-human age, particularly in war. Why We Fight affirms the centrality of the human being in warfare in Canada's past, present, and future.