The 71f Advantage

The book you hold in your hands is a powerful tool in the arsenal of our Soldiers’ well-being and, in some cases, very survival. Since our nation began putting Soldiers in harm’s way, our forces have experienced the psychological trauma of war. In some cases, the number of casualties due to psychological injury approached the rates of physical injury. As leaders, we spend countless days training our Soldiers to survive the actual battle. Combat training, battle drills, physical fitness, and medical readiness help ensure their physical survival and ultimate victory in the combat zone. Now, we dedicate ourselves to helping ensure their psychological survival and victory when the battle is over. This book grows out of paper presentations and discussions at the Army Research Psychology Biennial Conference held April 24–25, 2008, in Bethesda, Maryland. It provides a snapshot of groundbreaking research currently being done by Army research psychologists around the globe. The book illuminates the many contributions of Army research psychologists to supporting Soldiers and their families, as well as enhancing their performance and well-being. Research breakthroughs and updated treatment methods in the areas of human performance, psychological and environmental stressors, military and family wellness, personality and organizational factors, and leader and cognitive performance are outlined within this volume. The book also serves as a valuable historical document, providing a vivid picture of the 71F Army research psychology specialty and including a number of personal career stories. It should appeal to a wide range of audiences, including operational commanders, academics, students, and anyone curious about what military research psychology is all about. Today, research psychologists remain true to the fundamental principles of Army medicine: to care for those who have the borne the perils of battle in the service of the Nation. There is no higher calling. Major General David A. Rubenstein Chief, U.S. Army Medical Service Corps Deputy Surgeon General of the U.S. Army xv xvii Preface This is a book by and about military research psychologists—behavioral scientists who apply the principles and methods of psychology toward the goal of understanding and improving human health and performance in our defense forces. This group of specialists, along with their counterparts in the Army’s sister Services and the many civilian research psychologists throughout the Department of Defense (DOD), forms a critical and essential core asset for our current and future national security. Since World War II, we have relied increasingly on research psychologists within DOD to design better and more efficient selection and classification tools and strategies, more effective training programs for military personnel, and improved leader development programs. In addition, these specialists have applied rigorous research methods to understanding the limits and capacities of human mental and physical performance in a range of demanding operational environments. Their work has provided much of the knowledge that has allowed senior national security leaders to design systems and policies that appreciate and capitalize on our human talent, rather than ignore or frustrate it. Some of this research relies upon the use of animal models, an approach that has proven essential for understanding and developing treatments for chemical defense, stress, and traumatic brain injuries. More recently, military research psychologists have applied their expertise to understanding the causes and cures of stress-related injuries in troops, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, drug and alcohol problems, and even suicide.

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