Top 3 Takeaways from Dave Grossman's book, On Combat

Before deploying to Iraq in 2010 I asked my special forces buddy what types of things you need do to help get ready for a tour in a combat zone.  Of course there is the physical component that includes fitness, weapons handling, driving, radio use, and other military "hardware" skills.  But he also emphasized the mental component, which isn't talked about as much.  Mentally preparing for the job is even more important because it drives success in so many other aspects of a deployment.  

The best resource I have found for getting mentally prepared for a deployment is Dave Grossman's  On Combat, The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace.  I highly recommend this book to anyone.  Here are the top three things I learned:

#1:  Tactical Breathing
Tactical breathing is simply taking control of your breathing when your body is dumping adrenaline into the system to put you squarely in "panic mode."  If , out of fear, your heart rate exceeds certain thresholds (usually 200 BPM+ or so) there is a loss of fine motor skills and mental functions are dimmed.  By using tactical breathing you are able to exert control over your nervous system and stay in your optimal performance range vs slipping into "fight or flight" mode.  Tactical breathing is also useful if you start to feel nervous, like before a big presentation.  This is great technique that I use regularly thanks to this book.

#2: Be mentally ready to pull the trigger
You have to be prepared to defend your buddies and protect yourself.  And at times that means reacting to a threat with deadly force.  Mental prepartation beforehand is critical to the task of deadly force.  Hopefully, by being ready, you'll never need to draw on this aspect of preparation.  

#3: How to treat the casualties after the fighting is over
PTSD affects everyone differntly.  Some warriors experience horrific combat and feel no lasting effects when the battles are over.  Others see the same combat and have their lives completly turned up-side down by the scars.  Everyone will react differently.  In the book you'll find some useful steps for helping a buddy (or yourself!) through the processing phase and how to recoginize some of the basic emotions that arise out of PTSD symptons.  But the best peice of advice is to get profesional help.

If you have PTSD write to me.  I'll send you this book free.  I give it to anyone I know who is still suffering long after the boom.