On Combat - Lt Col Dave Grossman

The Bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it.                                   Thucydides

Title: On Combat

Author: Lt Col Dave Grossman

Publisher: PPCT Research Publications                          Pages: 395

Content: This is the second in a series from Lt Col Grossman and it focuses on how the Warrior functions within the combat environment. He defines the combat environment as one that is: septic, toxic, corrosive and destructive…wet with tears and blood. How do we prepare our soldiers to deal with the psychological stresses of combat operations? We spent significant amounts of our nations treasure training soldiers to kill but not nearly as much effort is spent on teaching them what to expect from themselves when they come under fire. By drawing upon the experiences of those who have experienced it, Grossman sheds light on those aspects of high stress reactions that impede judgement. By teaching our people what to expect, we provide them with a whole new resource that isn’t only enhanced fighting ability.  Knowing how to tame and manage the bodies sometimes counter-productive reactions will enable our soldiers to better maintain their presence of mind and to make clearer choices under the physiological roller coaster of combat stress.