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Table 1 Primary stressor dimensions in modern military operations

From: Social and organizational influences on psychological hardiness: How leaders can increase stress resilience

Stressor

Characteristics

1. Isolation

-Remote location

-Foreign culture & language

-Distant from family/friends

-Unreliable communication tools

-Newly configured units, don’t know your co-workers

2. Ambiguity

-Unclear mission – changing mission

-Unclear Rules-of-Engagement (ROE)

-Unclear command/leadership structure

-Role confusion (what’s my job?)

-Unclear norms, standards of behavior (what’s acceptable here & what is not?)

3. Powerlessness

-Movement restrictions

-Rules of Engagement (ROE) constraints on response options

-Policies prevent intervening, providing help

-Forced separation from local culture, people, events, places

-Unresponsive supply chain – trouble getting needed supplies & repair parts

-Differing standards of pay, movement, behavior etc. for different units in area

-Indeterminate deployment length – don’t know when we’re going home

-Don’t know/can’t influence what is happening with family back home

4. Boredom (alienation)

-Long periods of repetitive work activities without variety

-Lack of work that can be construed as meaningful, important

-Overall mission/purpose not understood as worthwhile or important

-Few options for play, entertainment

5. Danger (threat)

-Real risk of serious injury or death, from:

-enemy fire, bullets, mortars, mines, explosive devices etc.

-accidents, including “friendly fire”

-disease, infection, toxins in the environment

-chemical, biological, or nuclear materials used as weapons

6. Workload

-High frequency, duration, and pace of deployments

-Long work hours/days during the deployments

 

-Long work hours/days in periods before and after deployments