PTSD-QUESTION A

Provide a 250-350 word response to student’s response, and justify and support your answer using your experience and source support from the assigned readings. TOD’s initial response to TDQ A, In the high-risk and high-stress environment of the military, it's imperative for leaders to take proactive steps to enhance the resilience and stress resistance of their personnel, both before and during operations, to mitigate the performance and health issues associated with stress. Prior to deployment, leaders should focus on enhancing mental resiliency or hardiness through training and preparation, ensuring that individuals are better equipped to handle the challenges they may face during actual operations. During operations, leaders must lead by example, maintaining a positive attitude and demonstrating resilience in the face of difficult circumstances. Clear communication is paramount for fostering understanding and cohesion within the unit. Establishing unit-level policies and gaining buy-in from the team are essential for maintaining morale and building trust in leadership (CSTS, n.d., 1). Additionally, setting realistic objectives and avoiding over-promising helps establish credibility and manage expectations, particularly regarding deployment durations and frequency. Also during operations, leaders should cultivate an environment of openness and learning by encouraging group post-mission amnesty sessions. In these sessions, personnel should feel secure discussing mistakes and shortcomings without the fear of retribution. By viewing failures as opportunities for growth and improvement, these sessions can facilitate constructive feedback, improve team performance, and foster personal accountability, aligning with the high standards expected of the team (Bartone Barry & Armstong, 2009, 6). In this same regard, when there are sensitive events CSTS also recommends performing a form of psychological first aid (PFA) using early interventions to support their personnel after a stressful situation (CSTS, n.d.). Leaders should also prioritize opportunities for stress relief, whether through physical fitness activities, social events, or designated downtime. Drawing from personal experience, during an eight-month carrier deployment, our Captain’s leadership team organized various activities such as group physical exercises, movie nights, talent competitions, religious services, and professional psychological services to boost morale and enhance mental hardiness among ship personnel. Furthermore, providing regular feedback on objectives and recognizing individual and unit achievements as they occur are crucial for reinforcing commitment and buy-in from the team. Additionally, recent studies have shown the positive impact of human-animal interaction on mental health, leading to initiatives like deploying emotional support dogs to provide comfort and assistance to service members coping with operational stress. The USS Ford just completed an extended, nine-month deployment with an emotional support dog to help with the warrior toughness efforts (Eckstein, Sage the service DogLinks to an external site., 2023). Ultimately, leaders must take proactive measures to enhance resilience and stress resistance among their personnel, both before and during operations, through training, communication, policy establishment, and providing opportunities for stress relief and support. -TOD For context, in the text below is the initial question: • QUESTION A: Many of a leader’s toughest challenges come in the post operations phase of a deployment. What can a leader do during the actual operations to mitigate the aftermath effects of PTSD?