The Problem of Combat Stress in Troops Taking Part in the Fight Against Terrorism.

Clausewitz says that war is simple, but not easy. I have not participated in any conventional warfare, but I have realised how true this statement is during the internal security operations and foreign operations I have participated in. 

War is not a two-sided mechanical competition as it appears on paper. As many factors such as vehicles, weapons, equipment, climate, terrain conditions and personnel weaknesses etc. come into play, a friction arises, as Clausewitz mentioned and as written in NATO drills. 

As a result, the combat power of the troops wears out like the wear of solid parts rubbing against each other. This situation manifests itself not only in the form of a decrease in physical strength, but also in psychological strength, that is, a decrease in the determination and will to fight. 

The loss of psychological strength caused by long-term service in areas where the fight against terrorism is being fought creates corrosive effects both at the unit level and on an individual basis. This leads to negative psychological developments in some soldiers. This situation almost depletes the combat power capacity of the military unit. 

I did not come across such incidents in my unit when I was a team commander, because everyone in my unit was professional and well-trained and could easily get used to even the most difficult conditions. However, when I was a battalion commander and went on operations with some units, I witnessed such incidents. 

Such incidents do not only happen in soldiers. The stress of the clashes, hunger and thirst can sometimes affect ranking soldiers who have served in the army for years. As a matter of fact, in those days, this situation was reflected in the public opinion and in some publications there were articles about the fact that some of the soldiers serving in the Internal Security Operation Zone were experiencing combat stress and could not cope with it.

 When I read these articles, the examples given seemed ridiculous to me and I thought that the journalists had made them up. However, as a result of my later experiences, I realised that some of what was written in newspapers and magazines might be true. 

As far as I understand, this abnormal mood and behavioural change, which is expressed with words such as stress, etc., is usually based on fear. I also realised that fear is not that abnormal. Everyone experiences fear at normal levels. If it is not so severe that you lose control, fear is actually a useful thing. It makes us endeavour to be better protected. 

However, the level of fear is different for everyone. Some people can control their fear. Others' fear comes on so suddenly and is so great that they cannot control it. Usually, however, this fear (whether mild or intense) diminishes as soldiers become accustomed to the environment. 

Not so with what experts call phobia, a disease-level fear. Phobia is very difficult to recognise and treat in troop conditions. Because phobias do not have a specific logic, it is not possible to soothe these people with words or phrases. It also does not help for the soldiers to get used to the area and gain experience. 

Fortunately, the number of soldiers with such phobias was much lower than the others. For example, in the battalion I served in, there were no more than 2-3 people. These soldiers had an irrational fear of gunfire, darkness, being alone, being in confined spaces, heights, insects, and many other things. As soon as they were identified, I sent them to the RDM (Rehabilitation Counselling Centre). 

But a phobia is not something that a psychologist or psychiatrist can cure in three days. In fact, it is a disorder that can often last for the rest of your life. Interestingly, some of them knew and accepted that their fears were irrational, but still could not control their fears. 

Phobias were usually a distress from pre-military life (such as fear of bullets or loud noises and even fainting, seeing a goblin when alone in the dark at night, seeing an old man with a white beard, or doubling over if a slight movement was made towards them, even with the hand). It was almost impossible for such people to adapt to the environment.

Most of the unusual behaviours that were said to be caused by stress occurred during military service. When I analysed such incidents, I realised that there were two different situations. One of them was due to living under stress for a long time, and the other was due to being under sudden fire.  

I am not an expert on this subject, but I think it is possible to evaluate the first one within the concept called combat stress. This was more common in soldiers who were constantly on guard duty in a fixed base area under the threat of attack. 

Soldiers who were exposed to prolonged combat, marching, cold, fatigue and insomnia could occasionally develop such reactions. While some of these reactions were temporary and the soldier quickly returned to normal behavioural patterns after leaving the stress environment, in some soldiers this situation could have permanent effects. 

The second situation can be called conflict shock. Some soldiers and even officers in units that were ambushed or raided could experience this shock. While this shock could last for a few seconds to a few minutes in some people, in others it could last for hours, days or even months. Those who could not get out of this psychological state for a long time usually entered the first stage of combat stress.

This state of shock and stress was more intense in conscripts whose military training was more limited, but it could also be observed in well-educated people who had chosen military service as a profession. While the majority of professional soldiers adapted to the conflict environment over time, far fewer nonprofessional soldiers were able to cope with the situation. 

This situation shows the importance of psychological support for military units in conflict zones. For this reason, soldiers should not only be sent to conflict zones by perfecting their military training, but they should also be prepared psychologically. 

Not only physically strong but also psychologically strong personnel should be selected for commando units. In addition, it would be useful to employ professional psychologists in the units serving in conflict zones. 

These kinds of disorders are as important as, or even more important than, the saying that a pin makes a horse, a horse makes a soldier. Because psychological traumas and stress disorders are copied and spread very quickly in the troops. 

While some of these are real contagion, some of them may cause a condition that military physicians define as conversion. It is very important to be able to distinguish these two situations and to take precautions accordingly. For this reason, unit commanders should also be trained in dealing with such problems. 

This issue should be given as much attention as, if not more than, operational, logistic and intelligence issues, and every precaution should be taken to ensure that soldiers remain psychologically healthy in conflict environments. Otherwise, a large number of soldiers may become useless and the will and determination of the troops to fight may decrease.