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August 19, 2009
Army to require emotional resiliency training for all soldiers
On its front page, the New York Times (8/18, A1, Carey) reports that "the Army plans to require that all 1.1 million of its soldiers take intensive training in emotional resiliency" in order to "improve performance in combat and head off the mental health problems, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide, that plague about one-fifth of troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq."
Starting in October, the program will begin at two bases, and will be "phased in gradually throughout the service, starting in basic training." All "active-duty soldiers, reservists, and members of the National Guard will receive the training, which will also be available to their family members and to civilian employees."
Army chief of staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., explained that "the $117 million program was an effort to transform a military culture that has generally considered talk of emotions to be...a sign of weakness."
Related Links:
- "Mental Stress Training Is Planned for U.S. Soldiers," Benedict Carey, New York Times, August 18, 2009.
Posted by admin at August 19, 2009 01:18 AM