Page 113 - Journal of Special Operations Medicine - Fall 2017

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A Shift From Resilience to Human Performance Optimization
in Special Operations Training
NTOA MEMBER BENEFITS Advancements in Theory and Practice

THE TACTICAL EDGE
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The NTOA’s award-winning professional journal provides comprehensive Gloria H. Park, PhD *; Lauren A. Messina, PhD *; Patricia A. Deuster, PhD, MPH *
peer- reviewed information to the law enforcement community.

CONFERENCES
Discounted registration to our annual tactical and CNT conferences. ntoa.org/academy ABSTRACT

Within the Department of Defense over the past decade, a fo- manpower. SOF serve across more than 80 countries and are
TRAINING cus on enhancing Warfighter resilience and readiness has in- considered a lethal force in the face of increasingly dangerous,
Our training program is one of the most credible, cost-effective and proven in creased. For Special Operation Forces (SOF), who bear unique complex, and growing security issues across the globe. 1
the country. The NTOA will bring its training to your location. Training is burdens for training and deployment, programs like the Pres- Deployed Servicemembers are exposed to a broad spectrum
ervation of the Force and Family have been created to help
discounted for members. support SOF and their family members in sustaining capabili- of chronic and acute stressors, including environmental fac-
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ties and enhancing resilience in the face of prolonged warfare. tors (e.g., exposure to elements, extreme climates), mission
PUBLICATIONS ARCHIVE In this review, we describe the shift in focus from resilience to demands (e.g., sleep restrictions, fatigue, threat of injury and
human performance optimization (HPO) and the benefits of bodily harm), and being separated for extended periods from
Immediate online access to all NTOA publications from 1983 to present. human performance initiatives that include holistic fitness. We their family. SOF bear unique burdens as the elite fighting
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then describe strategies for advancing the application of HPO force of the U.S. Armed Forces. SOF families face uncommon
MEMBER TESTED AND RECOMMENDED PROGRAM NEW Digital for future initiatives through tailoring and cultural adaptation, stressors that challenge a family’s health and wellbeing (e.g.,
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This unique program assists NTOA members and the law enforcement Membership 25 as well as advancing methods for measurement. By striving prolonged parental separation, parental psychological dis-
community in selecting the best products on the market. toward specificity and precision performance, SOF human tress), and frequent deployments and moves, which challenge
performance programs can impact individual and team capa-
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a family’s established routines. Spouses can struggle with dis-
bilities to a greater extent than in the past, as well as main- tress, and children may display behavioral symptoms. 7,8
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TACTICAL CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS taining the well-being of SOF and their families across their
Individual members can apply for free registration and hotel for our annual careers and beyond. Although the likelihood of being exposed to a traumatic event
across the career of an Operator is high, these traumatic events
tactical conference in September. Keywords: human performance optimization; Special Opera- do not typically result in a pathologic condition. Rather, they
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tions Forces add to the Operator’s repertoire of tools for future success.
JOIN NOW Experienced SOF may have more advanced capabilities than
SCENARIO DATABASE
An ever-increasing database of scenarios created by your peers to assist in ntoa.org/membership less experienced Servicemembers to manage stressors, because
of the stringent assessment and selection criteria for SOF and
agencies’ training. Introduction repeated exposure to deployments. Most people who experi-
In an open hearing at the House Armed Services subcommit- ence trauma do not go on to develop extreme distress, but
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EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS tee meeting on 2 May 2017, General Raymond A. Thomas, up to 30% of those returning from combat do struggle with
commander of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM),
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Provides college funding for tuition and other eligible expenses to dependent and Ms Teresa Whalen, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary psychological issues. SOF may be less open to disclosing
their mental health struggles. Importantly, some without overt
children of our members. of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict, pro- symptoms may be functioning at suboptimal levels or experi-
vided testimony on the crucial role that SOCOM continues to encing impaired performance, which is not unexpected, based
DISCOUNTED TUITION play in global security and warfighting efforts. Approximately on the stressors and exposures.
The NTOA has partnered with several online universities to provide discounted 70,000 active duty, guard, reserve, and civilian personnel The costs and consequences of impaired performance can im-
make up the highly effective Special Operations Forces (SOF).
tuition to our members. SOF are often at the tip of the spear of many conflicts. The pact sustainability of a force in high demand. SOCOM and
demands on these highly trained forces continue to grow while its program “Preservation of the Force and Family” (POTFF)
CORPORATE PROGRAMS using just 2% of the Department of Defense (DoD) budget and acknowledge the need for building resilience to ensure SOF
Special incentives to our members from manufacturers and distributors. *Correspondence to gloria.park.ctr@usuhs.edu, lauren.messina.ctr@usuhs.edu, or patricia.deuster@usuhs.edu
National Tactical 1 Dr Park is the senior performance psychology scientist, Dr Messina is the senior family fitness scientist, and Dr Deuster is a professor and direc-
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tor of the Consortium for Health and Military Performance: a Defense Center of Excellence, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine,
Officers Association Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland.
Contact: training@ntoa.org or 800-279-9127, ext. 2
800.279.9127 | ntoa.org 109