Page 129 - JSOM Winter 2024

An Ongoing Series

Social Determinant of Unconventional Resilience

Tactical Engagement with Grief-Processing

Erika “Ann” Jeschke, PhD *; Jennifer Patton, MSN ; Jared Wyma-Bradley, MD ;
2
3
1
Jay Baker, MDiv ; John Dorsch, DO ; Sarah Lynn Huffman, PhD 6
5
4
ABSTRACT
Building on our operational model, we will discuss findings incorporating various isometric holds in an appropriately
from our ethnographic study titled, “The Impact of Cata- contracted performance space. When the team and/or organi-
strophic Injury Exposure on Resilience in Special Operations zation allows SOF medics to temporarily contract their expe-
Surgical Teams,” to establish that optimal grief-processing al- riential horizons by holding back the performance space, the
lows Special Operation Forces (SOF) medics to alchemize the team and/or organization supports the SOF medic in holding
intense pain of loss into a pliant palliative posture that shows interior space to sense, interpret, and respond to microscopic
conscientious concern for others across the deployment cycle. changes in personal pain.
To achieve our goals, we will: 1) provide a brief background
on contemporary bereavement studies, death-stacking, and This dynamic, tactical pause allows SOF medics to develop
historical grief-processing; 2) define the social determinant of micro-motility by collectively engaging inconspicuous cus-
grief-processing as extrapolated from qualitative data; and 3) toms, values, and norms practiced through ordinary group ac-
use qualitative data to thematize various grief processes. We tivities as a means of grief-processing. When brought together,
conclude by gesturing to how grief-processing galvanizes SOF the elements of grief-processing either optimize or degrade the
medic equanimity amid death discernment, which emphasizes individual SOF medic’s ability to develop fine-grained strength
the human fragility inherent in all SOF missions. and stamina to pre-load the weight of performance pressure in
preparation to re-engage and better direct changes in the force
Keywords: unconventional resilience; bereavement; social of movement within the team in support of SOF missions.
determinant; SOF medic; grief-processing
To achieve our goals, we will: 1) provide a brief background
on contemporary bereavement studies, death-stacking, and
Introduction historical grief-processing; 2) define the social determinant of
grief-processing as extrapolated from qualitative data; and 3)
Building off of our operational model, we will discuss find- use qualitative data to thematize various grief processes. We
1
ings from our ethnographic study titled, “The Impact of Cat- conclude by gesturing to how grief-processing galvanizes SOF
astrophic Injury Exposure on Resilience in Special Operations medic equanimity amid death discernment, which emphasizes
Surgical Teams,” to establish that optimal grief-processing the human fragility inherent in all SOF missions.
allows the Special Operation Forces (SOF) medic, team, and
organization to cooperatively alchemize the personal pain Findings are taken from the study, “The Impact of Catastrophic
of collective loss into a pliant palliative posture that shows Injury Exposure on Resilience in Special Operations Surgical
conscientious concern for others across the deployment cycle. Teams.” The Air Force Research Laboratory’s Institutional
Grief-processing does so by deliberately decreasing the force of Review Board approved the study as an exempt protocol. To
i
movement (protective measure of the disability process) to de- capture intricacies within the cultural ethos of Special Oper-
celerate and direct performance practices toward intentionally ations Surgical Teams (SOSTs), data were collected through
i. When using the word “processing” we want to make explicit that this is not a metaphorical reference to something akin to computer pro-
cessing. Our goal is not to connect the idea of processes or processing to efficient aggregation and distillation of large volumes of stimuli
and/or emotions in a short time span through focused mental activity. We are evaluating how community and team interacts with individual
embodied practices that allow realistic pain to be embraced, explored, and expressed in the company of other human beings through both
verbal and non-verbal means of making meaning from collective experiences of loss.
*Correspondence to stlamazonia@gmail.com
2
1 Dr. Erika “Ann” Jeschke is affiliated with the SURVICE Engineering, Becamp, MD. MAJ Jennifer Patton, Air Force Institute of Technology,
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH. Jared Wyma-Bradley is the Director of Spiritual Care at Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute, Washington, DC.
3
5
4 Col Jay Baker is affiliated with the U.S. Army Corps, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA. Col (Ret) John Dorsch is affiliated with the University of
6
North Carolina Southeastern, Lumberton, NC. Lt Col Sarah L. Huffman is affiliated with the US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine-Air
Force Research Lab, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH.
127