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Battlemind Training was developed by the 

WRAIR Land Combat Study Team 

POC: LTC Carl A. Castro, carl.castro@us.army.mil (301) 319-9174 

The opinions and views expressed here are those of the Land Combat Study Team, 

and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Army or the Department of Defense. 

Updated 21 Nov 05. 

DISCIPLINE & ORDERING VS. CONFLICT

In Combat: • Survival depends on discipline and obeying orders. 

At home: 

• Inflexible interactions (ordering and demanding behaviors) with 

your spouse, children and friends often lead to conflict. 

TRANSITIONING THE COMBAT SKILL: 

• Giving and following orders involves a clear chain of command 

which does not exist within families and friends. 

Battlemind Check (self and buddy): 

• Relationships are not going well? 

•• Ongoing conflicts over decisions?

THE ALCOHOL TRANSITION

In Combat: • Alcohol use was limited. 

At home: 

• Alcohol is now plentiful. 

THE TRANSITION: 

• Many Soldiers use alcohol as a way to cope with deployment • experiences, but this is not healthy. Learn to relax without it. 

Battlemind Check (self and buddy): 

• Using alcohol to calm down or help you sleep? • Others telling you that you are drinking too much? 

MYTHS & 

FACTS OF 

MENTAL HEALTH

Myth 1: Only weak Soldiers have mental health problems. 

Fact: Everyone is affected by combat. 

Myth 2: If a Soldier has a problem, he/she will get help. 

Fact: Most Soldiers do not get help because of stigma. 

Myth 3: A fellow Soldier’s mental health problems are none of my business. 

Fact: Soldiers most often turn to other Soldiers when they need help. Leaders are responsible for helping Soldiers. 

Myth 4: The Army doesn’t support Soldiers with mental health problems. 

Fact: There are multiple ways to get help.

Myth 5: No one can help me if I have a mental health problem. 

Fact: Professional treatment helps, the earlier the better. 

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Unit: Buddies, Leadership, Chaplain Post: Troop Medical Clinic, Behavioral Health Service Off-Post: Civilian Doctor or Mental Health Professional, VA

Army One Source: 1-800-342-9647 

www.armyonesource.com

Walter Reed Ar

U.S. Army Medic

MISSION OPSEC VS. SECRETIVENESS

In Combat: • You talk about the mission only with those who need to 

know; you can only talk about combat experiences with unit members. 

At home: • You may avoid sharing any of your deployment 

experiences with your family, spouse and friends. 

TRANSITIONING THE COMBAT SKILL: 

• OPSEC: the “need to know” now includes friends and 

family. 

Battlemind Check (self and buddy): • Haven’t shared your deployment experiences with those 

closest to you? 

•• Get angry when someone asks about your deployment 

experiences?

INDVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY VS. GUILT NDVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY VS. GUILT

In Combat: • Your responsibility is to survive and do your best to keep 

your buddies alive. 

At home: • You may feel you have failed your buddies if they were 

killed or seriously injured. 

• You may be bothered by memories of those wounded or 

killed. 

TRANSITIONING THE COMBAT SKILL: • Responsibility in combat involves making life and death 

decisions in the heat of battle; at home, it is learning from these decisions without second guessing. 

Battlemind Check (self and buddy): • Certain memories of the deployment keep bothering you? 

•• Still feeling guilt about things that happened in combat?

NON-DEFENSIVE (COMBAT) VS. DEFENSIVE (COMBAT) VS. 

AGGRESSIVE DRIVING

In Combat: • Driving unpredictably, fast, using rapid lane changes, 

straddling the middle line and keeping other vehicles at a distance is designed to avoid IEDs and VBIEDs. 

At home: • Aggressive driving leads to speeding tickets, accidents and 

fatalities. 

TRANSITIONING THE COMBAT SKILL: • Combat driving is necessary to avoid danger in the combat 

zone, but is dangerous at home, even though it may “feel right”. 

Battlemind Check (self and buddy): • Chasing adrenaline highs by driving fast? 

•• Involved in driving accidents?•• Easily angered while driving?

Training Timef
TACT

H

In Combat: • Survival depends o

times and reacting 

At home: 

• You may feel keye

confined situations

• You may be easily 

noises. 

• You may have diffi

TRANSITIONING 

• Tactical awareness 

sustained attention

Battlemind Check 

• Still jumping at lou

•• Still have trouble w•• Drinking to calm d

LETHALL

ETHALL

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In Combat: • Carrying your wea

necessary. 

At home: 

• You may feel a nee

home and/or car aloved ones are not 

TRANSITIONING 

• In combat, it’s dan

dangerous to be a

Battlemind Check 

• Threatened someo

•• Carrying a loaded •• Keep an unsecured 

EMOTIONAL C

MOTIONAL 

In Combat: • Controlling your e

mission success. 

At home: 

• Failing to display e

family and friends seen as detached a

TRANSITIONING 

• Emotional control 

your emotions lea

Battlemind Check 

• Can show only ang

•• Feeling numb?•• Friends and loved •• Having relationship 

BUDDIES (COHESION) VS. WITHDRAWAL

In Combat: • No one understands your experience except your buddies who 

were there. 

At home: • You may prefer to be with battle buddies rather than with your 

spouse, family or friends. 

• You may avoid speaking about yourself to friends and family. TRANSITIONING THE COMBAT SKILL: • Cohesion in combat results in bonds with fellow Soldiers that 

will last a lifetime, but back home, re-establishing bonds with friends and family that have changed takes time. 

Battlemind Check (self and buddy): • Felt close to buddies over there but now feel alone? 

•• Not connecting with loved ones?

ACCOUNTABILITY VS. CONTROLLING

In Combat: • Maintaining control of your weapon and gear is necessary for 

survival. 

At home: • You may become angry when someone moves or messes with 

your stuff, even if it is insignificant. 

• You may think that nobody cares about doing things right 

except for you. 

TRANSITIONING THE COMBAT SKILL: • Accountability at home means the small details are no longer 

important; family decisions and personal space are best shared. 

Battlemind Check (self and buddy): • Overreacting to minor events? 

•• Still having trouble letting family and friends share in making 

decisions?

•• Trying to control things that do not really matter?

TARGETED VS. INAPPROPRIATE AGGRESSIONIn Combat: • Split second decisions that are lethal in highly ambiguous 

environments are necessary to keep you and your buddies alive. 

• Anger keeps you pumped up, alert, awake and alive. At home: • You may overreact to minor insults. • You may display inappropriate aggression, or snap at your kids, 

buddies or NCO. 

TRANSITIONING THE COMBAT SKILL: • Targeted aggressiveness: in combat, the enemy is the target; 

back home there are no enemies. 

Battlemind Check (self and buddy): • Still snapping at your spouse, kids or buddies? • Getting into fights or heated arguments? 

•• Avoiding people?

 Battlemind Battlemind is the Soldier’s inner 

strength to face fear and adversity with courage. Key components include:

• Self confidence: taking calculated risks 

and handling challenges. 

• Mental toughness: overcoming 

obstacles or setbacks and maintaining positive thoughts during times of adversity and challenge. 

Battlemind skills helped you Battlemind skills helped you 

survive in combat, but may survive in combat, but may 

cause you problems if not cause you problems if not 

adapted when you get home. adapted when you get home.

Buddies (Cohesion) 

vs. Withdrawal 

Accountability vs. Controlling Targeted Aggression 

vs. Inappropriate Aggression 

Tactical Awareness  vs. Hypervigilance Lethally Armed  vs. “Locked and Loaded” at Home Emotional Control  vs. Anger/Detachment Mission Operational Security  vs. Secretiveness Individual Responsibility  vs. Guilt Non-defensive (combat) driving  vs. Aggressive Driving Discipline and Ordering  vs. Conflict 

Battlemind Checks allow Battlemind Checks allow 

Soldiers and their buddies to Soldiers and their buddies to 

identify if and when help is needed. identify if and when help is needed.