Operational Resilience Training (ORT)
The Operational Resilience Training program, a collaborative effort between the United States and Norway, aims to fortify the mental fortitude of troops facing the rigors of combat.
This program, designed in response to the unique challenges of modern warfare, is particularly relevant due to the intense psychological and physical stresses soldiers experience on the front lines. This comprehensive training program consists of 11 modules, spanning approximately 20 hours of classroom instruction and practical exercises over four weeks. The curriculum was adapted from material developed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR), emphasizing practical skills for stress management and mental resilience.
Key components of the training include:
– Stressors and the Mental Health Continuum: The program begins with an overview of various combat stressors and instructs on the mental health continuum, from optimal readiness to combat-ineffectiveness. It trains medics to recognize and intervene in cases of combat operational stress and to employ techniques like active listening.
– Operational Stress Management: Soldiers learn skills to manage energy, increase motivation, and maintain focus during missions. These include techniques such as postponing worry, grounding exercises, deliberate breathing, and targeted self-talk.
– Acute Stress Reaction Management: The iCOVER protocol is taught to enable soldiers to assist peers experiencing acute stress reactions, ensuring they can rapidly return to functionality.
– Team Cohesion: Emphasis is placed on building effective communication, trust, and conflict resolution within units. This is essential for cohesive team function, especially in rapidly mobilizing units, such as in the current war in Ukraine.
– Special Focus Modules: Addressing the specific challenges faced by some soldiers, modules on managing human remains and grief are included. These focus on the mental aspects of these tasks, which are often overlooked in traditional military training.
– Field Application and Feedback: The training material is reinforced through field exercises, and soldiers are encouraged to apply their new skills in various military tasks. Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the program's relevance and effectiveness.
– Integrated and Contextual Approach: The training is designed to complement traditional military training, with each module building on and amplifying the others. The program's proven success with Ukrainian soldiers has provided valuable insights for adapting training to support NATO and allied troops in future combat operations.
In addition to the comprehensive training aspects, the Operational Resilience Training program has demonstrated significant positive impacts on Ukrainian soldiers:
Feedback from participants indicates a high level of satisfaction and confidence gained through the program. Surveys show that about 99% of the respondents perceive the training as “useful”, 98% as “relevant” and 96% rate it as “important”. Furthermore, there has been more than a 52% increase in confidence in managing stress reactions of unit members in combat, and a 16% increase in confidence in managing personal stress. These statistics underscore the effectiveness of the program in enhancing soldiers' mental resilience and preparedness for combat situations.
In summary, the Operational Resilience Training program not only equips soldiers with crucial mental skills to withstand the demands of warfare, but also serves as a model for modern military training, emphasizing the importance of mental resilience and the power of international collaboration in enhancing military capabilities.
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