After the Vietnam War, military organizations in the U.S. and in other countries realized that soldiers often suffered from lasting effects of battle trauma, a syndrome now called post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The reaction that Private Berlin is having, though, is not PTSD. He is right in the midst of the trauma of war, and reacting to that stress immediately. The U.S. military refers to this problem as COSR (combat and operational stress reaction). They realized during more recent wars that if it wasn't treated immediately, more soldiers were likely to die in combat. To help avoid these deaths, the military created a training manual that discusses how to treat COSR. You'll read an excerpt from that manual in this lesson.
When you do a close reading of an informational text, you don't look for the same things as in a short story or other work of fiction. Unlike fiction, the purpose of an informational text is not to be literary or artful. Instead, it presents information and/or provides how-to instructions. The first two questions you should ask about any informational text are What is its purpose? and Who is the intended audience?
Read this excerpt from the COSR Military Training Manual.
Chapter 1 - Combat and Operational Stress Reaction Identification
Introduction
1-1. Combat and operational stress reactions refer to the adverse reactions personnel may experience when exposed to combat or combat-like situations. Other names that have been used in the past to describe this reaction include shell shock, Soldier's heart, battle fatigue, and battle exhaustion
1-2. Combat and operational stress control falls under the force health protection mission and must not be overlooked or minimized when planning and conducting tactical operations. It is important for Soldiers and leaders to understand that the effects of combat and operational stress are experienced by all Soldiers in full spectrum operations. Recognizing and managing the effects of combat and operational stress is equally important during routine training missions as it is during combat. It is the leaders that have the greatest impact in successfully implementing a COSC program. Leaders must create conditions where their Soldiers can talk about and make sense of their experiences. They prepare Soldiers before combat by training them, talking to them, sharing experiences, and making sure they understand the rules of engagement and the factors that lead to combat and operational stress. The COSC teams and behavioral health (BH) and medical personnel should be integrated into training and predeployment exercises with units preparing to deploy.
1-3. Once in theater, leaders should reinforce the mission's purpose, importance of communicating stress, and involve chaplains by encouraging them to be available to the troops. Leaders should remember that the more the troops know about normal reactions to extremely abnormal experiences, the more resilient they will be at dealing with the stress of combat and other military operations. Leaders should not under estimate their influence on the morale and well-being of Soldiers in their command.
Now see if you can answer these close reading questions. When you think you know the answer, click the card to see if you're right.
What is the purpose of this manual?
to identify and treat symptoms of combat and operational stress
Who is the audience for this manual?
anyone in the military who interacts with soldiers who might have COSR, but specifically commanders
How might a commander use this manual?
to look up possible symptoms, to help soldiers, and/or to refer soldiers to professionals for help
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