Building Resilient Warriors: Taking the Canadian Army's Resilience Training Beyond the Classroom
Abstract
In May of 2011, the Canadian Forces introduced new training into the curricula at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School and at select Army Schools. Resilience training consisting of a handful of classroom lectures focusing on theory, individual coping skills, and the role of leadership would now be taught at three points in a soldier's training. This classroom time introduces the nature and types of mental health issues, the role of support structures and family, as well as foundational skills for individuals such as the Big Four. The training serves as an introduction to resilience development, but it is not built upon practically or progressively throughout a recruit's training, which is a shortcoming of the present training regime. While this introduction to resilience training is a good start, it is not enough. Like any new knowledge or skill, there is a need for reinforcement through practical application, practice, and use under challenging conditions to make it effective. Supervised mentoring and coaching from patient, experienced instructors along with formal incorporation into exercise development is the next logical and necessary step. Without it, the recruit will forget the theory, fail to adopt the skill out of habit, and default to whatever tools are at the top of his toolbox. What is missing from this implementation is that theory is only the first step; it must be put into practice. To be effective in times of stress, theory must become habit. It must be incorporated into the practical aspects of training, such as garrison command roles and field assessments. This paper will offer constructive criticism for persons who train, or who are responsible for training policies, with the goal of shaping the development of training standards and plans. This guidance will assist training staff in developing materials and designing individual training course exercises that build on the delivery of resilience theory in the classroom.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 17, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA566704
Entities
People
- D. C. Aitchison
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College