Readiness of Military Professionals for Challenging Situations

The article deals with the readiness of military professionals for challenging situations. It discusses higher requirements on the psychical endurance of military professionals arising from the specific nature of the military occupation, which is typical for being very difficult to maintain regularity, which is in accordance with the hygiene of work alternated by relaxation. The soldier must be able to serve in the long term and constantly intense performance that goes beyond human tolerance to stress situations. A challenging situation is always associated with overcoming difficulties, obstacles and complicated circumstances or using unusual methods, ways and means to achieve the desired (expected) objectives, performing a given task or satisfying an important need. This paper describes the categories of challenging situations, their classification and characteristics. Attention is also paid to the formation of personality in challenging situations, coping with stress in challenging situations, Phases of solutions of stressful situations, resistance to challenging life situations and its factors. Finally, the article is focused on increasing the readiness of military professionals for challenging situations.

Authors:

• Petra Hurbišová
• Monika Davidová

Keywords:

• Coping
• challenging situations
• stress
• stressful situations
• military professionals
• resilience.

References:

[1] Štammová, M. Stress management, relaxation and activation techniques
(Stres manažment, relaxačné a ativačné techniky). In Vojenská Osveta.
ISBN 978-80-89609-00-0. 2/2012. pp. 7797. Available at:
http://www.osveta.mil.sk/data/files/3386.pdf.
[2] Tichý, K. How to educate, teach and lead?: A guidebook for teachers
courses, selected questions of pedagogy and psychology at noncommissioned
officers´ schools and schools for reserve officers (Jak
vychovávat, učit a vést?: metodická příručka pro učitele kursů
vybraných otázek z pedagogiky a psychologie v poddůstojnických
školách a školách pro důstojníky v záloze). 1st ed. Prague: Naše vojsko,
1970, 83 p.
[3] Havelka, O. How to educate, teach and lead?: study materials for pupils
at non-commissioned officers´ schools and schools for reserve
officers (Jak vychovávat, učit a vést: studijní materiály pro žáky
poddůstojnických škol a škol pro důstojníky v záloze). 2nd ed. Prague:
Naše vojsko, 1970, 119 p.
[4] Čáp, J., Dytrych, Z. Personality formation in challenging life situations
(Utváření osobnosti v náročných životních situacích.). 1. ed. Prague:
SPN, 1968, 118 p.
[5] Bratrská, M. Personality in situations of psychic load (Osobnosť v
situáciách psychickej zátěže). 2011. Available at:
http://www.cdvuk.sk/blade/files/UTV/prednasky%20a%20skripta/bratsk
atextyosobnost-v.doc.
[6] Piffl, O., Velehradský, A. Psychology and pedagogy in social
management of troops (Psychologie a pedagogika v sociálním řízení
vojsk). Prague: Magnet-Press, 1993, 142 p. ISBN 80-85469-43-X.
[7] Štammová, M: Psychika vojakov při plení úloh vo vojenských
operaciách. Psychické stavy v krízových situáciách. In Vojenská Osveta.
ISBN 978-80-89423-00-2. 2/2009. pp. 217. Available at:
http://www.mil.sk/data/att/4581_subor.pdf.
[8] Moricová, V. Influence of stressful situations for crisis managers and
their coping (Vplyv záťažových situácií na krízových manažérov a ich
zvládanie). In Krízový manažment = Crisis management: časopis pre
pracovníkov zaoberajúcich sa otázkami bezpečnosti, rizika, krízovým
manažmentom a krízovýmplánovaním. ISSN 1336-0019. 2012, vol. 11,
no. 2, pp. 30-35.
[9] Moricová, V. Stress situations at work of crisis manager (Záťažové
situácie v práci krízového manažéra). In International conference
of crisis management in public and private sector: proceedings
of a conference” Zlín: Tomáš Baťa University, 2011. ISBN 978-80-
7454-027-1.
[10] Davison, J., USAT, MAJPDBMS; CASTRO, LTC Carl Andrew. How
Leaders Can Influence the Impact That Stressors Have on Soldiers.
Military Medicine, 2004, 169: 71541.
[11] Davidová, M. The use of Crew Resource Management methodology
for the preparation of military professionals in Armed Forces
of the Czech Republic. (Využití metodiky Crew Resource Managementu
k přípravě vojenských profesionálů armády České republiky.) In:
Taktika 2014. Taktické činnosti jednotek a úkolových uskupení
v budoucích operacích, jejich podpora a zabezpečení. Brno: University
of Defence, 2014, pp. 21-27. ISBN 978-80-7231-972-5.