Fighting to Win: How to Optimize Mental Fitness and Soldier Performance in Modern Warfare

by Lt Col Andy Riise, US Army & Karen Costello, M.A. CMPC

Soldiers preparing for a dismounted foot patrol during a field training exercise, Lightning Forge

The Performance Coach (PC) is a Department of Defense (DoD) Contractor who has been embedded with Bravo Company (3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division) in Schofield Barracks, HI for the past six months as part of a pilot program called Project Greenbook. She has trained with the unit consistently through all unit activities in garrison and in the field, starting each day with Physical Training at 0600. She works closely with leaders and Soldiers by teaching and reinforcing mental skills designed to enhance psychological performance and resilience. Through credibility and continuity, she has built trust and rapport with the Soldiers. This is the model of what mental fitness training should like in the modern Army.

Key Points:

• In 2009, 302 Soldiers committed suicide; double the national rate and more thanSoldiers killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.
• As of today, the Army has invested estimated $500 million to address a myriad of underlying unwanted and highly publicized behaviors including: sexual assault, sexualharassment, physical injuries, toxic leadership and unethical behavior.
• Soldier suicide rates have steadily increased over the past decade with annual Veteran suicides rates an all time high​.

The Army needs a unified programmatic effort to deliver improved mental fitness services and increase warfighting readiness. Mental fitness education and training should be redesigned for optimizing mental and emotional performance. Trainers and providers alike, to include company level leaders need to better understand mental skills training and how to integrate it into unit training.

Working with Soldiers when they’re experiencing stress during training

Fighting to Win: Working with Soldiers when they’re experiencing stress

Key Points​:

• Tactical Small Unit training (TSU) with an embedded team
• Leverage a proactive approach that adopts a philosophy of competition
• Focus on developing the desired attitudes and behaviors of Soldiers and units by introducing mental skills in Basic Training
• Teach the skills in the field and not just the classroom
• Spend less time on science and more time on practical application

The paradox of the current human dimension strategy towards improving mental health, resilience and performance is that it is reactive (right of bang) rather than proactive (left of bang). It also focuses on unwanted behaviors, rather than desired behaviors. This is the equivalent of playing not to lose ​versus fighting to win, and is contrary to the Warrior Ethos and philosophy of competition that’s shaped the Army for over 245 years.

US Army GEN (Ret) Robert B. Brown, then Commanding General of the U.S. Army Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning, GA, speaking at 2011 Association of the US Army Annual Meeting and Exposition stressed that any change to Army doctrine and technology that can improve the average physiological performance of squad members would have a profound effect on the performance of TSUs. Known factors that compromise Soldier performance include sleep deprivation, invidual load, acute musculoskeletal injuries, and emotional and psychological stressors and resiliency.

PCs working with elite athletes in athletic settings rarely use the word “resilience.” Conversely, the focus is on optimal performance. The skills learned to be their best are the same skills that will help them overcome adversity.

Below are two actual events that exemplify the impact of Fighting to Win:

Soldier performance before (left) and after (right) applying the mental skill of self-talk during Combat Water Survival testing

Experiential Learning and Transferability

Key Points:

• Move from education solely in the classroom to applied training in the field
• Transfer mental and emotional skill development to all areas of training to form behavioral habits
• Develop trust through ongoing relationships with SMEs

According to US Army Colonel (Retired) Louis Csoka, founder of the West Point Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP),

“Mental Skills Training” (MST) is designed to be taught and applied before, during and after physical, technical and tactical training. Our goal is always to move MST into the field as soon as possible.”​

Based on its efficacy with elite athletes and sports teams, mental skills training for Soldiers was originally intended to be applied in performance settings in order to help the Soldier experience the effects and benefits in real time. ​Research on athletic populations suggests that mental skills applied in sports settings increase the likelihood of transferability of mental skills to other areas of life.

GEN (Ret) Robert B. Brown reinforced this idea by saying,

​Trust is achieved through empowerment. But you’re just not going to empower somebody, ​i​f you don’t know them well​. You’re going to give them their left and right limit and you’ve got to see them, over and over again in an immersive environment where they’re facing the same challenges they’ll face.

Brigade-level interdisciplinary teams with proven results

THOR3: Tactical Human Optimization of Rapid Recovery and Rehabilitation

Key Points:

• Brigade level interdisciplinary teams require professional experience
• Designed to increase physical and emotional well-being
• Prevent injuries and promote cognitive and physical skill development

THOR3 is a complete tactical fitness program created in 2009 by the U.S. Special Operations Command and implemented across Special Operations Forces to include Special Forces, Psychological Operations, and the 75th Ranger Regiment. THOR3 is primarily a Group (Brigade) level program comprised of an interdisciplinary team of professional strength and conditioning trainers, nutritionists, physical therapists, and cognitive specialists, usually with previous experience working within collegiate, olympic and professional athletics. THOR3’s purpose is to create training protocols for special operations missions using cross-functional approach. These subject matter experts work closely together, often reinforcing concepts outside of their expertise in order to meet the needs of teams and individul Soldiers.

Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F):

• Led by Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC)
• Brigade level multidisciplinary experienced trainers, providers, and practitioners
• Promotes holistic health, wellness and fitness
• Creating a culture based on growth and performance

H2F is similar to other programs developed within the special operations communities. It employs interdisciplinary teams to coach and develop personnel within the Brigade Combat Team (BCT). The H2F initiative aims to replicate the effects of special operations programs, at scale, across the Army.

The initial six-month pilot, conducted in 2017, was titled the Soldier Readiness Test (SRT). It temporarily embedded a strength and conditioning coach (CSCS), a physical therapist (PT), a registered dietician (RD), and an occupational therapist (OT) into selected BNs. Due to the success of the pilot, the Army launched the SRT and Training Program (SRT2P). The SRT2P began in the fall of 2018 with increased funding, equipment orders, and personnel embedded for two years. It quickly rebranded to the H2F-lite pilot, and continues to solidify into the current and growing version of H2F. Currently, the Army plans to implement the interdisciplinary H2F model across the majority of units, regardless of warfighting function. The goal is to create a climate and culture focused on growth and performance. This will yield soldiers who are mentally, physically, and spiritually ready for the demands of training and combat.

Examples of innovative training programs that have shown results

TOVM: Team Overmatch

• 2014 Army Modeling and Simulation Team Award for training
• Tactical Small Unit (TSU) training
• Experiential learning using cutting edge technology
• Identifying at-risk Soldiers prior to training
• Collecting metrics based on scientific data collection and analysis

Team Overmatch (TOvM) is an example of an applied interdisciplinary training program that can be customized by unit leaders through using the TOvM Wizard — innovative, state-of-the-art online planning technology. The goal of TOvM is to integrate human dimension (HD) and team performance training into Army training events, providing the capability for Leaders to design highly realistic, immersive scenarios so that Soldiers can ‘train like they fight.’

In 2014, GEN Robert B. Brown, then Commanding General U.S. Army Combined Arms Center (CAC), remarked that the Squad Overmatch Study was “spot on.” The study addressed the need to adopt an integrated Squad training approach that includes a graduated stress exposure training methodology along with scenarios that develop mental performance, situational awareness and desired behavior in critical stress situations.

The TOvM model follows a blended approach, in that all resilience and performance skills (RPE) are practiced throughout the different disciplines (Team Dimensional Training (TDT), Advanced Situational Awareness (ASA), Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TC3), and RPE in a realistic setting. RPE skills are introduced at PT in a crawl-walk-run method, allowing Soldiers to see how they can actively manage their stress to maximize PT performance. As the curriculum progresses, the Soldier is taught to apply the skills to mitigate psychological and physical responses to Combat Operational Stress Reactions (COSRs), culminating in teaching of iCOVER (a protocol developed by WRAIR and the Israeli Army for treating COSRs in the field). Given the challenges of generating stress during training, it can be especially difficult to train Soldiers to practice mitigating stress. This is a critical training gap, as stress reactions can negatively affect the Soldiers’ readiness for mission.

Key to training effectiveness is the degree that training scenarios can be tailored to the collective tasks/ commander’s intent that a platoon is getting after, and to reflect the operationally relevant stressors that Soldiers will be performing under. To do this, training scenarios must provide deliberate opportunities to practice human dimension skills that are fully integrated into tactical missions. By training an integrated skill set, the Soldiers and leaders are poised to maximize transfer of training. The TOvM Wizard guides Platoon Leadership to take tactical scenarios and to map on deliberate training events to practice ASA, TDT, R/PE, and TC3, ​resulting in the design of a high quality decision making scenario.​ A second critical step is to ​identify Soldiers who may have pre-existing conditions or risk factors that may increase the risk of COSR​. Finally, the Wizard guides all skill levels and positions within the Platoon, from leaders to new Soldiers, in ​actively engaging in monitoring team performance and goal setting through the integrated AAR. ​The Wizard’s capability provides platoon leadership with all the tools necessary to integrate critical decision making and team communication skill sets into collective training — from scenario design to after action review. This capability will be ready for initial testing in November 2020.

Greenbook Project:

• Leverages cutting edge technology
• Designed to train-the-trainer for integrated performance skills
• Individual character assessments focusing on communication styles

Greenbook Project piloted in 2017–2018 in the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, HI, and with I Corp and 8th Army Korea, this blended learning program seeks to support development and execution of the joint human dimension effort and provide a transferable framework for human dimension training in support of Soldier, Leader, and team lethality. Greenbook Project offers a menu of training enhancements including: Online Community Discussion Forums, Character and Ethics Training Scenarios, Reflection Worksheets, Strategic Thinking and Cultural Acuity Practical Exercises, Live Performance Enhancement Modules, and a Commander’s Digital Library. The Greenbook Project expanded prototype phase during 2018–2019 will add integration into the Institutional Force through TRADOC at the Infantry Officer Basic Leader Course (BOLC) pilot course concurrent with continued implementation in the Operational Force in 25th ID and I Corps and 8th Army Korea. Moving forward, Greenbook was assessed in the Army Expeditionary Warfare Experiment (AEWE) at Ft. Benning in 2020.

Data collection challenges

Key Points:

• Psychological performance is difficult to measure
• Technology such as biofeedback devices can measure physiological results in real-time
• Develop representative measures of performance (MOPs) and measures of effectiveness (MOEs) for the primary dimensions of TSU performance, and ensure these measures incorporate human dimension criteria

Recommendations

• Adopt a fighting to win philosophy based on competition and desired Soldier and unit behaviors required for performance in modern warfare
• Educate leaders and providers on how to move mental skills training from the classroom into the field before, during and after physical and tactical training.
• Separate training programs focused on unwanted Soldier behaviors (i.e., SHARP, ACE , etc.) from mental skills training that promotes desired behaviors by ​integrating and promoting skill practice in all training.
• Execute a strategy for optimizing mental fitness using an integrated and interdisciplinary approach by providers that directly support leaders and units.
• Re-establish a formal relationship between Army University partners such as West Point’s CEP and Department of Behavioral Science and Leadership for collaboration in training, education and research.
• Conduct longitudinal research on the impact of mental fitness interventions with populations across the entire Soldier lifecycle.
• Develop systems and processes that promote “shared consciousness” between research agencies, service providers, and leaders at echelon.

Conclusion

The Army continues to lead the way for how we develop the most lethal Soldiers, leaders and units in the world. In order to address the challenges of modern warfare at the speed of our adversaries, we have an opportunity to reassess and refine how we deliberately develop the intangible skills through complementary and high quality mental fitness programs research, training and education. ​Through these renewed efforts, we can ensure our Soldiers will continue to dominate what Retired USMC General James Mattis calls “the most important six inches on the battlefield — between the ears.”

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the following contributors:

• Colonel (Ret) Louis Csoka
• Lt Col (Ret) Peter Jensen
• Master Sergeant (Ret) Rory Travis

About the authors

Retiring Lt Col I.A.L. “Andy” Riise, is considered a uniformed expert in the applied psychology of resilience and elite human performance in the Army. He holds an M.A. in Exercise Psychology with emphasis in sport and performance. His assignments include various command and staff positions from platoon to the corps-level, instructor at West Point’s Center for Enhanced Performance, guest instructor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Department Director at the Maneuver Center of Excellence, two assignments with U.S. Special Forces units, and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Karen Costello is a seasoned professional with extensive experience cultivating and enhancing human potential to develop confident, high-performing individuals and teams. She holds an M.A. in Exercise and Sports Psychology. Her background includes 32+ years in performance enhancement coaching, and hands-on experience working with Olympic coaches and competitors and a wide range of athletes from top-tier NCAA Division I UCLA athletes to military Soldiers. Her skill set includes providing guidance and insight in overcoming mental, emotional and physical obstacles to accomplish goals and achieve optimal success. Currently, she is the Performance and Resilience Curriculum Lead for Team Overmatch and has worked with the Army and Naval Warfare for over seven years.

Challenges with the MRT Program

The Master Resilience Training Course (MRT-C), established in November 2009 at the University of Pennsylvania is a ten day, 80-hour program of instruction that blends mental and emotional and social skills from Positive Psychology, Social Psychology and Sport Performance Psychology. This course is taught at installations across the world. Successful completion of MRT produces an Additional Skill Identifier (ASI) of 5R.

Once certified, MRTs train the Soldiers in their unit along with other potential facilitators. Unfortunately, the ten-day course in graduate level material has not been successful in the train-the-trainer model. Findings have shown most Soldier MRT’s do not follow through with unit training on a regular basis, or they are delivering the material in a very limited capacity in order to “check the box” for minimal requirements.

In a survey of over 50 Soldier MRTs (Level I and II) at Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA in 2014, over 90% reported lacking the support from their chain of command. Focus groups of this same population revealed that MRTs did not have dedicated time or resources to continue investing in their skills as trainers and facilitators. Some MRTs saw their additional duties as MRT as a potential risk to their careers advancement because it would not help them with promotions in the same way that other additional duties such as SHARP or Equal Opportunity.

To meet the growing demand for MRTC at the installation-level, the Army hired large numbers of DOD contracted psychology practitioners. Many of these practitioners were entry level employees coming from research based higher education programs and had limited experience applying mental skills training. As a result, the majority of their practical experience was exclusively on resilience training (i.e., MRTC). While performance focused mental skills training based on Sport and Performance Psychology continues as an available offering to leaders and units, Ready and Resilient (R2) Training Centers spend an estimated 80% or more of their time delivering resilience training or other programs focused on unwanted behaviors.

Although resilience training is currently offered in entry level Primary Military Education courses (i.e., BCT and BOLC), many company level leaders do not understand how to incorporate mental skills training into their unit training plans. This is partly because this type of education is absent from courses designed for company level leaders. Just as training focused on character development and the new ACFT is incorporated in the Maneuver Captains Career Course, mental skills training for leaders should be incorporated in Captains Career Courses and Non Commissioned Officer Academies across all branches.

Selecting and Working with Subject Matter Experts

Traditionally, practitioners with a Master’s degree or higher in Sport Performance and/or Exercise Psychology are hired as DOD contractors to lead and facilitate the MRTC. Currently, these same practitioners are teaching MRT, SHARP, ACE, This Is My Squad (TIMS) and other programs that many trainers believe are beyond their expertise. Contractual changes over time have led to salary cuts for seasoned practitioners and the hiring of newly graduated applicants who can work for lower rates. As a result, many experienced practitioners have transitioned back to the athletic or business settings as applied psychology becomes more prevalent.

The SMEs who were already challenged by the heavy emphasis on teaching Positive Psychology through the R2 Program, are now being tasked with additional training and delivery of material outside of their area of expertise.

In the collegiate and professional athletic settings, the athletic department and personnel development staff require both licensed clinical psychologists for more severe psychological challenges, and certified sport psychology coaches for performance related issues. The term Psychologist is reserved for licensed practitioners. There is a very clear distinction between the two areas as most sport psychology coaches are not trained or legally licensed to treat clinical diagnoses. It is also believed that having a performance expert teaching content related to suicide and sexual harassment muddies the waters in terms of credibility and trust. It would make more sense to follow the lead of the NCAA and keep the two areas separate. Another

option would be to hire SMEs with more of a clinical background such as Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) to teach the non-performance oriented content.

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