AACC World 2013 Military Track “The Military, Combat Trauma, and Resiliency

September 12, 2013

Bob Dees Major General, U.S. Army, Retired

AACC Military Director

9.12.13 RFD LLC 1

Resilient Responses to Trauma Seminar # 221

SLIDES AVAILABLE NOW AT: www.ResilienceTrilogy.com

Our Game Plan 2:15-3:30 PM, 9.12.13

Theology of Suffering, Reality of Trauma,

Necessity for Resilience

Strategies to Counsel, Coach, and enhance

personal and leader resilience BEFORE,

DURING, and AFTER onset of trauma

Leader and Caregiver “Disciplines of

Replenishment”

9.12.13 RFD LLC 2 www.ResilienceTrilogy.com

“IN THE WORLD YOU WILL HAVE TRIBULATION….

SELF OTHERS

SPIRITUAL FORCES INEXPLICABLE TRAJEDY

Resulting From: Greek “thlipsis” squeezing Latin “tribulum” threshing

BUT BE OF GOOD CHEER, I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.”

JESUS -- John 16:33(NKJV)

This Tribulation results in Trauma, Pain, Suffering, and Opportunity.

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SUFFERING

What does a “STORM” look like?

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“At intervals between a bomb falling it sounded like church: voices from nearby slit trenches all chanting the Lord’s prayer together- over and over again.

Louder when the bombs hit closer.” Veteran Army Air Forces Bombardier and Olympic Runner Louie Zamperini as recorded in Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, page 117

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9.11.01 -- A Day of Infamy

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9.11.01 -- A Day of Infamy

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9.11.01 -- A Day of Infamy

“I’ll Take It From Here”

Divorce

Homelessness

Reintegration Challenges

Sexual Trauma

Operational Trauma

Domestic Violence

Substance Abuse

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Military Needs of the Hour

Civilian Transition

Operational Tempo

PTSD/TBI

Suicide

WARRIORS: Necessary & Noble

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P.S. – We are ALL Warriors

Source: Spiritual Fitness Handbook

“We are

afflicted in every way, but not crushed;

perplexed, but not despairing;

persecuted, but not forsaken;

struck down, but not destroyed .”

2 Corinthians 4:8, 9 NASB

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RESILIENCE “GOD Style” Tennis Ball or Egg?

Before During After

RESILIENCE LIFE CYCLE©

Source: Resilient Warriors, www.ResilienceTrilogy.com

LEARN & ADAPT

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COACH CRISIS RESPONSE (CRT) CARE & COUNSEL

Know Your Calling

(Mission, Purpose)

Know Your Enemy

Know Your Friends

Know Your Equipment

(Armor of God)

Deploy with the Right Mindset

Develop/Rehearse “Actions on Contact”

(Get Ready!)

Call 911

(Ask for help)

Start the IV

(Nurture yourself)

Keep Breathing

(Maintain routines)

Your Well of Courage

(Past strengths)

Remember Your Calling

Guard Primary Relationships

Choose Forgiveness

& Gratitude

Grieve Well

Sing a New Song

Revalidate Your Calling

(Discern/Chart the Future)

Comfort Others

LEARN & ADAPT

SOURCE: Page 200, Resilient Warriors, 2011, Dees 9.12.13 RFD LLC 12

Before During After

RESILIENCE LIFE CYCLE©

Source: Resilient Warriors, Chapter 5, www.ResilienceTrilogy.com

LEARN & ADAPT

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Know Your Calling

(Mission, Purpose)

Know Your Enemy

Know Your Friends

Know Your Equipment

(Armor of God)

Deploy with the Right Mindset

Develop/Rehearse “Actions on Contact”

(Get Ready!)

Comprehensive Personal Fitness™ The Greatest of Commandments

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“28One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”

29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is,

‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH

ALL YOUR HEART(EMOTIONAL), AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL(SPIRITUAL), AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND(MENTAL), AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH(PHYSICAL).’

The second is this,

‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR(RELATIONAL) AS YOURSELF.’

There is no other commandment greater than these.” 31

Mark 12: 28-31, NASB, Parenthetical and Bold comments added

COMPREHENSIVE PERSONAL FITNESS™

Comprehensive Personal Fitness™ leading to RESILIENCE

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• PHYSICAL (“Body is Temple of Holy Spirit”)

– Diet, Exercise, Hygiene, Sleep

• MENTAL(“Taking Every Thought Captive”)

– Thought Patterns, Intellectual Curiosity, Acuity

• SPIRITUAL(“To be spiritually minded is life & peace”)

– Connection with God, faith practices

• EMOTIONAL(“Slow to Get Angry”)

– Regulation, Temperament

• RELATIONAL(“Let us LOVE one another”)

– Connectivity, Mutual Support

Comprehensive Personal Fitness™ MILITARY APPLICATIONS

• Physical • Mental • Social • Emotional • Spiritual

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Marine Operational Stress Surveillance and Training(MOSST)

U.S. Army -- Comprehensive Soldier Fitness A structured, long term assessment and development program to

BUILD THE RESILIENCE and enhance the performance of every Soldier, Family member and DA civilian

• Physical • Family • Social • Emotional • Spiritual

• Physical (Strength)

• Mental (Mind)

• Relational (“Neighbor”)

• Emotional (Heart)

• Spiritual (Soul)

Army/AF Judeo Christian Marines/Navy

U.S. Army Comprehensive

Soldier Fitness (CSF)

Holy Bible Great Commandment

Mark 12:30,31

Extr

acte

d f

rom

Arm

y’s

“R

ead

y &

Re

silie

nt”

C

amp

aign

MY Comprehensive Personal Fitness™ Application Exercise

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PHYSICAL

Diet?

Exercise?

Hygiene?

Sleep?

MENTAL

Thought Patterns?

Intellectual Curiosity?

Acuity?

SPIRITUAL

Connection with God?

Faith practices?

EMOTIONAL

Regulation?

Temperament?

RELATIONAL

Connectivity?

Mutual Support?

Some Leading Questions: 1. How do I assess my status in each of these areas? 2. To what degree am I prioritizing these fundamental values in my life? 3. Do I hold myself accountable to these priorities? 4. Have I enlisted others to help? 5. How does success or excess in one area affect the others? 6. What realistic changes/commitments make sense for me now?

A. ____________________________ B. ____________________________ C. ____________________________

Before During After

RESILIENCE LIFE CYCLE©

LEARN & ADAPT

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Call 911

(Ask for help)

Start the IV

(Nurture yourself)

Keep Breathing

(Maintain routines)

Draw from your Well of Courage

(Past strengths)

Remember Your Calling

Source: Resilient Warriors, Chapter 6, www.ResilienceTrilogy.com

Weathering the Storm

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Call 911 • Pray to God • Ask for Help from 911 Friends • Ask the “experts” • Graciously accept help from others

Start the IV • God’s WORD in every possible way

Keep Breathing • Count Your Way • Spiritual Breathing • Hit A Knee • Record the Journey

Draw From Your Well of Courage • Remember Past Faithfulness • FEAR + FAITH = COURAGE

Remember Your Calling

“Sharon knew that Faith, Family, and Friends would be the key to living through this nightmarish reality.” Resilient Warriors, page 129, referring to Gold Star Parents Sharon and Deacon Collins

Before During After

RESILIENCE LIFE CYCLE©

LEARN & ADAPT

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Guard Primary Relationships

Choose Forgiveness & Gratitude

Grieve Well

Sing a New Song

Revalidate Your Calling

(Discern/Chart the Future)

Comfort Others

Source: Resilient Warriors, Chapter 7 & 8, www.ResilienceTrilogy.com

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Analyze one of your life traumas in terms of the Resilience Life Cycle©

Learning and Growing from Trauma Application Exercise

REFERENCE: Resilient Warriors Advanced Study Guide, pages 13,14, 36-39

?

1. My “Body Slam:” ___________________________________ 2. My Feelings: ______________________________________ 3. My Reactions: _____________________________________

BEFORE DURING AFTER LEARN & ADAPT

1. Was I Prepared for this life experience? _______________

2. How could I “Get Ready” for this?

A. __________ B. __________ C. __________

3. Did I have “Actions on Contact” prepared in advance? _______

1. How did I “Weather the Storm?”

A. __________ B. __________ C. __________

2. What/Who were my “life preservers?”

A. __________ B. __________ C. __________

1. Did it get worse? 2. Did I grieve the loss?

(D,A,B,D, Acceptance) 3. Did I get stuck?

A. Guilt? B. Anger? C. Bitterness?

4. Am I still stuck? 5. How do I get unstuck?

A. New Song? B. Forgiveness? C. Renewed Purpose?

1. What did I LEARN? A. Before?_________ B. During?_________ C. After?__________

2. Did I GROW? How? A. __________ B. __________ C. __________

3. Did I ADAPT in order to “Be Ready” for future life traumas?

____________________

• TRAUMA is a Reality… RESILIENCE is a Necessity

• Invest now in yourself and others…

• Before, During, After

• Not merely about human strength or grit

• Faith-based Resilience leads to greater Readiness

• Regarding Christian best practice…

– JESUS was the ultimate Resilient Warrior & Leader

• And HE grants that same Resilience to those who follow Him 9.12.13 RFD LLC 22

RESILIENCE SUMMARY

Dipping Deeply into the Well of Courage!

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“Well of Courage” For Leaders and Caregivers

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“Careful you do not dip too deeply

into the well of courage”

General Dick Cavazos, U.S. Army, Retired

1. What depletes your well?

2. What refills your well?

3. How long does it take?

The High Cost of Caring

• “If he is unwilling to pay the price of fatigue for his leadership, it will always be mediocre, unless he is a man of unusual physique and resilience. If he is wise, however, he will seize every legitimate opportunity for recuperation and recreation, or he will limit his own usefulness and ministry.

• “When Robert Murray McCheyne, the saintly young Scottish minister, lay dying at the age of twenty-nine, he turned to a friend who was sitting with him and said: ‘God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I have killed the horse and now I cannot deliver the message.’ “

9.12.13 RFD LLC 25 Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders, page 109

Leader & Caregiver Self-Care

• Comprehensive Self-Care™

• Disciplines of Replenishment

• Sabbath Rest

• Work Ending Rituals

• Lowering Ambient Noise

• Visualization (“Minute Vacations”)

• Spiritual Meditation

• Sleep Management

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Personal Risk Management™ for Leaders

“HALT”

Hungry

Angry

Lonely

Tired

“Beware the Bubble”

Source: Resilient Leaders, Chapter 8, www.ResilienceTrilogy.com

PUT ON YOUR MASK FIRST!

AACC World 2013 Military Track “The Military, Combat Trauma, and Resiliency

September 12, 2013

Bob Dees Major General, U.S. Army, Retired

AACC Military Director

9.12.13 RFD LLC 27

Resilient Responses to Trauma Seminar # 221

SLIDES AVAILALE NOW AT: www.ResilienceTrilogy.com

NOTES

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