Behavioral Health
Combat / Operational Stress Control 

Combat is more stressful than any training. Security and support operations can also involve heavy stress, even without combat. Mental and physical fitness will help you endure the stress of combat and military operations. 

The day-to-day stress that comes with stability and support operations (SASOs) can at times be as bad as that of major combat.  Emotionally distracted Soldiers can endanger the mission, the unit, and themselves. 

Knowing how you can help yourself, the Soldiers in your unit, your battle buddy, or your famliy members is important. 

Often, just talking to a friend, leader, or health professional who listens, tries to understand, and praises their strengths, is all people need to find their own answers.

The following resources are provided as useful tools to help if someone you know is in distress.


Technical Guide 320, Guide to Coping with Deployment and Combat Stress

  • Combat & Operational Stress Reactions
  • Coping with Stress in Stability and Support Operations
  • OIF/OEF TIPS - Providing Support to Soldiers in Distress: Battle Buddy Aid
  • OIF/OEF TIPS – Helping a Soldier  in Distress for Leaders
  • Coping with Deployment Separation (Deployed Parent and Caregiver)
  • Sleep Management and Soldier Readiness: A Guide for Leaders and Soldiers
  • The Injured and Dead

Redeployment Health Guides

Redeployment Health Guide: A Guide for Service Members and their Families 

Redeployment involves reuniting with your loved ones and getting reacquainted. Knowing what to expect, how to deal with the changes and where to get help can make homecoming enjoyable and less stressful for everyone. Basic information about these important topics is provided in this guide, including information about locating resources to assist you and your family.

Redeployment Health Guide: A Service Member's Guide to Deployment-Related Stress Problems 

This guide provides descriptions of some of the more serious deployment-related stress problems.  These include Combat/Operational Stress Reactions,  Adjustment Disorders, Acute Stress  Disorder, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. It also gives general guidance on where to go to get assistance if you think that you may be experiencing any of these problems.

Soldier Combat Stress Reaction: A Pocket Guide for Spouse and Loved Ones

Return from deployment is a time of great excitment, but can also be one of stress and adjustment.  This guide helps family members and loved ones understand the stressors Soldiers may have encountered and suggests ways to cope.

Resiliency Training and Products 

Resilience Training reflects a strenght-based, positive psychological approach to Warrior behavioral health.  It is designed for Warriors, Leaders, Families and Behavioral Health Providers.  Training and information is targeted to all phases of the Warrior deployment cycle, Warrior life cycle and Warrior support system.

Policy Documents related to Combat/Operational Stress Control

 DoD Directives

1010.4External Link 

Drug and Alcohol Abuse by DoD Personnel

1010.10External Link 

Health Promotion and Disease/Injury Prevention

6400.1External Link 

Family Advocacy Program (FAP)

6490.1External Link 

Mental Health Evaluations of Members of the Armed Forces

6490.5External Link 

Combat Stress Control (CSC) Programs

 DoD Instructions

6400.3External Link 

Family Advocacy Command Assistance Team

6490.4External Link 

Requirements for Mental Health Evaluations of Members of the Armed Forces

Army Regulations

AR 40-3External Link 

Medical, Dental, and Veterinary Care

AR 40-4External Link 

Army Medical Department Facilities Activities

AR 40-5External Link 

Preventive Medicine

AR 40-66External Link 

Medical Record Administration and Healthcare Documentation

AR 40-501External Link 

Standards of Medical Fitness

AR 50-5External Link 

Nuclear Surety

AR 340-21External Link 

The Army Privacy Program

AR 351-3External Link 

Professional Education and Training Programs of the Army Medical Department

AR 385-10External Link 

The Army Safety Program

AR 385-40External Link 

Army Accident Investigations and Reporting

AR 600-85External Link 

The Army Substance Abuse Program

AR 608-1External Link 

Army Community Service Center

AR 608-18External Link 

Army Family Advocacy Program

AR 608-47External Link 

Army Family Action Plan (AFAP) Program

AR 611-1External Link 

Military Occupational Classification Structure Development and Implementation

AR 635-200External Link 

Enlisted Personnel

 Field Manuals  Access all of these manuals on the  ATIA Training page External Link (AKO)

FM 3-19.1 Military Police Operations
FM 3-19.40 Military Police Internment/Resettlement Operations
FM 4-02.4 Medical Platoon Leaders Handbook Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
FM 4-02.24 Area Support Medical Battalion Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
FM 6-22.5 Combat Stress
FM 8-10 Health Service Support in a Theater of Operations
FM 8-10-3 Division Medical Operations Center Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
FM 8-10-5 Brigade and Division Surgeons’ Handbook
FM 8-10-6 Medical Evacuation in a Theater of Operations Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
FM 8-51 Combat Stress Control in a Theater of Operations
FM 8-55 Planning for Health Service Support
FM 10-23 Basic Doctrine for Army Field Feeding and Class I Operations Management
FM 21-10 Field Hygiene and Sanitation
FM 21-11 First Aid for Soldiers
FM 22-100 Army Leadership
FM 22-51 Leaders’ Manual for Combat Stress Control
FM 25-100 Training the Force
FM 27-1 Legal Guide for Commanders
FM 27-10 The Law of Land Warfare
FM 27-14 Legal Guide for Soldiers
FM 31-70 Basic Cold Weather Manual
FM 63-3 Corps Support Command
FM 63-20 Forward Support Battalion
FM 63-21 Main Support Battalion
FM 100-9 Reconstitution
FM 100-10 Combat Service Support
FM 100-15 Corps Operation

 

Related programs and contacts