Assessing Psycho-Social Resilience in Diplomatic, Civilian & Military Personnel Serving in a High-Threat Security Environment during Counter-Insurgency and Counter-Terrorism Operations in Iraq

• Main Authors: Anne Speckhard, Gino Verleye, Beatrice Jacuch
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Massachusetts Lowell 2012-08-01
• Series: Perspectives on Terrorism
• Subjects: Iraq; Counter-Insurgency; Counter-Terrorism
• Online Access: http://www.terrorismanalysts.com/pt/index.php/pot/article/view/201
• ISSN: 2334-3745; 2334-3745

<p><em><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">Currently thousands of military, diplomatic and civilian personnel are deployed </span></em><em><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">under NATO, UN, and other multi-national, as well as national auspices in high-threat security environments, including active conflict zones such as Iraq and Afghanistan.&nbsp; Soldiers are generally well trained and prepared psychologically to face armed conflict. Civilian contractors and diplomats, on the other hand, often are not.&nbsp; Moreover in today&rsquo;s high-threat security environments terrorists, insurgents and even child soldiers may be the opposing force, creating a more uncertain and anxiety provoking environment and more difficult to identify security threat. These facts have serious implications for the psycho-social resilience of diplomatic, civilian and military personnel deployed in such environments.&nbsp; This article investigates psycho-social resilience in a small exploratory sample of US embassy staff, contractors and US forces serving in Iraq during 2007, a time when Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), roadside bombings, mortar attacks, kidnappings, murders and sniper fire were an everyday occurrence in Iraq.</span></em></p>