Combat and Operational Stress (COS) includes all the physiological and emotional stresses encountered as a direct result of the dangers and mission demands of combat. Combat and Operational Stress Control (COSC) in the U.S. Army may be defined as programs developed and actions taken by military leadership to prevent, identify, and manage adverse Combat and Operational Stress Reactions (COSR) in un
its. This program optimizes mission performance; conserves the fighting strength; and prevents or minimizes adverse effects of COSR on Soldiers and their physical, psychological, intellectual, and social health. Its goal is to return Soldiers to duty expeditiously. COSC activities include routine screening of individuals when recruited; continued surveillance throughout military service, especially before, during, and after deployment; continual assessment and consultation with medical and other personnel from garrison to the battlefield. Combat and Operational Stress Control is one of the 10 identified Medical Battlefield Operating Systems (Medical BOS), which includes: Command Control and Communication, Hospitalization and Surgery, Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Services, Laboratory, Blood, Dental Services, Health Service Logistics, Combat Stress Control, Patient Evacuation and Regulation, and Area Medical Support. The effects of Combat and Operational Stress are experienced by ALL Soldiers spanning every type of military operation in both peace and war. COSR is not restricted only to combat operations but may also occur as a result of combat like conditions present throughout the entire spectrum of military operations. These operations range from training, all phases of deployment, peacekeeping, humanitarian missions, stability and reconstruction, government support missions, and those missions that may include weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and/or chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) weapons. The goal of COSC is to enhance unit cohesion and combat capability in the face of high stress operational environments and maximize posttraumatic growth (PTG), a phenomenon in which positive outcomes occur among survivors of a wide range of traumatic experiences, such as car accidents, fires, sexual abuse/assault, military combat, and being held as a refugee. Posttraumatic growth among trauma survivors has included improved relationships, renewed hope for life, an improved appreciation of life, an enhanced sense of personal strength, and spiritual development.
