Tri-Service
Mental Resilience: The Forces' Newest Weapon
For the first time, mental resilience training has become a formal part of the programme for all infantrymen entering into the British Army.
Historically, the Army has focused on the physical and technical aspects of the soldier.
The change sees mental training accepted as a third fundamental pillar to their training - carrying as much importance as being physically fit and technically able.
Emotional and anxiety control techniques have been shown to significantly improve an individual's performance when under pressure.
Several years ago a PHD student and former paratrooper considered the theory that the soldiers could also benefit from being taught specific psychological skills.
These skills include mental rehearsal, emotion control and, anxiety and arousal regulation. After being taught these techniques, the performance of the para platoon he studied improved significantly – enabling them to perform at much higher levels when under stress.
Some years on, the teaching of these psychological techniques Mental Resilience has now become a compulsory part of the training of all infantrymen entering the British Army.
After an intense day in the lecture room, soldiers are forced to find their 'inner chimps' and test their new skills on the infamous trainaisium, a knuckle-biting assault course.
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