Survival in Times of Adversity Among Active Military Personnel with Local-Armed Conflict Exposure

Local-armed conflict exposure among active military personnel is considered an inherent challenge in their survival capacity. This study aims to explore and determine the essence of the lived experiences of selected active Filipino military personnel who continue with their military service notwithstanding their participation from local-armed conflict. It utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach wherein five active enlisted military members who met the inclusion criteria voluntarily participated and undergone tele-interview using a semi-structured mode of interviewing. Data analysis yielded three structural themes of their lived experience from local- armed conflict exposures that pertains to (a) hardening in psychophysiological attributes; (b) testing of morality, and (c) sensing towards action mechanism which mostly encompasses the adaptation they have individually employed in the adversities of the lived encounters. This study contributed in determining the mental health of selected active military personnel that have endured the challenges of their actual participation in said phenomenon