EXPERIENCES OF AND CONFRONTATION WITH COMBAT STRESS IN THE MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES

Vsak človek se vsakodnevno sooča z različnimi vrstami stresorjev, ki na človeka delujejo stresno. Pripadniki različnih vojska po svetu kot tudi naši vojaki pa so zaradi narave njihovega dela stresu še bolj izpostavljeni. To še bolj velja za pripadnike, ki odhajajo na mednarodne misije, saj je tam narava dela bistveno drugačna, kot je doma. Že same priprave na misijo, misija in kasneje vrnitev nazaj domov so se izkazale za zelo stresne. Pripadniki se morajo iz svojega domačega okolja, domačih navad na misijah po svetu, kjer delujejo, soočati še s kulturnimi razlikami, drugačnim načinom dela, oddaljitvijo od ljudi, ki jim pomenijo največ. Deležni so tudi groženj, ki jih narekuje nepoznano okolje misije. Z raziskavo smo ugotovili, da na stres na misiji zelo vplivajo medsebojni odnosi, torej odnosi med podrejenimi in nadrejenimi. Največji stresor celotnega cikla misije pa je vrnitev v domače okolje in vključitev pripadnikov v domači način življenja. S temi ugotovitvami opozarjamo na potrebne spremembe na teh področjih,ki sta bili v intervjujih izpostavljeni kot najbolj stresna dejavnika celotnega procesa misije. Torej bolj strokovno vodenje med samo misijo v smislu razumevanja pripadnikovih individualnih potreb ter večja psihološka pozornost na pripadnike tudi po končanih mednarodnih operacijah.Every man faces daily different types of stressors, which cause stress. Due to the natur of their work are members of armed forces around the world, including our own, subjected to them to even greater amount. Exposure to stressful factors is especialy great when leaving for international missions, since the nature of work out there fundamentally differs from work back home. Preparations for the mission, mission itself and return back home have proven to be extremely stessful. When on international mission, soldiers leave their homes and everything they know, just to find themselves in unknown environment. There they must not only learn how to cope with cultural differences, different modes of operation and feelings of separations from people they care the most for, but are also subjected to threats. Our research has shown, that stress on the mission is greatly influenced by interpersonal realtions as well as by relations between subordinates and superiors. As the biggest stressor the research has outlined return back home and re-intergration into society. Our findings, based on and exposed in interviews, make us belive there is room for some necessary changes. We believe greater attention should be placed on management of the mission, including taking indiviual needs of members of armed forces into account, which should extend beyond the mission itself. Even after the international mission has ended and upon arrival home members of armed forces should get psychological attention and support