On Combat: Grossman and Christensen Self development is one of the critical variables in the four domains of Army Leadership Development. In an effort to help expand the contexts related to self development, Grossman and Christensen’s On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace, add strong information to self development that would be useful to all military and police personnel. Picking up where his earlier work, On Killing, left off, Grossman and Christensen examine all facets of deadly combat including preparation/training, the actual moment of conflict and even debriefing at the conclusion of combat. The self development advocated by the authors establishes the true context of being a warrior, which they define as the 1% who protects the 98% from the remaining 1% who would do them harm (Grossman & Christensen 12). Though the work is not infallible, it examines subject matter that many psychologists have traditionally avoided. In addition, it combines psychology and physiology to extend beyond simply combat training and into the realms of healing after combat has occurred. The book is critically divided into four sections: The Physiology of Combat, Perceptual Distortion, Mental Attitude and Aftermath. Each of the four dimensions offer elements of self development that are useful to the reader. The first sections explains to the reader exactly what occurs physically during combat. As the author’s demonstrate, the will to kill another human being is something in which most people do not naturally have (50). This is described as a phobia against killing one’s own (112). When put into a situation where one’s life is threatened, the authors demonstrate that loss of bladder control and other troubling matters can occur when adrenaline is released (112). During this heightened state, however, humans are not functioning at their optimal efficacy for motor skills or mental acuity. A warrior, therefore, has to learn to control heart rate and related adrenaline influenced physical states. Rather than simply stating that this must occur, Grossman and Christensen demonstrate actual breathing techniques that can be used by the combatant to control their heart rate and thereby allow them to establish greater control (112). In addition, the authors explain how sleep and fitness work into the equation of being and efficacious warrior. Beyond the physiology of combat is the Perceptual Disorders. In this second section of the book, Grossman and Christensen demonstrate the types of perceptual disorders that affect most people during combat situations. Some of the perceptual occurrences that happen 80% or over of the time include auditory exclusion and tunnel vision (200). Similarly, Over 50% of combatants experience time in slow motion and heightened visual acuity (201). The third section of the work, Mental Attitude, explores what constructs are necessary for a person to occupy the role of a warrior. For self development, the authors show how training is perhaps the best methodology for building the correct mental attitudes in combatants. Everything from never killing a warrior in training to instill the habit of survival in the minds of the combatant is covered in this chapter (224). The authors outline the use of the correct weapon, the skill to use that weapon and the knowledge that you will use that weapon if necessary as the three basic things needed to survive a lethal encounter. Rather than rooting the discourse into unnecessary complexities, Grossman and Christensen present the information in very understandable and practical manners. The final chapter, which is often overlooked in discourse surrounding combat training, is the aftermath. For military veterans, a great deal of time is spent teaching them how to kill and how to survive dangerous situations. In contrast, however, seldom is anything stated about what to do after surviving a critical incident. In recent years, terminology like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD has crept into the national psyche as it has become apparent that simply surviving a combat situation is not necessarily enough to live a quality life. Psychology, knowing what to do mentally after a crisis and what is natural can help an individual to mitigate negative variables associated with PTSD. The authors recommend talking about what actually happened but doing so by learning to separate memory from emotion (Grossman and Christensen 333). Debriefing, as it is often called, is the process of sharing combat experiences with other peers and professionals. In terms of establishing the most human chapter, Grossman and Christensen truly are not what a casual observer would think when discussing concepts like “killogy.” In this section, they clearly outline how there is no glory in taking another person’s life despite the fact that sometimes it is warranted and necessary in the imperfect human condition. On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace is an important work for all military and police official to read if they truly want to expand into the full dimensions of self development. Using a well researched; yet, easy to understand presentation, the author’s show how psychologically and physiologically the human mind deals with combat related situations. Most importantly, rather than simply articulated how those situations manifest, the authors present training and suggestions for making the most of these natural tendencies. The situation in this book first and foremost can help someone stay alive in a lethal situation. In addition, for those who have survived a lethal and stressful situation, the authors also demonstrate how symptoms of PTSD can be overcome through debriefing and mentally properly framing what has occurred.

Works Cited
Grossman, Dave and Christensen, Loren, W. On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and Peace. New York: PPCT Research Publications, 200