Combat Stress Control

Combat stress control (CSC) includes a broad range of assessment, preventive, and treatment activities engaged in by military unit leaders, chaplains, behavioral health providers, and others to mitigate the adverse consequences of stress in combat. In the U.S. military, all of the armed forces refer to stress reactions during combat operations as combat stress reactions (CSRs). However, it is frequently noted that stress reactions occur during military operations other than combat as well. For example, service members may have a stress reaction during training events or peacetime missions. As a result, current Army doctrine utilizes the term combat operational stress. Stress reactions can be adaptive or maladaptive. CSC programs aim to increase adaptive reactions and decrease maladaptive reactions.