Soldiers Under Threat: An Exploration of the Effect of Real Threat on Soldier's Perceptions, Attitudes and Morale

摘要

Wars in the last decade of the 20th century and especially the 'new' wars of the first decade of this century have produced considerable casualties among NATO and UN soldiers. The website iCasualties.org (December 2008) shows that since March 2003, more than 4.500 coalition soldiers have died in Iraq, while over 1000 soldiers have died in Afghanistan since October 2001. Without a doubt, soldiers are aware of the life-threatening circumstances of deployment. Death is in fact a very salient aspect of the mission. Death or the threat of death shows up in roadside warnings, in briefings, is made salient by protective equipment, and possibly through experience with victims of violence among opposing military forces, the civil population, or among one's own troops.