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Fatal training accidents: The military unit as a recovery context
Author(s) -
Tyler Mary P.,
Gifford Robert K.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.2490040207
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , unit (ring theory) , psychology , hierarchy , applied psychology , exploratory research , poison control , suicide prevention , human factors and ergonomics , social psychology , medical emergency , sociology , medicine , political science , history , law , mathematics education , archaeology , anthropology
An exploratory study of military units' recovery from fatal training accidents focused on four Army units which had lost one to three members in maneuver or live‐fire accidents involving tracked vehicles. One hundred seventeen soldiers affected by the accidents provided detailed interview data. In each case, the unit offered a recovery context in which formal and informal organizational structures facilitated individuals' resolution of trauma. The unit's tacit acknowledgment of a hierarchy of bereavement helped it organize caretaking and ritual activities. Soldiers received support from leaders and friends, and were aided by formal and informal rituals. The requirement to return to work, when handled sensitively, played a positive role in recovery.