The American Combat Soldier in Vietnam

Abstract

A sociological assessment of the attitudes and behavior of American combat soldiers over the course of the war in Vietnam suggests that primary-group interpretations of combat behavior must be modified, that combat groups were characterized by instrumental relationships and affected by latent ideological factors, and that the 12-month rotation cycle was the dominating feature of the Vietnam combat experience. Troop demoralization was accentuated by diverse sources of conflict, e.g., rank, generation, drug use, and race strife. T h e analysis concludes with a discussion of troop reprisals ("fraggings") against superiors and the paradoxes of the antiwar movement within the military.

For Cause and Comrade: Devoted Actors and Willingness to Fight

“…Evidence from previous studies of American soldiers in combat (Stouffer, et al, 1949, Moskos, 1975 as well as more recent research with revolutionary combatants in Lybia (Whitehouse, et al, 2014), suggests that identity fusion with a close family-like group is strongly associated with willingness to fight and die. Nevertheless, some fighters also claim they do so for a greater cause (Dollard, 1944;Spector, 1994), which carries with it a sense of personal significance and collective meaning beyond mere comraderie (Fiske, 2004;Kruglanski & Gelfand, 2013).…”

Research Potential of a Heart Rate Variability Diagnostic System for the Study of Stress and Health Risk in Peacekeeping Operations

“…A specific very stressful feature during exposure to peacekeeping stressors is the requirement to exercise restraint which is regarded as a principal and crucial component of effective peacekeeping [Allard, 1995;Moskos, 1975;Wright et al, 2002]. This feature is stressful because it requires to exercise restraint in the case of provocation, danger, threat; it contributes to feelings of helplessness, increased anxiety and frustration [Litz, 1996;Moskos, 1975;Segal & Segal, 1993]; and might induce PTSD or be a mediator of the relationship between PTSD and other stressors [Litz et al, 1997].…”

“…This feature is stressful because it requires to exercise restraint in the case of provocation, danger, threat; it contributes to feelings of helplessness, increased anxiety and frustration [Litz, 1996;Moskos, 1975;Segal & Segal, 1993]; and might induce PTSD or be a mediator of the relationship between PTSD and other stressors [Litz et al, 1997]. To exercise restraint is a very stressful requirement for peacekeepers from democratic societies.…”

Leadership and Management Technical Area. 1987-1988

“…The rapid turnover of personnel hinders the development of primary-group ties as well as rotating out of the unit men who have attained combat experience. (Moskos,1970:142) In a later paper, Moskos (1975) further developed his analysis of the deleterious affects of the one year rotation system. Overall, the rotation system reinforced an individualistic perspective that was essentially self-concerned.…”

“…Because combat is a nasty brutish place to be. Moskos (1975) describes the soldier's world. In the combat situation, the soldier not only faces the imminent danger of loss of life and, more frightening for most, limb, he also witnesses combat wounds and deaths suffered by buddies.…”