Warrior Resilience and Thriving (WRT): Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) as a Resiliency and Thriving Foundation to Prepare Warriors and Their Families for Combat Deployment and Posttraumatic Growth in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2005–2009

Abstract

Warrior Resilience and Thriving (WRT) and Warrior Family Resilience and Thriving were the U.S. Army's first combat Soldier and Family cognitive resiliency training classes based on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). WRT, as a pilot program, was designed to enhance soldier and family resiliency, thriving and posttraumatic growth prior to, during and following combat deployments. WRT alloys REBT self-coaching, Army Warrior Ethos, Stoic, survivor and resiliency strategies to teach and promote advanced resiliency, emotional management and critical thinking to soldiers and their families. This article will describe efforts initiated by the author, who served twice in Operation Iraqi Freedom where he developed WRT, as well as training he conducted for over 12,500 Warriors as the Prevention Team Leader for the 98th Combat Stress Control Detachment serving Baghdad. Risk Factors for Army Warriors and families and the advantages of existential and philosophically-based interventions like REBT are described along with a brief inventory of Army resiliency initiatives.

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