Military psychology is a specialization within psychology that applies psychological

science to promote the readiness of military members, organizations, and operations.

[1]
Military psychologists provide support to the military in many ways, including through
direct clinical care, consultation to military commanders, teaching others and
supporting military training; and through research relevant to military operations and
personnel.

Military psychology as a field has been growing since the early 20th century, evidence
that the demands and needs for psychological clinical and operational application is
continuing to grow steadily.[1] There are many stressors associated with military service,
including exposure to high-risk training and combat. As such, psychologists are critical
support components that assist military leaders in designing appropriate training
programs, providing oversight to those programs, and assisting military members as they
navigate the challenges of military training and their new lifestyle.

Military psychology covers a wide range of fields throughout the military including
operational, tactical, and occupational psychology.[2] Gender differences between
military-trained personnel who seek mental health assistance have been extensively
studied. Specific examples include post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) associated with
combat, or guilt and family/partner difficulties accompanying extended or frequent
deployments due to separation. Clinical providers in military psychology are often
focused on the treatment of stress, fatigue, and other personal readiness issues.[2]

Previous wars such as the Korean War, Vietnam War, and World War II provide great
insight to the workings and practices of military psychology and how the practices have
changed and assisted the military over the years.[3]

The military is a group of individuals who are trained and equipped to perform national
security tasks in unique and often chaotic and trauma-filled situations. These situations
can include the front-lines of battle, national emergencies, counter-terrorism support,
allied assistance, or the disaster response scenarios where they are providing relief-aid
for the host populations of both friendly and enemy states. Though
many psychologists may have a general understanding with regards to a humans
response to traumatic situations, military psychologists are uniquely trained and
experienced specialists in applied science and practice among this special population.
While the service members may be providing direct aid to the victims of events, military
psychologists are providing specialized aid to both members, their families, and the
victims of military operations as they cope with the often "normal" response or reaction
to uncommon and abnormal circumstances.[4] Military psychologists can assess,
diagnose, treat and recommend the duty status most suitable for the optimal well-being
of the individual, group, and organization. Through the use of group therapy, individual
therapy, and behavior modification, these psychologists actively treat psychological
disorders, most commonly emotional trauma. When counseling members of a military
personnel's family, they are most often tasked with providing grief counseling after the
loss of a loved one in the line of duty. [5][6][7] Events that affect the mental state, resilience
or psychological assets and vulnerabilities of the warrior and the command are where
military psychologists are most equipped to meet the unique challenges and provide
expert care and consultation to preserve the behavioral health of the fighting force.

In addition to the specialized roles previously mentioned, military psychologists often

provide support to many non-healthcare-related activities. For example, military
psychologists may provide their expertise and training in the consultation to hostage
negotiations. Military psychologists are not hostage negotiators; however, they often
consult [ation] with those directly communicating with hostage-takers in a manner that
seeks the safety and protections of all involved. Military psychologists may also apply
their science to aviation selection and training, to the study and application of survival
training, and the selection of personnel for special military duties.[8]

Another common practice domain for military psychologists is in performing fitness for
duty evaluations, especially in high risk and high reliability occupations. The types of
fitness evaluations include both basic entry examinations and career progression
examinations such as those conducted when individuals are seeking promotion, higher-
classification clearance status, and specialized, hazardous, and mission critical working
conditions. When operational commanders become concerned about the impact of
continuous, critical, and traumatic operations on those in their command, they often
consult with a military psychologist.

The fitness evaluations might lead to command directed administrative actions or

provide the information necessary to make decisions by a medical board or other
tribunal and must be thoroughly conducted by non-biased individuals with the
experience and training necessary to render a professional opinion that is critical to key
decision makers. Military psychologists must be well versed in the art and science of
psychology as specialized applied practice professionals. They must also be highly
competent generalists in the military profession, and be able to understand both
professions well enough to examine human behavior in the context of military
operations. It takes the psychologist several years beyond the doctorate to develop the
expertise necessary to understand how to integrate psychology with the complex needs
of the military.[4]

Another very select and infrequent use of military psychology is in the interview of
subjects, the interrogation of prisoners, and the vetting of those who may provide
information of operational or intelligence value that would enhance outcomes of friendly
military operations or reduce friendly and enemy casualties. Psychology's scientific
principles applied here allow the interviewer, agent, or interrogator to get as much
information as possible through non-invasive means without the need to resort to active
measures or risk violating the rules of engagement, host nation agreements,
international and military law or crossing the threshold of the Geneva Conventions'
guidelines to which the United States and its allies subscribe, regardless of the status of
many of the modern belligerent countries on the international laws and United Nations
agreements.[8]

Many military personnel come back from war and have a difficult time re-adjusting to civilian
life. Between the traumatic things they might have seen and the extended time away from
their families, it can be a lot for one person to handle. Even being at war for a short time is
sometimes enough to cause emotional turmoil. In many cases, a clinical military psychologist
can help soldiers or veterans heal from trauma and re-adjust to life at home. There are
millions of people who have been involved with the military, and many others will follow in
their footsteps. For this reason, military psychologists tend to be in high demand. Below, we’ll
discuss military psychologists, the training required to become a military psychologist, and
some of the benefits of this unique psychology career.