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Unit 9 Assignment: Final Project

Chloe Fiore

Purdue University Global

HW410 Stress-Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Professor Casey Wilson

24 October, 2023
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Unit 9 Assignment: Final Project

As a military member myself, I thought it only made sense to develop a stress

management and prevention program for the military as my target population. This is a valuable

initiative as we go through unique situations throughout our career. There is good stress, like test

anxiety or the stress before an interview. “However, constant and severe stress often causes

health issues and performance problems” (Military OneSource, 2023). It is only getting worse

now as life piles up and I watch my friends deploy last minute to aid with the current events.

Tailoring a program to the military personnel, specifically, is critical for program success.

Explained Stressors

Ten stressors sound like a lot but they came running to my mind like bees to honey. First

and foremost, especially right now, combat exposure can be a stressor. Exposure to combat

situations can lead to intense stress because service members can potentially face life threatening

situations. They might also witness trauma or the death of a wing man. With that might come

another stressor called family separation. The military will pay you if you are separated from

your family. This comes with the price of long deployments or temporary duties and separation

from loved ones which can cause stress because of the emotional strain of being away from

family and the uncertainty of their safety. “Although combat is often the first stressor that comes

to mind in terms of military stressors, service members may experience many other conditions of

stress, including high work demands and family separations due to deployment” (Kelly & Vogt,

2009). Additionally, long working hours can be another stressor. We are considered 24/7 no

matter what our shift is. Military personnel work long hours which can lead to physical and

emotional exhaustion. This impacts our overall well-being in the long run. Something I have not

been through as much as others has been frequent relocations or permanent change of stations.
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Frequent moves to a different duty station disrupts personal lives and relationships. Sometimes

you volunteer for a job but most of the time, the military tells you randomly. It messes with a

family routine and can cause stress related to adapting to new environments. If the member is

married to a civilian, then they must figure out whether they are leaving their job or not which

can put financial strain on the family or put a burden on the relationship. The physical fitness test

is another stressor. Believe it or not, not everyone in the military is a superhero. The fitness test

has made people injure themselves to get out of certain assessments and it makes people worry

about their score or if they will stay in if they fail. A stressor that I experienced back in 2014, was

what I like to call, the Air Force Hunger Games. Career uncertainty is the name of that stressor

because there are random concerns about certain promotions or your job security and if you are

not ready for a possible post military life then that can put a lot of anxiety on you. Aside from

that, every year we wait forever to find out if we were promoted or not and lately those ratings

have not been great. Another stressor is low manning. We are always being told to do less with

more and be a multi capable Airmen, but it is hard to do when there are not enough people. So,

there are less people doing more work and not taking their time off and coming in when they are

sick, which puts a strain on their well-being like the other stressors. Balancing work and home

life is another stressor. It is not an easy task to maintain the two plus taking care of yourself at

some point. It is tough not to take one to the other. This can create anger at home or at work if

not properly balanced. One stressor the new airmen at the base that I am at struggle with here is

isolation and loneliness. Our suicide rates have increased, and this area is very desolate and can

get lonely especially when someone is young and just starting to join the adult world. It's not a

terrible base but for a young Airman it can seem like they have no one and they isolate

themselves to their dorm room. Finally, lack of sleep is another stressor military members may
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deal with. Many of us are working full-time, possibly in school, have other life obligations to

worry about and yet we must show up one hundred percent to every shift. It can be taxing on our

energy. I have noticed that my body will tell me to slow down or rest one way or another.

Stressor Importance

These ten stressors are important to consider for the military population because they

reflect the unique challenges I mentioned above. These stressors reflect the demands that military

members face every day. Understanding them is crucial for program success. Overall, they are

important to consider or address to promote mental health and overall well-being. It's not

unknown that many military members and veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder

because of unmanaged stress. Additionally, big Air Force wise, it's important to consider for

operational effectiveness and retention. You can't keep people in the service if you don't take care

of them. Recruitment is also a factor because if it gets out that you are not taking care of the

Airmen then no one is going to want to join. If stress is unmanaged, it can impair judgment

which affects those military members who are in leadership roles. Addressing these stressors can

help keep their minds sharp and build resiliency so that service members can bounce back from

stress and help their subordinates do the same.

Program Descriptions

One technique that tackles both stress and mindfulness, from my unit 8 assignment, is the

use of stress reduction workshops in a health and wellness development center that is within

the work center. The workshops would be free to employees and would run during the work

week. There will be classes specializing in mindfulness meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and

time management. “Being trained to implement is a strategic place to start, and it also helps

you and your organization prioritize stress management as an ongoing initiative” (Stohl,
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2021). This would be beneficial because a less stressed workforce typically leads to increased

productivity, reduced truancy, improved morale, and a lower turnover rate. I see jobs constantly

hiring new people because they cannot hold a position. This is typically due to how they are

treated or the lack of empathy from the workplace. Tricare pays for almost everything. From an

insurance standpoint, teaching employees how to take care of their mental health can lead to less

illness or doctor’s visits. All these factors contribute to the Military’s performance. Another

technique could be progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). PMR is a relaxation technique that

involves tensing and relaxing muscle groups throughout the body. The benefits are physical

relaxation from the tension and then letting go, along with stress reduction because you have

already physically let go. It can help with pain management, and it can also improve sleep which

is a stressor I mentioned in the military. Another technique that could help military members is

box breathing. This is where you imagine you are tracing the sides of a square box with your

breath. So, you would inhale for a count of four seconds, then hold your breath for four seconds,

then exhale for four more seconds, and hold your breath for four more seconds. You repeat it as

long as it helps you. This is something that helps calm the nervous system and reduce anxiety

quickly. I have used it to ground myself during an incoming panic attack. It helps emotional

regulation and improves focus because it helps you maintain your composure when facing

stressors. It is also something transportable which is beneficial to the military because as I

mentioned there are frequent relocations and lengthy deployments. Being able to take this almost

anywhere is useful in moments of stressful environments and it can be easily incorporated.

Program Implementation

To implement, I would first consider the needs of the target population. “Program

implementation is about making a program work. It includes who, what, where, and how a
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program is set up and run” (childcarenetworkta.gov, n.d.). I could do this through surveys. I

would then design the program using short- and long-term goals. I would include my activities

planned and an estimated success rate. I couldn’t do it alone so I would need my leadership on

board as well as some of the human performance staff. I am a qualified resiliency trainer, and we

have others that could help. I would need to set a budget and pitch it to get it unit funded. I

would have a few leadership roles look at my program to check my work and ensure it is

inclusive. I would need to train anyone involved and gather supplies. I would also need to

advertise in a way that speaks to military members. Once the program is up and running for at

least six months, I would have feedback forms to continuously improve the program.

Program Obstacles

The first thing that comes to mind is engagement and motivation. Military members can

feel “uncool” for taking care of themselves or engaging in something like mindfulness

meditation. If stressors are ongoing, that would only make the motivation worse. I could tackle

that by using words of affirmation and recognition perhaps to keep participants engaged. I could

also help the military members set goals and track their progress. I would also encourage group

activities so that people felt more included and that it was “acceptable” to work on yourself. This

goes along with the obstacle of the mental health stigma. We hear about this a lot in the military;

that it is a career killer to be seen. However, I would ensure that those who have success with the

techniques would highlight the benefits and motivate others to join. Another obstacle might be

access to the program. Not everyone works a normal day shift. I would overcome this by

ensuring I had opportunities for those on mid shift and swing shift as well. This way,

participation is not an issue, lack of sleep is not caused, and I am being inclusive.
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Health Professionals

We have a lot of long acronym professionals within our human performance team. A

useful addition could be a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). These social workers are

trained to provide counseling to individuals, families, and groups of all sorts of people. They

address emotional and mental health issues including stress and trauma which is unfortunately

perfect for military members. The benefits of having an LCSW on our team would be the ability

to have someone on staff who can assess the room of military members participating in these

activities and know when to intervene. They are skilled in navigating military challenges and if

they cannot help, they have a network of people who can. A second health professional might be

a yoga instructor. It would be beneficial to have someone who is an actual yogi to avoid people

leaving if the yoga activities were not legitimate. Additionally, I would look for someone who

might know what Warriors at Ease yoga is. We used to have someone on base who ran this

program, and it is amazing because it is specifically tailored to military members, so they feel

safe and calm.

Program Measurements

To properly measure the success of my stress management and prevention program for

military members, I would assess it every six months. I would do this by taking the estimated

success rate with the long and short-term goals and comparing them to where we are at in six

months’ time and at the end of the year. Like the needs assessment I mentioned above, I would

also conduct regular surveys to gather feedback on the program and its effectiveness to make

improvements. I would also track program attendance to see which activities are getting low

engagement and which ones are succeeding. For the ones that are low, I would focus on

adjusting them for that period before the next feedback. The trend is surveys because they tell the
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most and they come from the participants themselves. The military members would also be able

to assess their peers or facilitators so that they could provide valuable input on their experience

and needs. I would also ensure that the money that we estimated is still appropriate or if we need

to lower or raise the amount needed to improve operational readiness. Lastly, I would collaborate

with the mental health professionals that I know and that work with the program to conduct

formal evaluations on the program’s impact on the military member’s mental health. By

implementing these measures, I can assess the program success and adapt to what needs to be

changed. In the long run, I would secure sustainability of this program for military members and

ensure that the program continues to positively impact them.

Summary

Building a stress management and prevention program for military members is a valuable

proposal and it is important to me. Military personnel face the most unique stressors and

challenges and although there are many programs in place, I don't think there could ever be

enough. Recognizing the stressors that military members go through is vital for their overall

health and effectiveness of the military in general. Supporting their well-being in all aspects of

health helps to promote a culture of resilience within the military. A program with this target

audience requires commitment, cooperation, and flexibility. However, it can be done, and it

would be satisfying to provide military members with the tools to manage stress and enhance

their overall well-being because I know how it feels.

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References

Military OneSource. (2023, September 28). Military Stress Management Support | Military

OneSource. https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/stress-

management/

Kelly, M. M., & Vogt, D. S. (2009). Military stress: Effects of acute, chronic, and traumatic stress

on mental and physical health. In S. M. Freeman, B. A. Moore, & A. Freeman

(Eds.), Living and surviving in harm's way: A psychological treatment handbook for pre-

and post-deployment of military personnel (pp. 85–106). Routledge/Taylor & Francis

Group.

Stohl, B. (2021, October 14). The benefits of stress Management for Employees - WELCOA.

WELCOA.

https://www.welcoa.org/blog/benefits-stress-management-employees/#:~:text=Advantage

s%20of%20Stress%20Management%20in%20the%20Workplace&text=Healthier

%20employees%20operating%20under%20manageable,conducive%20to%20creativity

%20and%20productivity.

Childcareta.gov. (n.d.). What is program implementation, and why is it important? | Child Care

Technical Assistance Network. Child Care Technical Assistance Network. Retrieved

October 23, 2023, from https://childcareta.acf.hhs.gov/systemsbuilding/systems

guides/design-and-implementation/program-design-and-implementation

overview/importance