ABSTRACT

There exist multiple theories and models to delineate the stress experiences and coping abilities of individuals. Almost all of these concentrate their focus on the process of experiencing stress and dealing with it by a lay population and put forth a vastly generalized explanation. The process of stress experiences and the abilities required have been generally described in a more or less standard format that applies commonly to all according to the advocating scholars. However, there is a heightened probability that the same would not be applicable in the same manner for military personnel. Due to the extremely distinctive environment they work in and the specific training that they undergo to deal with different problems, more refined abilities that they possess, and their exclusively trained sense to utilize the abilities in somewhat concretely varied manners, military personnel are likely to reveal different stress experiences and coping modalities as compared to lay people. This chapter is an attempt to highlight these variations between the lay and military populations. An effort is made to hypothesize how the existing popular stress, coping, and ability models apply differently to the military population. Certain hypothetical military-specific testable models are proposed and theorized.