User:Mdunford21/sandbox

Military pilots are a very unique group of people. They hold a very unique position in the workforce that includes peak physical and mental condition, high intelligence and they must go through extensive training. Those who held the job of a pilot in the military are praised for their attractive jobs, but what goes on behind the scenes is rarely talked about. Unfortunately, they have one of the most stressful jobs out there, and although they partake in extremely thorough training, they are still human and stress related incidents occur.

Occupational Stress Related to Military Pilots
Everyday civilian pilots, air traffic controllers , flight staff and many other positions are being put on the spot and are expected to manage and diffuse situations. This is a normal part of the job, and they are trained and expected to know what to do when a stressful situation arises. Pressure is constantly put on these people, and at times many lives can be on the line. The goal of stress management training is to teach the individual the proper techniques to calm themselves down, and continue with the task. In flight school, a pilot is taught how to deal with these problems before they even fly so that if the problem does arise while they are flying they are able to quickly solve to problem.

Now imagine the immense the levels of stress a military pilots must endure, especially in a war zone. Soldiers are made to endure punishment and endure the most unthinkable situations. They are expected to continue with their job and at times completely ignore their own emotions. After initial training, the military completely reforms the individual, and in most cases incredible stress management skills are formed. The soldier is then sent off for further training, in this case to be a pilot, where they are tested and challange even further to either fail or become one of the best.

Military pilots hold allot of responsibility. Their jobs can include passenger or cargo transport, reconnaissance missions, attacking from the air or flight training all while in perfect mental and physical condition. All these job put responsibility on the pilot to not make a mistake as millions of dollars and lives are always on the line. At time stress does over take the pilot and emotions and human error can occur. There are countless cases of pilots bombing "friendly forces" out of mistake and having to live with the concequences.

Repercussions of Stress on Military Pilots
The stress of the job itself or of any mistake made can hugely affect ones life. Millions of veterans struggle with post traumatic stress injuries, unhealthy coping strategies such as alcohol or substance abuse and in the worst of cases; suicide, which is sadly very common. Many studies and help programs have been put in place, but there are so many different cases and people it is impossible to help everyone. Stress does overcome even the strongest, most highly training pilots and can take the worst toll.

Military Pilot Stress Management
Everyone deals with their own stress in a different manner, but military pilots stand out on their own with unique stress reducing and problem solving skills. They would prefer to find the problem causing the stress and solve it immediately. This is what they are taught in flight school; a sensor goes off and they immediately fix the problem. The main problem appears when pilots are going high speed or complicated maneuvers. Most times they are moving much faster than a human could ever think, leaving allot of room for human error. When that error occurs, however big or small, the can take on immense guilt for any problems that were caused depending on their personality. This can affect their mental state and ability to continue their job. Stress can also take a physical toll on pilots, such as grinding of their teeth in difficult situations or even bladder problems when the pilot is flying with a higher G-force or for a long distance.