Strategies for Preparing United States Army Combat Organizations for the Inevitability of Casualties

In this author's opinion, the United States Army is not doing enough to prepare combat organizations for the inevitability of casualties. This thesis proposes the following primary research question: How can United States Army combat organizations better prepare for the inevitability of casualties? The United States of America has been in a state of war for over 11 years. Every passing day our nation's most precious commodity, our soldiers, are being killed or wounded in action on the battlefield. Yet, every day organizations across the Army are either preparing for war or are actively engaged in conflict without being properly prepared to face the grim reality that they will most likely lose someone within their ranks. This qualitative research effort seeks to identify effective strategies and techniques to assist United States Army combat organizations to prepare for the inevitability of casualties. The secondary research questions are: (1) What can be done to better prepare United States Army combat organizations prior to the occurrence of casualties; (2) What can be done to assist United States Army combat organizations to execute their duties once there has been a casualty? This thesis will enable organizational leaders to understand and incorporate strategies and techniques that will assist them in preparing their units for the realities of combat.