Sheepdog Tip of the Day, After Combat tip 131
The basic response stages to killing in combat are concern about killing, the actual kill, exhilaration, remorse, and rationalization and acceptance. Like Elisabeth Kubler Ross's famous stages in response to death and dying, these stages are generally sequential but not necessarily universal. Thus, some individuals may skip certain stages, or blend them, or pass through them so fleetingly that they do not even acknowledge their presence.
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, On Killing
Sheepdog Tip of the Day services:
Follow SheepdogTip on Twitter Tip Memorization Songs
Other killology services:
Bullet Proof Mind for the Armed Citizen Seminar
The Killology web site
Additional Resources
For PTSD, Shepherd Resource Group.