On Killing By Dave Grossman Summary

LTC (Ret) Dave Grossman’s 1996 book, On Killing: The Psychological Costs of Learning to Kill in War and Society, is an in depth look at the psychological processes involved in both killing a human being and in training a person to kill. The basis for study comes from S.L.A. Marshall’s assertion after World War II that the majority of Soldiers in war do not fire their weapons and that humans have a natural aversion to killing one another. Throughout the book, LTC (Ret) Grossman analyzes why there is such a natural resistance to killing and how modern military training has evolved to overcome this resistance. This book also provides a great deal of insight to today’s military leaders who need to be prepared to train Soldiers to effectively do

As a combat historian, Marshall interviewed large groups of Soldiers and found that, on average, only 15 to 20 percent would take part in the battle with their weapons.1 This finding was in direct opposition to previous thinking that Soldiers would kill in battle simply because their superiors told them to do so. Grossman further asserts that men will often not even kill in order to save their own lives. Battles all throughout history have upheld this conclusion. In the United States Civil War, for example, over 20,000 recovered muskets were loaded with multiple, unfired rounds.2 The introduction of rifles into combat actually further allows Soldiers to avoid killing simply by firing their weapons above their enemy’s heads. This process, known as posturing, allows a Soldier to simulate combat by creating the smoke and noise of weapons fire. It allows the Soldier to “participate” and support his or her peers while still avoiding actual killing. Having an Army that is reluctant to kill is not conducive, however, to winning armed conflicts. As a result, the Army has identified key factors and training types that increase the lethality of the

Modern reflexive firing drills add an additional element to overcome resistance. Marksmanship ranges train and reward Soldiers based on their ability to rapidly identify and engage targets in a simulated battlefield environment. It becomes, as Grossman terms it, a “conditioned stimulus” where Soldiers receive immediate, positive feedback in the form of marksmanship badges and praise within the unit.3 As leaders in today’s Army, officers must be able to understand how to utilize proper training techniques to improve the effectiveness of our Soldiers in combat. It is imperative that we train as realistically as possible to ensure we maintain our military superiority. We must not, however, forget the costs to our Soldiers when they come home. With an increase in the ability of Soldiers to kill also comes an increase in guilt and post-traumatic stress. Leaders cannot simply train their Soldiers to be dispassionate killers while ignoring their needs for successful reintegration following combat missions. Based on the Veterans Administration’s estimates, there are over 400,000 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder following the Vietnam War