Samenvatting

Military operations, whether in the field, in the air or at sea, are characterized by their complexity, the high risks that are involved and the specialized teams who have to reach their goals under these circumstances. The improvement of high-tech equipment and the increasing complexity and uncertainty of the environment necessitates flexibility of the military involved. Cooperation with international teams in a specific environment (e.g. Afghanistan) complicates the operations even more. The big challenge is to train both individuals and teams to operate in such an environment. Crew Resource Management (CRM) training is one of many different trainings to develop skills necessary to face the variety of situations described above. In this specific training, students become aware of the importance of team-work and the skills involved in working as a team under high-risk conditions. CRM skills are supportive skills, they are not a goal in themselves. Improvement of these skills helps to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of a team operating in a high-risk environment. This article consists of two parts. In the first part we will show the importance of CRM in military operations and the necessity to lay a scientific foundation for CRM training and coaching. In the second part of this paper the research done within the Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA) will be explained. One of the specific models in this research will be highlighted and some preliminary results will be shown. How these results can help improve CRM training and therefore help to prepare military service men and women for their missions will be explained in the discussion.