The Program

46Don’t Rise to the Occasion

SPORTS ANNOUNCERS LOVE talking about “rising to the occasion.” They trot it out every week whenever an athlete has a big performance. However, for those of us in the military, law enforcement, or first responder communities, for those of us who have climbed Mount Everest, the idea that we will become more accurate with our weapon systems, quicker to diagnose injuries, more adept at reloading, better decision makers when we are exhausted in the Death Zone—in other words, that we will “rise to the occasion” just because we feel pressure—is ridiculous. This is not how our brains and bodies work. When adversity strikes, we don’t “rise to the occasion.” We sink to the level of our training. More specifically, we fall back on the habits that we have created right up until that moment.

In times of great adversity, we don’t “rise to the occasion.” We sink to the level of our training. More specifically, we fall back on the habits that we have created right up until that moment.

The following is the Navy Cross citation for Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal:

For extraordinary heroism while serving as First Sergeant, Weapons Company, 3d Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 13 November 2004. First Sergeant Kasal was assisting 1st Section, Combined Anti-Armor Platoon as they provided a traveling over watch ...