The high-risk operational environments in which some military personnel
work, particularly in the context of external operations, expose these
professionals to unpredictable, physically demanding, and emotionally
intense situations. These contexts can generate toxic stress (Shonkoff et
al., 2012), the effects of which vary depending on the individual and
collective resources available.
This study is part of an existential approach to the meaning of work,
inspired by the work of May (1989), for whom the construction of meaning
arises from conscious confrontation with anxiety, freedom, and the limits
of existence. Through the analysis of extreme experiences in an
operational context, this research explores how military personnel, when
confronted with extreme situations, mobilize resilience dynamics and
emotional regulation strategies that enable them to preserve—or rebuild—
a sense of meaning in their work, in an environment where they are
constantly confronted with danger, finitude, and responsibility.
Drawing on the transactional model of stress (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984)
and a socio-cultural perspective on work (Hofstede, 2001), we conducted
an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis with six military personnel
from a specialized unit. All were engaged in professional contexts marked
by high physical, emotional, and symbolic intensity.
The results show that the narration of experiences, structured by collective
reference points (values, rituals), plays a role in psychological mediation
and helps maintain or rebuild a sense of meaning in work in the face of
adversity. The military cultural environment thus promotes processes of
construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction of the meaning of work,
which are essential for preventing burnout and maintaining the ability to
act in unstable contexts.
This research highlights the importance of integrating reflection on the
meaning of work into psychological support systems in the military,
particularly through contextualized spaces for reflection.