Combat Stress to Corporate Stress: Managing Burnout in High‑Pressure Roles

By Dr. Anthony Da Silva, Air Force Veteran & Co-founder of Strategic Synergy Coaching Group

From Battlegrounds to Boardrooms: Navigating the Transition of Stress from Military to Corporate Life.

From mental health operations with the Army’s Combat Stress Control Clinic to leading resilience training in the U.S. Air Force—Dr. Anthony Da Silva, Air Force veteran and HR professional, has seen burnout from both battlefield and in the workplace perspectives.

Military Stress Doesn’t Stay in Uniform

In combat zones, stress is acute—yet it also translates directly into high-pressure civilian roles. Studies suggest 14–30% of service members screen positive for PTSD in deployments like Iraq and Afghanistan, and military personnel experience higher rates of chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, and burnout than civilians.

Serving with the Army’s stress control clinic and later shaping Air Force resilience programs, Dr. Da Silva recognized an essential truth: whether under fire or on conference calls, the psychological toll wears people down if not managed proactively.

The Corporate Burnout Crisis

Burnout has become a modern epidemic. According to 2025 workplace studies:

• 66% of U.S. workers report suffering from burnout

• 84% have experienced at least one mental health challenge in the past year

• 71% report stress symptoms, with performance and retention suffering as a result

• HR leaders say 34% of employees cite burnout as their top wellness issue, up 42% YoY

Burnout isn't isolated—it impacts well-being across industries: business, healthcare, education, and more.

Common Triggers from the Battlefield to the Office

1. Excessive workload & time pressure – 44% of workers cite workload as their biggest stressor.

2. Job insecurity – 54% say fear of layoffs adds to mental strain.

3. Lack of support – Teams without strong leadership or peer support experience faster burnout.

The parallels with deployment stress are striking—but in civilian workplaces, these stressors often go unrecognized or unaddressed.

Translating Military Resilience to High-Stress Workplaces

Dr. Da Silva’s resilience strategies, born in the Air Force and refined in combat environments, provide a blueprint for corporate leadership today.

1. Mental Fitness & Self-Regulation

Military mental fitness models emphasize breathing techniques, mindset shifts, and tactical pausing—equally useful for leaders navigating deadline pressure or organizational change.

2. Peer Support Systems

The Air Force’s Wingman concept promotes proactive connection and support—something many organizations lack. Translating this into mentorship and team trust models enhances retention and well-being.

3. Training & Tracking

In military settings, resilience isn’t a one-off class—it’s measured, reinforced, and revisited. Organizations should embed similar practices into onboarding, leadership development, and performance systems.

Actionable Organizational Strategies

• Integrate resilience training into regular learning and development efforts

• Build peer networks that offer support beyond project goals

• Track mental health metrics and burnout indicators as part of engagement surveys

• Address systemic stressors, such as unrealistic workloads, lack of clarity, or after-hours communications

Why Resiliency Matters

Dr. Anthony Da Silva, Air Force Veteran, pioneered the Air Force's resiliency program in Ramstein, Germany, alongside Dr. Travis Lunasco. His dual deployment with the Army in mental health roles gave him direct insight into how leadership, mental fitness, and structure create resilience. Now, he brings those insights into civilian organizations, helping them move from reactive burnout to proactive resilience.

Ready to Build Resilience in Your Organization?

At Strategic Synergy Consulting Group, we implement military-tested resilience strategies for modern teams. Whether you're a high-stakes executive team or a frontline workforce, we help integrate real resilience—mental fitness, support systems, and leadership practices that make a difference.

• Contact us at info@StrategicSynergyCG.com to explore custom resilience programs built on proven frameworks from the field.

About the Author

Dr. Anthony Da Silva, Air Force Veteran and Human Resources Professional, is the Managing Director and Co‑Founder of Strategic Synergy Consulting Group. He holds doctoral degrees in Business Administration and Industrial/Organizational Psychology and is a certified Hogan Assessment and SHRM People Analytics expert.

Dr. Da Silva pioneered the Air Force’s resiliency training at Ramstein Air Base and supported Army combat operations through the Combat Stress Control Clinic. His research and leadership focus on occupational stress, resilience, workplace culture, and people-centered strategy. With decades of military and civilian experience, Dr. Da Silva equips leaders to build resilient, high-performance organizations rooted in clarity, trust, and wellness.

References

1. Hernandez, S. H. A., Killian, J., Parshall, M. B., White, T. Y., Hicks, E. J., Hughes, V., Bedford, T. A., & Zhu, Y. (2025). Increasing resiliency in U.S. Air Force personnel: A multi-site trial protocol. Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 46, 101507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2025.101507

2. Harris, K. R., Bowen, G. L., & Jensen, T. M. (2024). Resiliency among United States Air Force personnel: The direct and interactive influence of cognitive fitness and confidence in social connections. Military Psychology, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2024.2398832

3. National Library of Medicine / NIH. (2023). Burnout and mental health in military populations. PubMed Central. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10293693/

4. Talkspace. (2024). Military mental health statistics: PTSD, stress, and support needs. https://www.talkspace.com/blog/military-stress/

5. American Psychological Association (APA). (2024). Work in America Survey: Psychological safety in the changing workplace. https://www.apa.org/pubs/reports/work-in-america/2024/2024-work-in-america-report.pdf

6. Gallup. (2023). State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx

7. U.S. Air Force Resilience Directorate. (n.d.). Spectrum of Resilience. https://www.resilience.af.mil/Resilience/