Sensemaking of Military Leaders in Combat and Its Aftermath: A Phenomenological Inquiry

This paper describes the sensemaking processes engaged in by leaders during close combat and its aftermath. The data were collected by interviewing ten commanders who took part in two different combat events. The phenome­nological method revealed cognitive, emotional, and social processes, which are the focus of sensemaking in close combat. We also found that sensemak­ing was performed both during and after combat. In combat, commanders’...