CAMP GRUBER, Okla. - Soldiers with the Oklahoma National Guard hosted the first-of-its-kind Oklahoma Battlefield Resilience Camp at Camp Gruber Training Center from April 18–24, 2026, marking the first time resiliency, suicide prevention and holistic health principles have been deliberately combined with infantry squad-level tactics in a single training program.

Taking critical training out of the classroom and into the field, the battlefield resilience camp is designed to bridge the gap between classroom-based resilience training and real-world application by immersing Soldiers in realistic, high-stress scenarios that require the use of resilience skills in a field environment.

“The primary objective of the camp is to embed Army Resilience, Suicide Prevention, and Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) principles directly into infantry squad-level tactics,” said Capt. Mark Wrenn, the camp’s creator and officer in charge. “This integration is strategically important for automating the recall of these critical skills during operations in austere environments.”

Leaders emphasize that resilience training is not separate from tactical readiness, but a critical component of it.

“Readiness and lethality are not just about firepower; they have a significant human component,” Wrenn said. “By equipping Soldiers with advanced suicide intervention skills at the unit level, the Battlefield Resilience camp treats force preservation as a core leadership task.”

Unlike traditional resilience training, which is often confined to a classroom, the camp immerses Soldiers in a progressive, scenario-based training model that requires them to apply these skills under pressure.

“This program represents a critical evolution in training methodology,” Wrenn said. “It employs a high-stress, simulated combat continuum, compelling Service Members to apply these preventative skills under duress.”

Key training includes suicide prevention protocols, resilience competencies such as self-regulation and mental agility, and the iCOVER framework for managing acute stress reactions. By training Soldiers to recognize and respond to acute stress reactions in the moment, the resilience camp equips them to stabilize teammates and maintain mission effectiveness under pressure.

“I tried to make it as real as I could,” said Sgt. 1st Class David Woods, facilitator of infantry tactics and role player during the culminating event. “We created an event where we had hostages taken, and they had to go find them as quickly as they could. Every plan they had got thrown out, and the only thing they could rest on was their iCOVER [training].

“It was awesome just to be able to watch that,” Woods said. “The training that they went through before in just that short amount of time was so effective.”

The training also strengthens unit cohesion by building trust through shared experiences and fostering open communication about mental health. Structured group discussions and scenario-based exercises help normalize conversations around stress and crisis intervention, empowering junior leaders to act decisively when it matters most.

“By training these skills at the lowest levels, we reinforce that looking out for one another is everyone’s responsibility,” Wrenn said.

Organizers say the long-term goal is to develop a modular training platform that can be adapted to meet the needs of deploying units, enhancing both resilience and combat effectiveness across the force.

“We’ve been pushing so long for lethality and survivability of a unit, but this [training] puts into the commander's perspective battlefield resiliency, and that battlefield resiliency is going to be the thing that pushes his unit to win the next fight,” Woods said. “Because if we don't take battlefield resiliency seriously, we're already losing.”

The camp’s architects plan to share the course framework with OKNG units and other states to help more leaders and Soldiers integrate this training, shifting from classroom-only instruction to a blended approach to battlefield resilience.

Soldiers participating in the Oklahoma Battlefield Resilience Camp earned certifications in: iCOVER, Forge the Chain, ACE-SI Tier 1 (Suicide Prevention), all while training on warrior tasks and battle drills.