combatrelated

Combat-related is an adjective used to describe phenomena, events, or conditions connected to armed conflict or physical combat. The term is used across multiple domains, including medicine, psychology, law, history, and policy, and can refer to injuries, illnesses, stress responses, training, equipment, operations, and the broader social and ethical consequences of war and violence.

In medicine, combat-related injuries are wounds sustained in combat, including ballistic, blast, blunt-force, burns, and shrapnel injuries; combat-related illnesses include exposure to toxins, chemical agents, and environmental hazards encountered in conflict zones. Psychologically, combat-related stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) arise from prolonged exposure to threat, danger, and moral injury.

In policy and law, combat-related status can influence veterans’ benefits, disability determinations, and eligibility for care or compensation; in research, data are often categorized as combat-related to study incidence, outcomes, and the effectiveness of interventions.

Combat-related topics also appear in journalism, history, and military ethics, distinguishing civilian violence from armed conflict. The term is purposefully broad to accommodate varying definitions across institutions and jurisdictions.