The borderline patient and military life

The view that the borderline patient can cope surprisingly well in a highly structured environment despite long-standing severe personality disturbance is studied. Military life provides such a structured environment and its role in the lives of these patients is presented through two case reports. The concept that the Army becomes 'military parents', accepts massive projections and survives splitting whilst providing a 'universal ego and super-ego' is developed and felt to be fundamental to the stability that borderline patients can achieve within the Services.