more just getting shot at in general. i used to watch videos a lot of civil wars to understand how things start and people at first just have no clue how to orient themselves when something super loud happens near them, even hardcore jihadis that have killed before. like im pretty down to never get in the gritty on that shit ever, its brutal.

I think it's more that they've bought into the fantasy that they'd be killing helpless unarmed people, and don't expect to do much dying themselves.

It's like that Hemingway quote:

When you go to war as a boy, you have a great illusion of immortality. Other people get killed, not you... Then, when you are badly wounded the first time, you lose that illusion, and you know it can happen to you.

I have a feeling most of them don't need to be wounded to lose their nerve though.

a lot of the conservatives are ready to die for the cause and don’t seem afraid at all

Sure there is a few, but most of that is just bluster