By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – While some American homes have only drapes or blinds in the windows, other households also display a unique flag that signifies a family's support of a son's or daughter's service in the military. Those banners represent an old tradition and are part of Blue Star Mothers of America Inc., a patriotic organization that traces its roots back to World War I, when mothers displayed flags decorated with stars signifying the number of offspring serving in the military.
Gail Cunningham, a resident of Lakewood, N.J., founded New Jersey-based Chapter 1 of the Blue Star Mothers in March 2005. "Blue Star Mothers" banners seen in members' windows can be obtained through the organization's Web sites, she said.
"We do support the troops, because those are our sons and daughters," Cunningham said, noting her son is a medic in the Air Force Reserve.
Cunningham said her chapter is proud to partner with the America Supports You campaign, a Defense Department-sponsored program highlighting the ways Americans are supporting the nation's servicemembers.
"ASY helps us a lot and posts our events on their Web site," Cunningham said. In addition, as part of the "Why We Serve" program, ASY will furnish two servicemembers who will talk to New Jersey residents about their experiences in places like Iraq, Afghanistan or the Horn of Africa, she added.
ASY's grassroots coordinator, Camille Hart, has proved invaluable, Cunningham said.
"Camille is an excellent resource person in finding ways to help us publicize our organization and meet goals," Cunningham said, "and she also helps us reach out for corporate sponsorship of Blue Star Mothers chapters."
Blue Star Mothers chapters routinely send care packages, including cakes and cookies, to support U.S. troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the war against terrorism, Cunningham said.
"For Christmas, we sent over 25 packages to Iraq," she said. "We try to send them something from home."
Cunningham started the Blue Star Mothers New Jersey chapter after her son enlisted in the Air Force.
"I was expecting his deployment to Iraq, and I needed some kind of support," Cunningham said. "So, I went on the Internet and searched for a group, and I came upon the Blue Star Mothers."
There was no New Jersey chapter at that time, Cunningham noted, so she chartered one. Another New Jersey chapter has been established since, she said. Cunningham's chapter has about 35 members who live statewide.
Cunningham's husband, Goldsmith, nicknamed "Goldie," is an associate member of the chapter and an Air Force veteran.
"I have a little insight into what's going on" regarding military matters, Goldsmith Cunningham said. He added that his wife and the Blue Star Mothers "are doing an outstanding job" in support of servicemembers and their families.
"We are all family, and we stand by each other," he said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Winkenwerder Leaving After Six Years at Helm of DoD Health Affairs
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – After nearly six years in office, the Defense Department's top doctor said he will miss the people of the department who make things happen for servicemembers around the world. In a long-planned decision, Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr. soon will step down as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs and move to a job in the private sector.
President Bush has nominated Dr. S. Ward Casscells to replace Winkenwirder. Casscells is a professor of medicine and public health at the University of Texas Health Science Center, in Houston. The Senate must confirm the doctor before he takes office.
Casscells has served as medical advisor in Baghdad and understands the complexities of the position he is moving into, Winkenwerder said in a Feb. 23 interview with American Forces Press Service.
Winkenwerder said the position is demanding, but rewarding. "It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to work and serve in this position," he said. "It's been a great opportunity and pleasure, and one I never anticipated."
The war on terror has made this a unique time to be assistant secretary for health affairs, Winkenwerder said. "I know that Health Affairs is probably always a hopping place, but I think it has been more of a hopping place in the last five years than it has ever been," he said with a smile.
DoD has been engaged worldwide, and medical support always follows. "I've very proud of the battlefield medicine support," the doctor said. "I'm particularly proud of the advances in mental health and the fact that (seeking mental health care) is less a stigma."
More must be done in this regard, he said, but the military understands the importance of mental health readiness.
Winkenwerder also is pleased that the services have been operating more jointly, he said. The consolidation of Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., is going well, he said, as is the consolidation of Brooke Army Medical Center and the Air Force's Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio.
In addition, the anthrax vaccination program is going well, and the troops are getting better protection. "In November 2001 we didn't have a licensed anything," Winkenwerder said. "(There was) no production, no contract, and it's running well today."
DoD also has invested almost $1 billion in combating bioterrorism facilities and labs, he said.
The doctor said he is also proud of DoD's efforts to assess servicemembers before and after deployments, "so we know much more clearly what has happened to them during their deployments." Part of this is putting in place the information technology to capture all that data. This also helped as the department put in place the individual medical readiness system. This system standardized the way the services viewed servicemembers' readiness for deployments.
DoD health professionals continue to lead in integrating information technology with new hand-held battlefield systems, he said.
Winkenwerder noted he never served in the military, and this both hindered and helped him. "It took me a while to learn the culture of the place," he said. "You have to balance bringing private-sector ideas (into the military), with a recognition of and respect for the existing culture and the existing way of doing things. What I've learned is there is a certain speed and rhythm of change in a large organization. DoD has such a strong culture, and you have to work within the system to get the system to change."
On the Tricare front, he said the health plan was average-rated when he came into office in 2001. "Now it is one of the top-rated in the country; satisfaction in Tricare has gone up," he said. "We've been able to implement all the new contracts -- some $45 billion worth -- and didn't have procurement problems or scandals."
Health professionals are sometimes the best capability the country has to change peoples' minds about America, Winkenwerder said. Military medics rushed to help the people of the Indian Ocean area affected by the December 2004 tsunami and also helped thousands hurt by the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. The department also has a $100-million-a-year military-to-military assistance program to help combat HIV/AIDS.
However, Winkenwerder said, he does leave the department with some regrets, he said. In 2006, DoD proposed raising fees for some groups for Tricare membership. The doctor said DoD needs to implement changes in the benefit to create a stable financial foundation for the long run.
"It certainly was my fervent hope that we would advance beyond debate and into action with respect to sustaining the benefit discussion," he said.
"I think that will happen," he said. "I'm reasonably confident because there is a growing realization in DoD and Congress that we have to make some of these adjustments. We can debate about how much and how fast, but the adjustments need to take place. My regret is I didn't think of a better take on that issue so we would be further down the road today."
Winkenwerder said he also wishes he could have spent more time on revising and updating DoD's medical personnel system. He wanted to do more with management of the resource and recruiting and development of leaders. "It's a hard thing to do in government, and there is a need to do more," he said.
He said he thinks most of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan who are on the "medical front lines" of the war on terror. "I've seen so many faces, and whether taking care of one of our own of a child or an insurgent, it's an amazing thing to see our people in action," he said.
"The will of the military is remarkably strong," he continued. "What we have to sustain is the will of the American people. That's going to be a challenge. That's a bit of my concern with the focus on the shortcomings at Water Reed. We need to keep the focus on the problems that are really problems of processing and bureaucracy. They are not problems of medical care or the professionalism of the staff."
The doctor said he believes military medical professionals have "done too many great things for people to conclude that they are not top-notch."
He also believes that the next few years will see a growing cooperation between DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the department will move to the next stage of electronic health records.
His advice for his successor? "Enjoy this experience," he said. "Take advantage of the opportunity to advance positive changes."
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – After nearly six years in office, the Defense Department's top doctor said he will miss the people of the department who make things happen for servicemembers around the world. In a long-planned decision, Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr. soon will step down as assistant secretary of defense for health affairs and move to a job in the private sector.
President Bush has nominated Dr. S. Ward Casscells to replace Winkenwirder. Casscells is a professor of medicine and public health at the University of Texas Health Science Center, in Houston. The Senate must confirm the doctor before he takes office.
Casscells has served as medical advisor in Baghdad and understands the complexities of the position he is moving into, Winkenwerder said in a Feb. 23 interview with American Forces Press Service.
Winkenwerder said the position is demanding, but rewarding. "It has been a tremendous honor and privilege to work and serve in this position," he said. "It's been a great opportunity and pleasure, and one I never anticipated."
The war on terror has made this a unique time to be assistant secretary for health affairs, Winkenwerder said. "I know that Health Affairs is probably always a hopping place, but I think it has been more of a hopping place in the last five years than it has ever been," he said with a smile.
DoD has been engaged worldwide, and medical support always follows. "I've very proud of the battlefield medicine support," the doctor said. "I'm particularly proud of the advances in mental health and the fact that (seeking mental health care) is less a stigma."
More must be done in this regard, he said, but the military understands the importance of mental health readiness.
Winkenwerder also is pleased that the services have been operating more jointly, he said. The consolidation of Walter Reed Army Medical Center here and the National Naval Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md., is going well, he said, as is the consolidation of Brooke Army Medical Center and the Air Force's Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio.
In addition, the anthrax vaccination program is going well, and the troops are getting better protection. "In November 2001 we didn't have a licensed anything," Winkenwerder said. "(There was) no production, no contract, and it's running well today."
DoD also has invested almost $1 billion in combating bioterrorism facilities and labs, he said.
The doctor said he is also proud of DoD's efforts to assess servicemembers before and after deployments, "so we know much more clearly what has happened to them during their deployments." Part of this is putting in place the information technology to capture all that data. This also helped as the department put in place the individual medical readiness system. This system standardized the way the services viewed servicemembers' readiness for deployments.
DoD health professionals continue to lead in integrating information technology with new hand-held battlefield systems, he said.
Winkenwerder noted he never served in the military, and this both hindered and helped him. "It took me a while to learn the culture of the place," he said. "You have to balance bringing private-sector ideas (into the military), with a recognition of and respect for the existing culture and the existing way of doing things. What I've learned is there is a certain speed and rhythm of change in a large organization. DoD has such a strong culture, and you have to work within the system to get the system to change."
On the Tricare front, he said the health plan was average-rated when he came into office in 2001. "Now it is one of the top-rated in the country; satisfaction in Tricare has gone up," he said. "We've been able to implement all the new contracts -- some $45 billion worth -- and didn't have procurement problems or scandals."
Health professionals are sometimes the best capability the country has to change peoples' minds about America, Winkenwerder said. Military medics rushed to help the people of the Indian Ocean area affected by the December 2004 tsunami and also helped thousands hurt by the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. The department also has a $100-million-a-year military-to-military assistance program to help combat HIV/AIDS.
However, Winkenwerder said, he does leave the department with some regrets, he said. In 2006, DoD proposed raising fees for some groups for Tricare membership. The doctor said DoD needs to implement changes in the benefit to create a stable financial foundation for the long run.
"It certainly was my fervent hope that we would advance beyond debate and into action with respect to sustaining the benefit discussion," he said.
"I think that will happen," he said. "I'm reasonably confident because there is a growing realization in DoD and Congress that we have to make some of these adjustments. We can debate about how much and how fast, but the adjustments need to take place. My regret is I didn't think of a better take on that issue so we would be further down the road today."
Winkenwerder said he also wishes he could have spent more time on revising and updating DoD's medical personnel system. He wanted to do more with management of the resource and recruiting and development of leaders. "It's a hard thing to do in government, and there is a need to do more," he said.
He said he thinks most of the people in Iraq and Afghanistan who are on the "medical front lines" of the war on terror. "I've seen so many faces, and whether taking care of one of our own of a child or an insurgent, it's an amazing thing to see our people in action," he said.
"The will of the military is remarkably strong," he continued. "What we have to sustain is the will of the American people. That's going to be a challenge. That's a bit of my concern with the focus on the shortcomings at Water Reed. We need to keep the focus on the problems that are really problems of processing and bureaucracy. They are not problems of medical care or the professionalism of the staff."
The doctor said he believes military medical professionals have "done too many great things for people to conclude that they are not top-notch."
He also believes that the next few years will see a growing cooperation between DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs and that the department will move to the next stage of electronic health records.
His advice for his successor? "Enjoy this experience," he said. "Take advantage of the opportunity to advance positive changes."
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Top American Doctors Visit Military Facilities in Germany
By Staff Sgt. Laura Holzer, USAF
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – Two of the senior doctors in the United States toured Ramstein Air Base and the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany Feb. 19 to 23. Dr. William Plested III, president of the American Medical Association; Dr. J. Edward Hill, former AMA president; and Maj. Gen. Gerald Harmon, assistant to the Air National Guard surgeon general; got a firsthand look at how the military cares for wounded troops.
The AMA unites doctors nationwide and addresses professional and public health issues.
"I'm interested in the care our soldiers are getting," Plested said. "My partner was the first American surgeon in Iraq. He went across with the Marines, and I wanted to see what he was doing while I was minding the store."
Members of the Ramstein medical community educated the doctors on the transporting process, including a tour of a C-130 Hercules used to move patients out of the deployment theater.
"Everyone knows the war is going on and we have a lot of troops getting hurt," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tremayne Neals, an aeromedical evacuation technician. "That's the purpose of this static (display); to show them some of our capabilities for bringing our troops back home."
This aeromedical evacuation process demonstrates a key component of global mobility. During the Vietnam War, it took 45 days to return casualties home. In Operation Desert Storm it took 10. Now it only takes three days, officials said.
"One of the problems we have in the United States is 'hand-offs,'" Hill said. "When a patient is handed off from one care group to another, that's usually when errors occur. With the military, it's a transition so well done that you don't run the risk of those errors and mistakes."
The doctors also toured the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility here and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
"I'm just totally impressed with the medical care that's being given in our military," Plested said. "I think it's giving us a lot of ideas of how we need to change medical care on the civilian side in the states."
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – Two of the senior doctors in the United States toured Ramstein Air Base and the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany Feb. 19 to 23. Dr. William Plested III, president of the American Medical Association; Dr. J. Edward Hill, former AMA president; and Maj. Gen. Gerald Harmon, assistant to the Air National Guard surgeon general; got a firsthand look at how the military cares for wounded troops.
The AMA unites doctors nationwide and addresses professional and public health issues.
"I'm interested in the care our soldiers are getting," Plested said. "My partner was the first American surgeon in Iraq. He went across with the Marines, and I wanted to see what he was doing while I was minding the store."
Members of the Ramstein medical community educated the doctors on the transporting process, including a tour of a C-130 Hercules used to move patients out of the deployment theater.
"Everyone knows the war is going on and we have a lot of troops getting hurt," said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Tremayne Neals, an aeromedical evacuation technician. "That's the purpose of this static (display); to show them some of our capabilities for bringing our troops back home."
This aeromedical evacuation process demonstrates a key component of global mobility. During the Vietnam War, it took 45 days to return casualties home. In Operation Desert Storm it took 10. Now it only takes three days, officials said.
"One of the problems we have in the United States is 'hand-offs,'" Hill said. "When a patient is handed off from one care group to another, that's usually when errors occur. With the military, it's a transition so well done that you don't run the risk of those errors and mistakes."
The doctors also toured the Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility here and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
"I'm just totally impressed with the medical care that's being given in our military," Plested said. "I think it's giving us a lot of ideas of how we need to change medical care on the civilian side in the states."
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Military Playing Down Long Runs, Adopting More Diverse Fitness Programs
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – If a little bit of running is good for keeping warfighters in top form, then a lot of running is better, right? "Wrong!" say officials here at the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have come to recognize that as beneficial as running can be to overall fitness, health and military readiness, too much of a good thing causes injuries that leave troops less fit, less healthy and less ready, Army Lt. Col. Steve Bullock, the center's health promotion policy program manager, told American Forces Press Service.
As a result, the services are tailoring their physical training regimes to reduce the emphasis on "pounding the pavement." Instead, they're replacing regular long-distance runs with other forms of exercise, he said.
The goal is to reduce overuse injuries that translate military-wide to more than 8 million days of limited duty a year, said Keith Hauret, an epidemiologist for the Army's injury prevention program. Fractures, sprains, strains and other musculoskeletal conditions, many resulting from physical training, take an even greater toll on the force in terms of lost- or limited-duty days.
"Injuries have a direct effect on readiness and a soldier's ability to perform his duties, whether in training or while deployed," Hauret said. "It has a direct impact on the soldier's ability to perform, and that has a direct impact on that unit's readiness."
The services' new approach to physical training aims to bring injury rates down while ensuring a fit military force.
"We're not going soft," Bullock said. "What we're doing is increasing the intensity of the training, and the effect on heart, lungs and overall strength is actually better."
The Army, for example, is reducing the miles troops run, breaking soldiers into "ability groups" for distance runs, adding speed drills to its PT regime and substituting grass drills and other forms of exercise for running.
"We have recommended no more than 30 minutes of running, and no more than three or four times a week," Bullock said.
Higher-intensity, shorter-distance runs and interval training increase troops' speed and stamina with less risk of injuries, he said. At the same time, this more balanced approach to PT actually improves their ability to perform in combat.
"What we do in the military is explosive energy," Bullock said. "Soldiers need to be able to move quickly. They need balance and coordination. That's not something they're going to get through lumbering, long, slow runs."
For their running programs, Bullock advises units to incorporate these training elements into their programs:
-- Follow a standardized, gradual and systematic progression of running distance and speed. Begin with lower mileage and intensity, especially in programs for new recruits, people changing units or those returning to PT after time off for leave or an injury.
-- Structure injury-prevention programs to target troops of average or below-average fitness levels who are at the greatest risk of injury, and ensure they're running appropriate mileages.
-- Place troops in ability groups based on PT scores and measure their runs by time, not distance. This will reduce the risk of injury among the least-fit troops without holding back the higher performers.
-- Avoid remedial PT programs that require the least-fit troops to do more training than fit ones. This increases their injury risk, often with little or no improvement in their fitness.
-- Substitute higher-intensity, shorter-distance runs like repeated sprints, "Fartlek" training and other interval training activities for some distance runs.
-- Build in time for troops' bodies to recover and rebuild following demanding PT sessions to reduce the risk of overtraining injuries.
"Injuries are the biggest threat to our forces and our readiness," Bullock said. "Our goal is to help the military understand the burden of injuries and refocus their approach to physical training to reduce injuries in a way that actually improves readiness."
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – If a little bit of running is good for keeping warfighters in top form, then a lot of running is better, right? "Wrong!" say officials here at the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine. The Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have come to recognize that as beneficial as running can be to overall fitness, health and military readiness, too much of a good thing causes injuries that leave troops less fit, less healthy and less ready, Army Lt. Col. Steve Bullock, the center's health promotion policy program manager, told American Forces Press Service.
As a result, the services are tailoring their physical training regimes to reduce the emphasis on "pounding the pavement." Instead, they're replacing regular long-distance runs with other forms of exercise, he said.
The goal is to reduce overuse injuries that translate military-wide to more than 8 million days of limited duty a year, said Keith Hauret, an epidemiologist for the Army's injury prevention program. Fractures, sprains, strains and other musculoskeletal conditions, many resulting from physical training, take an even greater toll on the force in terms of lost- or limited-duty days.
"Injuries have a direct effect on readiness and a soldier's ability to perform his duties, whether in training or while deployed," Hauret said. "It has a direct impact on the soldier's ability to perform, and that has a direct impact on that unit's readiness."
The services' new approach to physical training aims to bring injury rates down while ensuring a fit military force.
"We're not going soft," Bullock said. "What we're doing is increasing the intensity of the training, and the effect on heart, lungs and overall strength is actually better."
The Army, for example, is reducing the miles troops run, breaking soldiers into "ability groups" for distance runs, adding speed drills to its PT regime and substituting grass drills and other forms of exercise for running.
"We have recommended no more than 30 minutes of running, and no more than three or four times a week," Bullock said.
Higher-intensity, shorter-distance runs and interval training increase troops' speed and stamina with less risk of injuries, he said. At the same time, this more balanced approach to PT actually improves their ability to perform in combat.
"What we do in the military is explosive energy," Bullock said. "Soldiers need to be able to move quickly. They need balance and coordination. That's not something they're going to get through lumbering, long, slow runs."
For their running programs, Bullock advises units to incorporate these training elements into their programs:
-- Follow a standardized, gradual and systematic progression of running distance and speed. Begin with lower mileage and intensity, especially in programs for new recruits, people changing units or those returning to PT after time off for leave or an injury.
-- Structure injury-prevention programs to target troops of average or below-average fitness levels who are at the greatest risk of injury, and ensure they're running appropriate mileages.
-- Place troops in ability groups based on PT scores and measure their runs by time, not distance. This will reduce the risk of injury among the least-fit troops without holding back the higher performers.
-- Avoid remedial PT programs that require the least-fit troops to do more training than fit ones. This increases their injury risk, often with little or no improvement in their fitness.
-- Substitute higher-intensity, shorter-distance runs like repeated sprints, "Fartlek" training and other interval training activities for some distance runs.
-- Build in time for troops' bodies to recover and rebuild following demanding PT sessions to reduce the risk of overtraining injuries.
"Injuries are the biggest threat to our forces and our readiness," Bullock said. "Our goal is to help the military understand the burden of injuries and refocus their approach to physical training to reduce injuries in a way that actually improves readiness."
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Celebrities Pause on Red Carpet to Thank Troops
By Carmen L. Gleason
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – Celebrities attending the 79th Academy Awards last night took time out from posing for the paparazzi and giving dozens of interviews to thank the men and women of the armed forces for their service. Reserve soldiers from the 222nd Broadcast Operations Detachment, based in Los Angeles, donned their dress uniforms to step up to the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre to record words of encouragement from Hollywood "A-listers" to broadcast to troops deployed around the world.
The unit conducted interviews as part of the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program recognizes U.S. citizen's support for the military and communicates that to servicemembers and their families at home and abroad.
Army Maj. Lee Reynolds, the unit's commander, said the awards ceremony offered a great opportunity to show servicemembers that the movie industry supports them.
"No matter what people think about politics, there is an overwhelming support for the troops out here," Reynolds said. "We thought this would be a huge morale booster to the troops to get that message out to them."
"I've been in the military and around it most of my life," said Clint Eastwood, who was nominated for directing "Letters from Iwo Jima."
"It's a pleasure to pay tribute to the military, especially our military," said Eastwood, who served three years in the Army after being drafted in 1951.
Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Biel, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Helen Mirren, Queen Latifah and Tobey McGuire were just a few who stopped by to give interviews to the Army soldiers taping the pre-show festivities.
"It's really not fun here," dead-panned Robert Downey Jr. as he looked into the camera. "You're better off -- trust me. It's kind of a drag, high-stress -- you wouldn't understand that, would you?
"Seriously, we have much love and respect for what you're doing," Downey said. "We'll see you when you get back with the mission accomplished."
"Pan's Labyrinth" star Doug Jones has firsthand appreciation for the sacrifices of the military and their families. His brother is an airborne Ranger currently serving in the Army.
"I love all of you over there. Thank you for what you're doing for my safety," Jones said. "You're doing something I can't do, and I appreciate you for that. 'Hooah' to all you guys!"
Music legend James Taylor turned his words of encouragement into the familiar tune of a military cadence. "Here we are at Oscar night, hope you dudes are feeling alright. Sound off -- one, two, three, four!"
Award presenter former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, offered their words of encouragement as they passed by the cameras.
"Thank you all so much for serving our country. We are more grateful to you than words can express," the former vice president said. "We care about you and your families. Thanks for what you're doing."
Legendary movie director George Lucas encouraged troops to "keep up the good work."
"I know it's tough over there, but keep going," he said. "Persistence will win out," he said.
A few fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous parading down the carpet asked to have their notes of thanks recorded for the troops.
"We wish you were here with us to see whoever you'd like on the red carpet," one woman said. "As far as I'm concerned, you all are my stars. We love you. Stay safe."
The 222nd conducted more 45 interviews from stars and fans alike. The television entertainment program "Access Hollywood" offered up their work space and donated satellite time for the soldiers to send the footage to the Pentagon Channel for distribution to American Forces Networks worldwide.
Word quickly spread along the red carpet that members of the unit were asking for celebrities to sign an album for fellow public affairs troops who are soon to be deployed.
"The book we had (them) sign for the 302nd (Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) was a huge success," said broadcaster Staff Sgt. Addie Collins. "We got great pictures and a wonderful album to send our fellow soldiers as they ship off to Iraq. In fact, the stars were looking for us to see where they should sign.
"This is a tradition we hope continues for years to come," she said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – Celebrities attending the 79th Academy Awards last night took time out from posing for the paparazzi and giving dozens of interviews to thank the men and women of the armed forces for their service. Reserve soldiers from the 222nd Broadcast Operations Detachment, based in Los Angeles, donned their dress uniforms to step up to the red carpet outside the Kodak Theatre to record words of encouragement from Hollywood "A-listers" to broadcast to troops deployed around the world.
The unit conducted interviews as part of the Defense Department's America Supports You program. The program recognizes U.S. citizen's support for the military and communicates that to servicemembers and their families at home and abroad.
Army Maj. Lee Reynolds, the unit's commander, said the awards ceremony offered a great opportunity to show servicemembers that the movie industry supports them.
"No matter what people think about politics, there is an overwhelming support for the troops out here," Reynolds said. "We thought this would be a huge morale booster to the troops to get that message out to them."
"I've been in the military and around it most of my life," said Clint Eastwood, who was nominated for directing "Letters from Iwo Jima."
"It's a pleasure to pay tribute to the military, especially our military," said Eastwood, who served three years in the Army after being drafted in 1951.
Will Smith, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Biel, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Helen Mirren, Queen Latifah and Tobey McGuire were just a few who stopped by to give interviews to the Army soldiers taping the pre-show festivities.
"It's really not fun here," dead-panned Robert Downey Jr. as he looked into the camera. "You're better off -- trust me. It's kind of a drag, high-stress -- you wouldn't understand that, would you?
"Seriously, we have much love and respect for what you're doing," Downey said. "We'll see you when you get back with the mission accomplished."
"Pan's Labyrinth" star Doug Jones has firsthand appreciation for the sacrifices of the military and their families. His brother is an airborne Ranger currently serving in the Army.
"I love all of you over there. Thank you for what you're doing for my safety," Jones said. "You're doing something I can't do, and I appreciate you for that. 'Hooah' to all you guys!"
Music legend James Taylor turned his words of encouragement into the familiar tune of a military cadence. "Here we are at Oscar night, hope you dudes are feeling alright. Sound off -- one, two, three, four!"
Award presenter former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, offered their words of encouragement as they passed by the cameras.
"Thank you all so much for serving our country. We are more grateful to you than words can express," the former vice president said. "We care about you and your families. Thanks for what you're doing."
Legendary movie director George Lucas encouraged troops to "keep up the good work."
"I know it's tough over there, but keep going," he said. "Persistence will win out," he said.
A few fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous parading down the carpet asked to have their notes of thanks recorded for the troops.
"We wish you were here with us to see whoever you'd like on the red carpet," one woman said. "As far as I'm concerned, you all are my stars. We love you. Stay safe."
The 222nd conducted more 45 interviews from stars and fans alike. The television entertainment program "Access Hollywood" offered up their work space and donated satellite time for the soldiers to send the footage to the Pentagon Channel for distribution to American Forces Networks worldwide.
Word quickly spread along the red carpet that members of the unit were asking for celebrities to sign an album for fellow public affairs troops who are soon to be deployed.
"The book we had (them) sign for the 302nd (Mobile Public Affairs Detachment) was a huge success," said broadcaster Staff Sgt. Addie Collins. "We got great pictures and a wonderful album to send our fellow soldiers as they ship off to Iraq. In fact, the stars were looking for us to see where they should sign.
"This is a tradition we hope continues for years to come," she said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Chairman Fields Troops' Questions
By Linda D. Kozaryn
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff fielded questions Feb. 22 and 23 from active duty, National Guard and Reserve troops in Alaska at the Army's Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, and at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. The troops asked Marine Gen. Peter Pace about equipment shortfalls in the Guard and Reserve, varying tour lengths among the services, whether there should be a joint force utility uniform for all the services and the possibility of a civilian service corps.
Pace told the troops the budget includes about $21 billion for new equipment for the Guard and Reserve and about $17 billion to fix the equipment that has been broken and damaged. "You end up with about $37-$38 billion over the next five years specifically earmarked for either new or refurbished equipment," he said.
"We could not have, and will not be able to do what this nation needs to do without the Guard and Reserve," he stressed. "We owe these great Americans the same support that we give to our active forces. We need to make sure they're properly resourced - properly manned, properly trained, and properly equipped. So when we ask them to do our nation's business, they are ready to do so."
Pace also said military leaders are taking a good hard look at the way they compensate Guard and Reserve troops in relation to the way they compensate active duty.
"The secretary of defense and the secretaries of the departments clearly understand the value to the nation of the Guard and Reserve," he said. "We're all looking for ways to show that to the Guard and Reserve in a way that keeps the force properly balanced."
Turning to tour lengths, the chairman said he very aware of the concerns troops have over varying deployment lengths between services.
"It drives me nuts when I go sit down at a mess hall table in Baghdad and you sit there and each servicemember sitting around the table is there for a different tour length," he said. "I have spent a lot of time trying to think through how to get us on the right tour length."
Each service's way of deploying and operations tempo determines their tour lengths, he said. "The Marines, for example, are tied to Navy deployment cycles. Navy deployment cycles could be changed also, but when you look at big ships and the kinds of maintenance they need, six to seven months out and then some time back is about right.
"But even if you take away the Navy linkage to the Marines, about 49 percent of the Marine Corps is lance corporals and below, and most of those Marines stay for four-year tours. For the Marine Corps, six- or seven-month tours, followed by 12 months at home, followed by another six- or seven-month tour, gets the Marine Corps more deployed months per four-year enlistment than any other cycle than the Marine Corps can come up with.
"For the Army, which has a lot more senior level leaders in it beyond the first four years," he said, "the cycle could be six months, but when you look at the current requirement for now 25 brigades, and you do the math of traveling over and traveling back and moving equipment around, you end up not having enough force to be able to reduce to six-month tours and still provide the 25 brigades overseas."
The Air Force tour lengths are based on airplane maintenance and the integration of the Air National Guard, Pace said, and "four-month tours are about right for them to get the most efficient use of all their people."
Pace said he understands how troops feel about the unequal tour lengths.
"It's disheartening for the soldier who's there for 12 months looking across the table at an Air Force person who's there for four and a Navy guy or Marine who's there for six or seven," he said. "No matter what you say about all the math and all the science, it doesn't compute when you're sitting in Baghdad trying to figure that out amongst your friends and buddies around the table," he said
One servicemember asked the chairman if he thought there should be one utility uniform for all the services in the joint force. Pace said that although he's pleased with the way the services have worked more closely together since the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 forced them to, he likes each service having its own uniform.
"The joint force is an enormously capable force," he said. "Goldwater-Nichols has done exactly what it should have done with regard to the melding of the force and making us rely on each other, but there are specific ethoses that go with each service."
People who join the Air Force are different from those who join the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, he said, and "the various services' ethos, and how they approach problems, is a great strength of our nation. ... If you believe that having a little bit of internal friction and competition is good, and if you believe that diversity of ideas is healthy, then you want to strengthen the sense of community of each service and have different ethos."
"I like being able to have that service's pride reinforced by the separate uniforms," he said. "I like getting from individuals their own opinions, based on their service experience about what the right way to go is. And after all of that is done, and everybody's thoughts are on the table, and the joint commander makes the decision, then I like the fact that we all get in step and do what we're supposed to do."
Pace pointed out that he helped Marine Gen. Jim Jones, then commandant of the Marine Corps, develop a uniform for the Marines because they wanted to re-establish the uniqueness of the Marine battle uniform. "As a result of which, each of the other services has developed, or is in the process of developing their own uniforms, which I think is the right thing to do," he said.
Another servicemember asked Pace about the possibility of a civilian reserve corps that he heard mentioned in the president's state of the union address. Pace replied that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is working on the details of her plan for such a force.
U.S. leaders would call on the civilian reserve corps, he said, when a foreign nation needs help in building a dam, running an electric plant or city management - the kinds of things that traditionally default to the U.S. military because they're on the ground. The civilian corps would be made up of volunteers who want to provide their expertise in support of our government helping other governments.
"If you look out the next 10, 15, 20 years and the challenges we're going to be facing," Pace said, "it would be so much better if we were able to help countries that are on the cusp of a problem to be able to strengthen themselves now and print terrorism from taking root, rather than having to go in and kick them out and then have to repair the damage and everything else that goes with it. I really am enthusiastic about the opportunity that this concept of a civilian reserve corps presents for the nation."
The civilian reserve force ties in with Pace's belief that all Americans should serve their country.
"All of us who are fortunate through accident of birth to be born in the United States, should find some way to repay our nation," he said. "Not necessarily in uniform, but all youngsters ought to be encouraged to find a way to give back to the nation - whether it's through civic community groups, the Peace Corps or any other number of ways where you take part of your life and you serve your community and your nation in a way that gives back to the nation."
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff fielded questions Feb. 22 and 23 from active duty, National Guard and Reserve troops in Alaska at the Army's Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks, and at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage. The troops asked Marine Gen. Peter Pace about equipment shortfalls in the Guard and Reserve, varying tour lengths among the services, whether there should be a joint force utility uniform for all the services and the possibility of a civilian service corps.
Pace told the troops the budget includes about $21 billion for new equipment for the Guard and Reserve and about $17 billion to fix the equipment that has been broken and damaged. "You end up with about $37-$38 billion over the next five years specifically earmarked for either new or refurbished equipment," he said.
"We could not have, and will not be able to do what this nation needs to do without the Guard and Reserve," he stressed. "We owe these great Americans the same support that we give to our active forces. We need to make sure they're properly resourced - properly manned, properly trained, and properly equipped. So when we ask them to do our nation's business, they are ready to do so."
Pace also said military leaders are taking a good hard look at the way they compensate Guard and Reserve troops in relation to the way they compensate active duty.
"The secretary of defense and the secretaries of the departments clearly understand the value to the nation of the Guard and Reserve," he said. "We're all looking for ways to show that to the Guard and Reserve in a way that keeps the force properly balanced."
Turning to tour lengths, the chairman said he very aware of the concerns troops have over varying deployment lengths between services.
"It drives me nuts when I go sit down at a mess hall table in Baghdad and you sit there and each servicemember sitting around the table is there for a different tour length," he said. "I have spent a lot of time trying to think through how to get us on the right tour length."
Each service's way of deploying and operations tempo determines their tour lengths, he said. "The Marines, for example, are tied to Navy deployment cycles. Navy deployment cycles could be changed also, but when you look at big ships and the kinds of maintenance they need, six to seven months out and then some time back is about right.
"But even if you take away the Navy linkage to the Marines, about 49 percent of the Marine Corps is lance corporals and below, and most of those Marines stay for four-year tours. For the Marine Corps, six- or seven-month tours, followed by 12 months at home, followed by another six- or seven-month tour, gets the Marine Corps more deployed months per four-year enlistment than any other cycle than the Marine Corps can come up with.
"For the Army, which has a lot more senior level leaders in it beyond the first four years," he said, "the cycle could be six months, but when you look at the current requirement for now 25 brigades, and you do the math of traveling over and traveling back and moving equipment around, you end up not having enough force to be able to reduce to six-month tours and still provide the 25 brigades overseas."
The Air Force tour lengths are based on airplane maintenance and the integration of the Air National Guard, Pace said, and "four-month tours are about right for them to get the most efficient use of all their people."
Pace said he understands how troops feel about the unequal tour lengths.
"It's disheartening for the soldier who's there for 12 months looking across the table at an Air Force person who's there for four and a Navy guy or Marine who's there for six or seven," he said. "No matter what you say about all the math and all the science, it doesn't compute when you're sitting in Baghdad trying to figure that out amongst your friends and buddies around the table," he said
One servicemember asked the chairman if he thought there should be one utility uniform for all the services in the joint force. Pace said that although he's pleased with the way the services have worked more closely together since the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986 forced them to, he likes each service having its own uniform.
"The joint force is an enormously capable force," he said. "Goldwater-Nichols has done exactly what it should have done with regard to the melding of the force and making us rely on each other, but there are specific ethoses that go with each service."
People who join the Air Force are different from those who join the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, he said, and "the various services' ethos, and how they approach problems, is a great strength of our nation. ... If you believe that having a little bit of internal friction and competition is good, and if you believe that diversity of ideas is healthy, then you want to strengthen the sense of community of each service and have different ethos."
"I like being able to have that service's pride reinforced by the separate uniforms," he said. "I like getting from individuals their own opinions, based on their service experience about what the right way to go is. And after all of that is done, and everybody's thoughts are on the table, and the joint commander makes the decision, then I like the fact that we all get in step and do what we're supposed to do."
Pace pointed out that he helped Marine Gen. Jim Jones, then commandant of the Marine Corps, develop a uniform for the Marines because they wanted to re-establish the uniqueness of the Marine battle uniform. "As a result of which, each of the other services has developed, or is in the process of developing their own uniforms, which I think is the right thing to do," he said.
Another servicemember asked Pace about the possibility of a civilian reserve corps that he heard mentioned in the president's state of the union address. Pace replied that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is working on the details of her plan for such a force.
U.S. leaders would call on the civilian reserve corps, he said, when a foreign nation needs help in building a dam, running an electric plant or city management - the kinds of things that traditionally default to the U.S. military because they're on the ground. The civilian corps would be made up of volunteers who want to provide their expertise in support of our government helping other governments.
"If you look out the next 10, 15, 20 years and the challenges we're going to be facing," Pace said, "it would be so much better if we were able to help countries that are on the cusp of a problem to be able to strengthen themselves now and print terrorism from taking root, rather than having to go in and kick them out and then have to repair the damage and everything else that goes with it. I really am enthusiastic about the opportunity that this concept of a civilian reserve corps presents for the nation."
The civilian reserve force ties in with Pace's belief that all Americans should serve their country.
"All of us who are fortunate through accident of birth to be born in the United States, should find some way to repay our nation," he said. "Not necessarily in uniform, but all youngsters ought to be encouraged to find a way to give back to the nation - whether it's through civic community groups, the Peace Corps or any other number of ways where you take part of your life and you serve your community and your nation in a way that gives back to the nation."
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Youth ChalleNGe Cadets Tour Pentagon, Capitol
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – For New Orleans native Myeisha Goldston, it's all about the attitude - and she used to have a "b-a-a-a-a-d" one, she confessed. Now, though, her attitude and her life have taken a 180-degree turn. Goldston recently graduated from the first phase of the New Orleans' National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program and was selected to attend the program's spring director's conference and awards ceremony here.
Goldston and about 60 other chosen cadets and their sponsors from the 26 ChalleNGe programs across the U.S. and Puerto Rico toured the Pentagon today and had their photo taken with the Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England.
"It was amazing," Goldston said. This is her first trip to Washington. "I'm a long way from home - I know that."
For the next few days, the group will tour the typical sites in the capital area and get a chance to sample the city's dining and shopping venues.
For Goldston, the "heroes and history" here have impressed her most.
Sporting a subdued green jacket and khaki, starched military-style cargo pants with boots, Goldston represents exactly what the ChalleNGe program is all about.
The Youth ChalleNGe program is a 17-month intervention effort that helps 16- to 18-year-olds turn their lives around and develop the skills to be successful. It incorporates discipline, education and counseling to treat the "whole kid," said Army National Guard Capt. Scott Johnston. He directs one of Louisiana's three ChalleNGe programs.
"They want to change their lives," said Johnston. "They just don't know how."
A few months ago Goldston realized she was on her way to nowhere, she said.
"I was horrible," she said. She was all lies and attitude, she admitted. But, Goldston said, she realized she needed to change if she was going to succeed in life.
The priority: change her attitude. That's exactly what the Youth ChalleNGe program started, she said.
"Whooo, it changed my attitude," she said, and laughed. "It was too important."
Now she understands that if she works hard, good things will come, Goldston said. The baby in a family with five brothers and two sisters, Goldston now goes to school to learn the culinary arts. Her dream is to own her own soul food restaurant.
Her mentor is helping her. The 22-week resident program prepares the cadet to be successful, but for the year following, graduates are assigned a mentor in the community who helps them with their goals. Counselors also follow up with the graduates throughout the year.
It's the mentorship that 17-year-old Mhari Guidry thinks is best about the program.
"They don't just help you while you're there. They help you when you're not there," said the self-described former problem child. Also from Louisiana, Guidry was displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was then that she joined the program.
Before, Guidry was "destructive and disobedient," she said. Now she wants to join the Air National Guard and plans to attend college. Guidry was impressed with the size of the Pentagon.
"I had no idea it was this big. There are so many hallways," she said wide-eyed.
Since the program began in 1993, more than 62,000 former high school dropouts have graduated from ChalleNGe. The program is funded from both state and federal budgets and it is money well spent, said Johnston.
"Now we have a productive citizen - somebody who is going to go to work, pay taxes and not get in trouble with the law," Johnston said. "This program is perfect for anyone who wants to make a change."
It was change that senior cadet Wayne Geib was looking for when he entered the program seven weeks ago. Kicked out of the house, and with his parents divorced, Geib was facing a dismal future. His parents referred him to the program, Geib said.
"I was very reluctant. I wanted to stay at home and be a bum," he said.
Once kicked out the house for being rebellious, now Geib wants to become the picture of self discipline -- a Marine, hopefully an officer. He excels in the physical requirements and academics of the program.
It was in the academy, Geib said, that he realized his true potential.
"I can do so much more with my life, if I work hard," Geib said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – For New Orleans native Myeisha Goldston, it's all about the attitude - and she used to have a "b-a-a-a-a-d" one, she confessed. Now, though, her attitude and her life have taken a 180-degree turn. Goldston recently graduated from the first phase of the New Orleans' National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program and was selected to attend the program's spring director's conference and awards ceremony here.
Goldston and about 60 other chosen cadets and their sponsors from the 26 ChalleNGe programs across the U.S. and Puerto Rico toured the Pentagon today and had their photo taken with the Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England.
"It was amazing," Goldston said. This is her first trip to Washington. "I'm a long way from home - I know that."
For the next few days, the group will tour the typical sites in the capital area and get a chance to sample the city's dining and shopping venues.
For Goldston, the "heroes and history" here have impressed her most.
Sporting a subdued green jacket and khaki, starched military-style cargo pants with boots, Goldston represents exactly what the ChalleNGe program is all about.
The Youth ChalleNGe program is a 17-month intervention effort that helps 16- to 18-year-olds turn their lives around and develop the skills to be successful. It incorporates discipline, education and counseling to treat the "whole kid," said Army National Guard Capt. Scott Johnston. He directs one of Louisiana's three ChalleNGe programs.
"They want to change their lives," said Johnston. "They just don't know how."
A few months ago Goldston realized she was on her way to nowhere, she said.
"I was horrible," she said. She was all lies and attitude, she admitted. But, Goldston said, she realized she needed to change if she was going to succeed in life.
The priority: change her attitude. That's exactly what the Youth ChalleNGe program started, she said.
"Whooo, it changed my attitude," she said, and laughed. "It was too important."
Now she understands that if she works hard, good things will come, Goldston said. The baby in a family with five brothers and two sisters, Goldston now goes to school to learn the culinary arts. Her dream is to own her own soul food restaurant.
Her mentor is helping her. The 22-week resident program prepares the cadet to be successful, but for the year following, graduates are assigned a mentor in the community who helps them with their goals. Counselors also follow up with the graduates throughout the year.
It's the mentorship that 17-year-old Mhari Guidry thinks is best about the program.
"They don't just help you while you're there. They help you when you're not there," said the self-described former problem child. Also from Louisiana, Guidry was displaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It was then that she joined the program.
Before, Guidry was "destructive and disobedient," she said. Now she wants to join the Air National Guard and plans to attend college. Guidry was impressed with the size of the Pentagon.
"I had no idea it was this big. There are so many hallways," she said wide-eyed.
Since the program began in 1993, more than 62,000 former high school dropouts have graduated from ChalleNGe. The program is funded from both state and federal budgets and it is money well spent, said Johnston.
"Now we have a productive citizen - somebody who is going to go to work, pay taxes and not get in trouble with the law," Johnston said. "This program is perfect for anyone who wants to make a change."
It was change that senior cadet Wayne Geib was looking for when he entered the program seven weeks ago. Kicked out of the house, and with his parents divorced, Geib was facing a dismal future. His parents referred him to the program, Geib said.
"I was very reluctant. I wanted to stay at home and be a bum," he said.
Once kicked out the house for being rebellious, now Geib wants to become the picture of self discipline -- a Marine, hopefully an officer. He excels in the physical requirements and academics of the program.
It was in the academy, Geib said, that he realized his true potential.
"I can do so much more with my life, if I work hard," Geib said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Task Force Examines Troop Mental Health Assistance Programs
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – A special panel of health care officials learned how the military is addressing mental health issues experienced by some troops deployed in support of the global war on terrorism during a series of briefings held here today. The 15-member DoD Task Force on Mental Health is co-chaired by Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and Shelley M. MacDermid, professor of child development and family studies and director of the military family research institute at Perdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
The task force was formed through the 2006 National Defense Appropriations Act to examine the current state of military mental health practices and processes.
The panel is now collecting information through visits to multiple military installations, document reviews, specialists' opinions and town hall-style meetings. The panel is scheduled to provide its report to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in May.
Reservists are assessed for mental health issues during both pre- and post-deployment phases, Army Maj. Clemens Presogna, a nurse and reservist assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Ga., told members of the task force.
"After 90 days of return-to-country, all soldiers who have been mobilized complete a post-deployment health re-assessment," Presogna explained, "which is another screening tool used to identify medical and mental-health issues that soldiers may have suffered from during their deployment phase."
The Army Reserve also conducts chaplain-sponsored post-deployment rest programs for both returning married troops and single soldiers, said Army Col. Sumathy Reddy, a doctor of internal medicine who's also assigned to the reserve command.
"We've had very good feedback on that," Reddy said. "It basically concentrates on communications skills."
Many mental health issues can be effectively treated, "but they have to be recognized in a timely manner," Reddy pointed out.
Another initiative, the "Battlemind" training system, helps to prepare active and reserve-component soldiers for the stressors of war and also assists with the detection of possible mental health issues before and after deployment, Army Maj. Jeff Thomas, a research psychologist with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said.
Such training is both prudent and necessary, Thomas noted, since studies show that 10 to 15 percent of soldiers develop post-traumatic stress disorder after deployment to Iraq. Instances of PTSD and other mental-health issues experienced by troops who've participated in combat operations usually increase over time, he noted.
Battlemind provides a more focused approach in assessing a soldier's state-of-mind and overall mental health status after deployment to a war zone as compared to previous post-deployment assessments, Thomas said.
Battlemind examines "issues that soldiers and Marines face during different points in the deployment cycle," Thomas explained. Peer-on-peer, or "buddy" discussions about mental health concerns after deployment are an important part of the Battlemind philosophy, Thomas pointed out.
Commanders and noncommissioned officers need to convey the message that it is acceptable for troops to seek out professional help to address self-perceived mental health issues.
"We really need to train and reinforce actions that soldiers, leaders and buddies can take," Thomas said. The Battlemind system, he added, requires "emphasis on looking out for your buddy, and for small-unit leaders to look out for their soldiers."
Another troop mental health assistance initiative is the Combat and Operational Stress Control Program implemented in October 2006 by the Marine Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, said Dr. Tania Glenn, a military contractor who co-manages the program.
"This is a Marine-to-Marine advocacy and education program," Glenn explained. "We are teaching Marines how to identify and help other Marines." The COSC program utilizes peer-to-peer discussion and monitoring, she said, to assist in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental stress and burnout among Marines returning from combat overseas.
Actively discussing mental health issues represents "a culture shift in the Marine Corps," but not a massive change, said Glenn, noting the COSC program could be likened to adding high-potency vitamins to a servicemember's normal field rations.
Returning Marines experiencing heightened emotions caused by "mindset conditioning" during combat tours are provided counseling and assistance while transiting to stateside assignments, Glenn said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – A special panel of health care officials learned how the military is addressing mental health issues experienced by some troops deployed in support of the global war on terrorism during a series of briefings held here today. The 15-member DoD Task Force on Mental Health is co-chaired by Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and Shelley M. MacDermid, professor of child development and family studies and director of the military family research institute at Perdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
The task force was formed through the 2006 National Defense Appropriations Act to examine the current state of military mental health practices and processes.
The panel is now collecting information through visits to multiple military installations, document reviews, specialists' opinions and town hall-style meetings. The panel is scheduled to provide its report to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in May.
Reservists are assessed for mental health issues during both pre- and post-deployment phases, Army Maj. Clemens Presogna, a nurse and reservist assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Ga., told members of the task force.
"After 90 days of return-to-country, all soldiers who have been mobilized complete a post-deployment health re-assessment," Presogna explained, "which is another screening tool used to identify medical and mental-health issues that soldiers may have suffered from during their deployment phase."
The Army Reserve also conducts chaplain-sponsored post-deployment rest programs for both returning married troops and single soldiers, said Army Col. Sumathy Reddy, a doctor of internal medicine who's also assigned to the reserve command.
"We've had very good feedback on that," Reddy said. "It basically concentrates on communications skills."
Many mental health issues can be effectively treated, "but they have to be recognized in a timely manner," Reddy pointed out.
Another initiative, the "Battlemind" training system, helps to prepare active and reserve-component soldiers for the stressors of war and also assists with the detection of possible mental health issues before and after deployment, Army Maj. Jeff Thomas, a research psychologist with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said.
Such training is both prudent and necessary, Thomas noted, since studies show that 10 to 15 percent of soldiers develop post-traumatic stress disorder after deployment to Iraq. Instances of PTSD and other mental-health issues experienced by troops who've participated in combat operations usually increase over time, he noted.
Battlemind provides a more focused approach in assessing a soldier's state-of-mind and overall mental health status after deployment to a war zone as compared to previous post-deployment assessments, Thomas said.
Battlemind examines "issues that soldiers and Marines face during different points in the deployment cycle," Thomas explained. Peer-on-peer, or "buddy" discussions about mental health concerns after deployment are an important part of the Battlemind philosophy, Thomas pointed out.
Commanders and noncommissioned officers need to convey the message that it is acceptable for troops to seek out professional help to address self-perceived mental health issues.
"We really need to train and reinforce actions that soldiers, leaders and buddies can take," Thomas said. The Battlemind system, he added, requires "emphasis on looking out for your buddy, and for small-unit leaders to look out for their soldiers."
Another troop mental health assistance initiative is the Combat and Operational Stress Control Program implemented in October 2006 by the Marine Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, said Dr. Tania Glenn, a military contractor who co-manages the program.
"This is a Marine-to-Marine advocacy and education program," Glenn explained. "We are teaching Marines how to identify and help other Marines." The COSC program utilizes peer-to-peer discussion and monitoring, she said, to assist in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental stress and burnout among Marines returning from combat overseas.
Actively discussing mental health issues represents "a culture shift in the Marine Corps," but not a massive change, said Glenn, noting the COSC program could be likened to adding high-potency vitamins to a servicemember's normal field rations.
Returning Marines experiencing heightened emotions caused by "mindset conditioning" during combat tours are provided counseling and assistance while transiting to stateside assignments, Glenn said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Task Force Examines Troop Mental Health Assistance Programs
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – A special panel of health care officials learned how the military is addressing mental health issues experienced by some troops deployed in support of the global war on terrorism during a series of briefings held here today. The 15-member DoD Task Force on Mental Health is co-chaired by Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and Shelley M. MacDermid, professor of child development and family studies and director of the military family research institute at Perdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
The task force was formed through the 2006 National Defense Appropriations Act to examine the current state of military mental health practices and processes.
The panel is now collecting information through visits to multiple military installations, document reviews, specialists' opinions and town hall-style meetings. The panel is scheduled to provide its report to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in May.
Reservists are assessed for mental health issues during both pre- and post-deployment phases, Army Maj. Clemens Presogna, a nurse and reservist assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Ga., told members of the task force.
"After 90 days of return-to-country, all soldiers who have been mobilized complete a post-deployment health re-assessment," Presogna explained, "which is another screening tool used to identify medical and mental-health issues that soldiers may have suffered from during their deployment phase."
The Army Reserve also conducts chaplain-sponsored post-deployment rest programs for both returning married troops and single soldiers, said Army Col. Sumathy Reddy, a doctor of internal medicine who's also assigned to the reserve command.
"We've had very good feedback on that," Reddy said. "It basically concentrates on communications skills."
Many mental health issues can be effectively treated, "but they have to be recognized in a timely manner," Reddy pointed out.
Another initiative, the "Battlemind" training system, helps to prepare active and reserve-component soldiers for the stressors of war and also assists with the detection of possible mental health issues before and after deployment, Army Maj. Jeff Thomas, a research psychologist with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said.
Such training is both prudent and necessary, Thomas noted, since studies show that 10 to 15 percent of soldiers develop post-traumatic stress disorder after deployment to Iraq. Instances of PTSD and other mental-health issues experienced by troops who've participated in combat operations usually increase over time, he noted.
Battlemind provides a more focused approach in assessing a soldier's state-of-mind and overall mental health status after deployment to a war zone as compared to previous post-deployment assessments, Thomas said.
Battlemind examines "issues that soldiers and Marines face during different points in the deployment cycle," Thomas explained. Peer-on-peer, or "buddy" discussions about mental health concerns after deployment are an important part of the Battlemind philosophy, Thomas pointed out.
Commanders and noncommissioned officers need to convey the message that it is acceptable for troops to seek out professional help to address self-perceived mental health issues.
"We really need to train and reinforce actions that soldiers, leaders and buddies can take," Thomas said. The Battlemind system, he added, requires "emphasis on looking out for your buddy, and for small-unit leaders to look out for their soldiers."
Another troop mental health assistance initiative is the Combat and Operational Stress Control Program implemented in October 2006 by the Marine Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, said Dr. Tania Glenn, a military contractor who co-manages the program.
"This is a Marine-to-Marine advocacy and education program," Glenn explained. "We are teaching Marines how to identify and help other Marines." The COSC program utilizes peer-to-peer discussion and monitoring, she said, to assist in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental stress and burnout among Marines returning from combat overseas.
Actively discussing mental health issues represents "a culture shift in the Marine Corps," but not a massive change, said Glenn, noting the COSC program could be likened to adding high-potency vitamins to a servicemember's normal field rations.
Returning Marines experiencing heightened emotions caused by "mindset conditioning" during combat tours are provided counseling and assistance while transiting to stateside assignments, Glenn said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – A special panel of health care officials learned how the military is addressing mental health issues experienced by some troops deployed in support of the global war on terrorism during a series of briefings held here today. The 15-member DoD Task Force on Mental Health is co-chaired by Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and Shelley M. MacDermid, professor of child development and family studies and director of the military family research institute at Perdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
The task force was formed through the 2006 National Defense Appropriations Act to examine the current state of military mental health practices and processes.
The panel is now collecting information through visits to multiple military installations, document reviews, specialists' opinions and town hall-style meetings. The panel is scheduled to provide its report to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in May.
Reservists are assessed for mental health issues during both pre- and post-deployment phases, Army Maj. Clemens Presogna, a nurse and reservist assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Ga., told members of the task force.
"After 90 days of return-to-country, all soldiers who have been mobilized complete a post-deployment health re-assessment," Presogna explained, "which is another screening tool used to identify medical and mental-health issues that soldiers may have suffered from during their deployment phase."
The Army Reserve also conducts chaplain-sponsored post-deployment rest programs for both returning married troops and single soldiers, said Army Col. Sumathy Reddy, a doctor of internal medicine who's also assigned to the reserve command.
"We've had very good feedback on that," Reddy said. "It basically concentrates on communications skills."
Many mental health issues can be effectively treated, "but they have to be recognized in a timely manner," Reddy pointed out.
Another initiative, the "Battlemind" training system, helps to prepare active and reserve-component soldiers for the stressors of war and also assists with the detection of possible mental health issues before and after deployment, Army Maj. Jeff Thomas, a research psychologist with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said.
Such training is both prudent and necessary, Thomas noted, since studies show that 10 to 15 percent of soldiers develop post-traumatic stress disorder after deployment to Iraq. Instances of PTSD and other mental-health issues experienced by troops who've participated in combat operations usually increase over time, he noted.
Battlemind provides a more focused approach in assessing a soldier's state-of-mind and overall mental health status after deployment to a war zone as compared to previous post-deployment assessments, Thomas said.
Battlemind examines "issues that soldiers and Marines face during different points in the deployment cycle," Thomas explained. Peer-on-peer, or "buddy" discussions about mental health concerns after deployment are an important part of the Battlemind philosophy, Thomas pointed out.
Commanders and noncommissioned officers need to convey the message that it is acceptable for troops to seek out professional help to address self-perceived mental health issues.
"We really need to train and reinforce actions that soldiers, leaders and buddies can take," Thomas said. The Battlemind system, he added, requires "emphasis on looking out for your buddy, and for small-unit leaders to look out for their soldiers."
Another troop mental health assistance initiative is the Combat and Operational Stress Control Program implemented in October 2006 by the Marine Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, said Dr. Tania Glenn, a military contractor who co-manages the program.
"This is a Marine-to-Marine advocacy and education program," Glenn explained. "We are teaching Marines how to identify and help other Marines." The COSC program utilizes peer-to-peer discussion and monitoring, she said, to assist in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental stress and burnout among Marines returning from combat overseas.
Actively discussing mental health issues represents "a culture shift in the Marine Corps," but not a massive change, said Glenn, noting the COSC program could be likened to adding high-potency vitamins to a servicemember's normal field rations.
Returning Marines experiencing heightened emotions caused by "mindset conditioning" during combat tours are provided counseling and assistance while transiting to stateside assignments, Glenn said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
Task Force Examines Troop Mental Health Assistance Programs
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – A special panel of health care officials learned how the military is addressing mental health issues experienced by some troops deployed in support of the global war on terrorism during a series of briefings held here today. The 15-member DoD Task Force on Mental Health is co-chaired by Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and Shelley M. MacDermid, professor of child development and family studies and director of the military family research institute at Perdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
The task force was formed through the 2006 National Defense Appropriations Act to examine the current state of military mental health practices and processes.
The panel is now collecting information through visits to multiple military installations, document reviews, specialists' opinions and town hall-style meetings. The panel is scheduled to provide its report to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in May.
Reservists are assessed for mental health issues during both pre- and post-deployment phases, Army Maj. Clemens Presogna, a nurse and reservist assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Ga., told members of the task force.
"After 90 days of return-to-country, all soldiers who have been mobilized complete a post-deployment health re-assessment," Presogna explained, "which is another screening tool used to identify medical and mental-health issues that soldiers may have suffered from during their deployment phase."
The Army Reserve also conducts chaplain-sponsored post-deployment rest programs for both returning married troops and single soldiers, said Army Col. Sumathy Reddy, a doctor of internal medicine who's also assigned to the reserve command.
"We've had very good feedback on that," Reddy said. "It basically concentrates on communications skills."
Many mental health issues can be effectively treated, "but they have to be recognized in a timely manner," Reddy pointed out.
Another initiative, the "Battlemind" training system, helps to prepare active and reserve-component soldiers for the stressors of war and also assists with the detection of possible mental health issues before and after deployment, Army Maj. Jeff Thomas, a research psychologist with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said.
Such training is both prudent and necessary, Thomas noted, since studies show that 10 to 15 percent of soldiers develop post-traumatic stress disorder after deployment to Iraq. Instances of PTSD and other mental-health issues experienced by troops who've participated in combat operations usually increase over time, he noted.
Battlemind provides a more focused approach in assessing a soldier's state-of-mind and overall mental health status after deployment to a war zone as compared to previous post-deployment assessments, Thomas said.
Battlemind examines "issues that soldiers and Marines face during different points in the deployment cycle," Thomas explained. Peer-on-peer, or "buddy" discussions about mental health concerns after deployment are an important part of the Battlemind philosophy, Thomas pointed out.
Commanders and noncommissioned officers need to convey the message that it is acceptable for troops to seek out professional help to address self-perceived mental health issues.
"We really need to train and reinforce actions that soldiers, leaders and buddies can take," Thomas said. The Battlemind system, he added, requires "emphasis on looking out for your buddy, and for small-unit leaders to look out for their soldiers."
Another troop mental health assistance initiative is the Combat and Operational Stress Control Program implemented in October 2006 by the Marine Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, said Dr. Tania Glenn, a military contractor who co-manages the program.
"This is a Marine-to-Marine advocacy and education program," Glenn explained. "We are teaching Marines how to identify and help other Marines." The COSC program utilizes peer-to-peer discussion and monitoring, she said, to assist in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental stress and burnout among Marines returning from combat overseas.
Actively discussing mental health issues represents "a culture shift in the Marine Corps," but not a massive change, said Glenn, noting the COSC program could be likened to adding high-potency vitamins to a servicemember's normal field rations.
Returning Marines experiencing heightened emotions caused by "mindset conditioning" during combat tours are provided counseling and assistance while transiting to stateside assignments, Glenn said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
American Forces Press Service
Feb. 26, 2007 – A special panel of health care officials learned how the military is addressing mental health issues experienced by some troops deployed in support of the global war on terrorism during a series of briefings held here today. The 15-member DoD Task Force on Mental Health is co-chaired by Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and Shelley M. MacDermid, professor of child development and family studies and director of the military family research institute at Perdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
The task force was formed through the 2006 National Defense Appropriations Act to examine the current state of military mental health practices and processes.
The panel is now collecting information through visits to multiple military installations, document reviews, specialists' opinions and town hall-style meetings. The panel is scheduled to provide its report to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates in May.
Reservists are assessed for mental health issues during both pre- and post-deployment phases, Army Maj. Clemens Presogna, a nurse and reservist assigned to U.S. Army Reserve Command, Fort McPherson, Ga., told members of the task force.
"After 90 days of return-to-country, all soldiers who have been mobilized complete a post-deployment health re-assessment," Presogna explained, "which is another screening tool used to identify medical and mental-health issues that soldiers may have suffered from during their deployment phase."
The Army Reserve also conducts chaplain-sponsored post-deployment rest programs for both returning married troops and single soldiers, said Army Col. Sumathy Reddy, a doctor of internal medicine who's also assigned to the reserve command.
"We've had very good feedback on that," Reddy said. "It basically concentrates on communications skills."
Many mental health issues can be effectively treated, "but they have to be recognized in a timely manner," Reddy pointed out.
Another initiative, the "Battlemind" training system, helps to prepare active and reserve-component soldiers for the stressors of war and also assists with the detection of possible mental health issues before and after deployment, Army Maj. Jeff Thomas, a research psychologist with the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said.
Such training is both prudent and necessary, Thomas noted, since studies show that 10 to 15 percent of soldiers develop post-traumatic stress disorder after deployment to Iraq. Instances of PTSD and other mental-health issues experienced by troops who've participated in combat operations usually increase over time, he noted.
Battlemind provides a more focused approach in assessing a soldier's state-of-mind and overall mental health status after deployment to a war zone as compared to previous post-deployment assessments, Thomas said.
Battlemind examines "issues that soldiers and Marines face during different points in the deployment cycle," Thomas explained. Peer-on-peer, or "buddy" discussions about mental health concerns after deployment are an important part of the Battlemind philosophy, Thomas pointed out.
Commanders and noncommissioned officers need to convey the message that it is acceptable for troops to seek out professional help to address self-perceived mental health issues.
"We really need to train and reinforce actions that soldiers, leaders and buddies can take," Thomas said. The Battlemind system, he added, requires "emphasis on looking out for your buddy, and for small-unit leaders to look out for their soldiers."
Another troop mental health assistance initiative is the Combat and Operational Stress Control Program implemented in October 2006 by the Marine Corps Reserve's 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, said Dr. Tania Glenn, a military contractor who co-manages the program.
"This is a Marine-to-Marine advocacy and education program," Glenn explained. "We are teaching Marines how to identify and help other Marines." The COSC program utilizes peer-to-peer discussion and monitoring, she said, to assist in recognizing the signs and symptoms of mental stress and burnout among Marines returning from combat overseas.
Actively discussing mental health issues represents "a culture shift in the Marine Corps," but not a massive change, said Glenn, noting the COSC program could be likened to adding high-potency vitamins to a servicemember's normal field rations.
Returning Marines experiencing heightened emotions caused by "mindset conditioning" during combat tours are provided counseling and assistance while transiting to stateside assignments, Glenn said.
Sponsors of the article include criminal justice online leadership; and, military and police personnel who have written books.
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