Navy Reserve Sponsors Workshop for Returning Warriors

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Larry Foos, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

DENVER (NNS) -- Navy Region Southwest Reserve Component Command sponsored a Returning Warrior Workshop (RWW) for 135 post-deployed Navy Sailors and their family members May 4-6.

Half of the participants were Navy Reservists who reside in Colorado and recently completed a deployment overseas as individual augmentees (IA). The RWW brought them together in a relaxing atmosphere to help accelerate their reintegration into normal life by listening, sharing and honoring one another.

"I'm starting to feel welcomed back home," said Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Kyle Curran, of Colorado Springs, Colo. "I learned how people deal with the same emotions and stresses. I can sort of relate to them and how I can adapt and overcome like they have."

Curran served in Al Fujairah, United Arab Emirates nearly all of 2011 and is now a drilling reservist at Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Ft. Carson, one of two NOSCs in Colorado.

Funded by the Department of Defense's Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, RWW is widely regarded as one of the most effective and popular reintegration programs for demobilized servicemembers. It has its roots in the Southwest Region, with the first RWW introduced in Phoenix in September of 2006. Besides Colorado, the Denver RWW included Reservists and Active Duty members from eight other states, and as far away as Guam and Japan.

Personnel Specialist 2nd Class Charles Skinner is Full Time Support staff for NOSC Lemoore, Calif., and returned from IA duty in Guantanamo Bay in February. He and his wife, Ashley, were impressed with the Denver RWW.

"I love it. Just the location and the atmosphere, to me it's like an 'aah, I can breathe moment.' All this animosity or emotions you might have, this is the place you can get it out. It is by far the best Navy program I've ever seen. I have been in the Navy six years and I've seen a lot of our Reservists mobilized out of our NOSC, and I will highly recommend them to come to this," Skinner said.

Two elements that make the two-day workshop so effective are the science that goes into the order of events, and how participants are seated within the ballroom. Each returning warrior and spouse, family member or significant other, who is affectionately called the "homefront warrior," sit at a round table with up to three other couples and one facilitator per table. After opening remarks and introductions, the workshop kicks off with a keynote speaker explaining the "code of the warrior." It is a message intended to establish meaning and acceptance to arduous deployments and their effects. Retired Navy Capt. Robert Schoultz, who served as a Naval special warfare officer for 30 years, explained the "code of the warrior" to the Denver audience.

"The warrior's journey is risky and you've all been there. Today you'll be focusing on the reintegration phase. It is an important part of the journey. For some of you it may not be very hard. But for others it's a struggle. And you're not alone," Schoultz said.

As the day progressed, facilitators used team-building exercises to build unity among couples at their tables. This enables them to feel comfortable to share and learn from each other's experiences and similarities. Later in the day, multiple breakout sessions were available that provided the attendees with specific areas of support or communication tools by subject matter experts. Topics included "Are You Angry," "Couples Reconnecting," "Getting Specific with Families Issues," "Home and Car Buying Tips," and "Female and Single Warriors."

Retired Navy Capt. Jane Bingham, who is a "charter" member of the first RWW, said one of the most rewarding aspects of the workshop for her is the large-group session called "Improving the Process" because that feedback goes up the chain.

"Leadership values the feedback (from participants) and makes adjustments to the Navy's deployment process as a result," Bingham said.

During 'Improving the Process,' one representative from each table shared the one thing they would like to see changed during the deployment period.

One of the highlights of RWW is the Saturday evening Banquet of Honor. It is a formal dinner affair with special ceremonies, a guest speaker and a presentation for each warrior. Capt. Marcus J. Cromartie, commander, NRSW RCC, read the inscriptions of two different certificates of appreciation, one for the returning warrior and one for the homefront warrior. The table facilitators made the actual presentations.

Rear Adm. Patrick E. McGrath, deputy commander, Third Fleet, spoke to Denver's RWW banquet attendees with a message that summed up the weekend event.

"At this Returning Warrior Weekend, for the first time in the history of the U.S. military, we're recognizing the sacrifices of our Sailors and their families. We're showing our appreciation for what they went through now, not 50 years later. We're saying the two words that for some reason make all of those who are called to duty very uncomfortable. The two words: thank you," McGrath said.

If you are interested in enrolling in an RWW, contact your regional coordinator and reserve a seat at one of the next RWWs in their region at www.ia.navy.mil. For more information, visit www.navy.mil, www.facebook.com/usnavy, or www.twitter.com/usnavy.

Returning Warrior Workshop Focuses on Communication

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Katrina Parker Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Reserve Component Command

BOSTON (NNS) -- More than 130 active duty and Reserve personnel and their families attended the Navy Region Mid Atlantic Reserve Component Command's (NRMA RCC) Returning Warrior Workshop (RWW) at the Hyatt Harborside Boston Hotel in Boston, Mass. April 8-10.

RWWs are a support program initiated by the Navy Reserve Force to assist with the reintegration of Sailors and reunions with their families upon returning from an individual augmentee (IA) deployment in support of combat operations. The workshops are also designed to recognize those Sailors as they return home.

"We are here to honor you," said NRMA RCC Deputy Commander Capt. Todd Morgan. "We want to recognize, honor, celebrate and thank you for your service and sacrifice, and treat you like the VIPs you are."

Funded by the Department of Defense's Yellow Ribbon Program and hosted throughout the country by Reserve component commands, RWWs focus on psychological health and provide expert speakers, interactive group discussions and private counseling. Dr. Heidi Kraft, Navy psychologist, author of Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital, and a former IA herself, encouraged participants to share their deployment experiences.

"It does not matter what kind of groups I talk to, whether they are active duty, reserve, or veterans. We all have something in common," Kraft said. "We are all hoping to collectively heal from what has now been a long time at war. The way we are striving to do that best is through story telling."

An important aspect of the RWW is that it enables Sailors and family members to openly discuss their experiences. A majority of time during the weekend was spent in breakout sessions, where attendees could speak in a more private environment and communicate with others they can relate to. Topics included couples reconnecting, stress management and considering redeployment.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Ricardo Quiles-Rosa, a Reserve Sailor who had been mobilized with Marine Aircraft Group 49, based at Ft. Dix, N.J., said the workshop was a comfortable environment where he felt free to be honest about his experiences; whereas in a uniformed command setting, he said he may feel slightly more guarded.

"I feel like there is a lot of bravado when it comes to being in the military," said Quiles-Rosa. One thing I really like about this weekend is that it focuses on the family issues; it's not just me that goes off to war; it's my wife and my kids. This weekend asked me about the problems I'm having."

The RWW also allotted time where participants could provide feedback to NRMA RCC about their personal mobilization and demobilization process. Service members and family members were given a chance to voice their opinions, concerns and suggestions during a breakout session called 'Improving the Process.'

"The mobilizing and demobilizing process puts people through a lot of stress, and I appreciate the fact that this is the Navy saying 'we want to hear what's wrong with the system and how we fix it,'" said Quiles-Rosa. "This is a really great opportunity for you to say what you experienced and it's great that we have time to talk and ask questions about it. It's great to finally have a voice."

Quiles-Rosa's wife, Maureen, also felt the open communication was refreshing.

"Allowing this feedback is so important because it is always great to hear from the people who have been through similar experiences. This is a perfect atmosphere for communication," she said.

Military members and their guests were treated to a Banquet of Honors, which consisted of a gourmet meal, letters of appreciation, a standing ovation by event organizers and facilitators, and even salsa dancing lessons provided by Navy Chaplain Lt. Cmdr. Luis Perez.

During the banquet, Rear Adm. Robert O. Wray Jr., president, Board of Inspection and Survey, gave attendees very personal accounts of the experiences that he and his family have faced during deployments. He spoke of his uncle, a Vietnam veteran, who received no psychological care upon returning home from his mission and the consequences it had. He also spoke about his own experiences when he first arrived in Iraq in 2004 and said he came home much more affected by his deployment than he expected he would.

Wray said that being able to talk through the experiences is a key part of the healing process.

"I'm telling you that the only thing that really works is talking," Wray said. "You cannot just have one conversation and expect anything to happen. You have to talk repeatedly with your shipmates, talk repeatedly with your partner, and sometimes you have to talk to professionals. If you're one of these people who will clam up and think that things will eventually go away, it doesn't work. You have to talk."

All participants received letters of appreciation signed by Wray, which thanked them for their service and sacrifice. He said the letters attempted to express the level of admiration they deserve, but they can never fully express how he and the rest of the country feel about the service they have rendered.

"The United States has a tradition where people have stood up to stand the watch during their time and place," Wray said. "Whether they were militias or national guards or Reservists, people have raised their hands and said 'I will go and I am prepared to do what I have to do. Sometimes, when they stand up and say 'I will stand the watch,' it was an uneventful watch. And then sometimes they stand up and raise their hand and all hell will break loose. The honor is not in what happened while you were on watch; the honor is in the fact that you stood up and said 'I'll stand the watch' when you didn't know what was going to happen. So I honor, respect and admire all of you because you stood up and said 'I am going to stand the watch, come hell or high water, no matter what happens.' You are all heroes, because you raised your hand and said 'I'll go."