Face of Defense: Depression Recovery Like Coming Out of Darkness, Soldier Says

By Annette P. Gomes, U.S. Army Warrior Care and Transition

ARLINGTON, Va. --  For Army Sgt. 1st Class Julio Rodriguez, the first two days of March 2015 will remain embedded in his mind forever.

“Those two days were the end of who I was, and the beginning of the person I am becoming,” he said.

Deployed to Iraq that year, Rodriguez said, he quickly found himself in a very dark place after personal demons set in.

Suicidal Thoughts

“On March 1, I had my first suicidal thought -- a vivid mental picture of me laying on my bunk with my Beretta pistol pointed to my head,” he said. “I realized I broke at that point, but I was determined not to give in. I quickly snapped out of it and thought that I regained my composure, but I didn't.”

The next day, he said, another vivid mental picture popped into his head. “This time, I was walking towards the dining hall and I saw myself sitting against a wall with my pistol in my hand, and a bullet hole in my chest,” Rodriquez said.

“It was at that point that I realized I was beyond self-recovery and the steps I was taking on my own failed,” he added.

Seeking Help

After confiding in a friend, Rodriguez sought the help he needed. He was diagnosed with major depression and suicidal ideation and was evacuated from combat operations. He later began therapy at the former Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Gordon, Georgia.

He said he was deeply in denial about his condition, but with the impending birth of his daughter, he slowly began to heal.

“Knowing she was coming into the world, I had to fight for me and my life in order to ensure I was there for her,” he said. “Over time, I learned my self-worth and realized life was worth living, but she was and will always be my ‘Why,’” Rodriguez said.

"It’s funny. … During our darkest times, God will always find a way to show you the light,” he added.

The counterintelligence agent is now sharing his story with others as a way of offering inspiration to anyone facing life challenges.

Recovery

“It was a horrible experience. And, knowing personally that even resilient people can break -- I wish that on no one,” Rodriguez said. “I share my story with a lot of my soldiers in my unit as a testament of what resiliency is all about.”

Soldiers with suicidal thoughts should “see a behavioral health specialist, right away,” Rodriguez said. “It gives them hope and a positive outlook during their situation,” he explained.

No one just decides to commit suicide, Rodriguez said. “Suicide is an easy way to end pain during very difficult times when they feel nothing else is working,” he said. “It’s the end of a progressive negative process.”

Healing

As Rodriguez continues his process of healing, he’s now focused on the 2018 Department of Defense Warrior Games slated June 1-9 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“I had to recreate myself and establish a new me. It wasn't easy,” Rodriguez said. “I struggled a lot, but I managed to create a better version of myself.”

Rodriguez said he developed new hobbies, goals, set priorities, and created a new leadership style based on his experience. “I am stronger and better than I used to be and I'm grateful for everything I have,” he said.

Navy Divers Showcase Skills at New York Aquarium

By Navy Chief Petty Officer RJ Stratchko, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic

NEW YORK -- Navy divers interacted with fish and showcased their underwater skills for the public at the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn as part of this week’s Fleet Week New York activities.

The divers, assigned to Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 2, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Expeditionary Support Unit 2 and Underwater Construction Team 1, spent the day in the aquarium’s conservation hall, welcoming hundreds of visitors from various schools and youth groups around the city.

‘It’s Such a Great Opportunity’

“It’s such a great opportunity to be able to dive in an aquarium like this and to see the support we get from the public,” said Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Johnston Davis, assigned to MDSU 2. “Being able to see kids faces light up when they saw us made this an unforgettable experience.”

The divers played tic-tac-toe, posed for photos with visitors and wrote messages to visitors using wax pens on the aquarium’s glass.

“Children at this age are sponges, so being able to bring them out of the classroom to learn through seeing instead of being stuck in a classroom really opens their eyes to what is out there,” said Tasha Allen, a family worker at Urban Strategies, Urban Learning Center 1.

Allen added, “Today has been a learning experience for the children because they have not only seen what kind of fish live in our oceans but also what the Navy does. The kids loved interacting with the divers so it’s been a great experience overall.”

Fleet Week: A Time-Honored Tradition

Fleet Week, now in its 30th year, is New York City’s time-honored celebration of the sea services. It’s an opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding area to meet sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, and to learn about the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services.

The weeklong celebration has been held nearly every year since 1984.

82nd Airborne Division’s Young Chefs Cook the Competition

By Army Sgt. Christopher Gallagher, 82nd Airborne Division

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- The kitchen sits quiet. Ovens and stoves are still cold. Ladles and pots are still clean, glinting from the luminescent lighting at the Culinary Arts Training Center here.

It’s the first day of the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2018 All American Week, and a select few culinary specialists assigned to the division start it off strong with a chef competition, relieving all silence.

Four teams, one from each of the brigades, bustle through the kitchen making last-minute preparations before cooking a three-course meal they must present to a panel of judges, including the division commander, Army Maj. Gen. Erik Kurilla, and popular New York chef and business owner of “Folded Napkin Events,” David Autry.

One competitor, Army Sgt. Daniela Archbold, a culinary specialist assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 307th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, organizes her team and prepares them for the events to unfold.

Preparation

“The hardest part of my job is the preparation,” Archbold said. “Without the proper practice and preparation, you might go into the kitchen blindly or get scared you might mess up.”

This day was no different; her team only had one day to practice their dishes. Archbold said the competition is a side-tasking, and her normal duties at the 1st BCT dining facility will always come first. With that said, the lack of training for these new dishes didn’t slow Archbold down or hinder her confidence.

Her soldier-chef teammates, Staff Sgt. Zachary Mateau, Spc. Louis Mancilla, and Spc. Puthoameapheakdey Kao, all assigned to 1st BCT, prepare their stations while Archbold explains her love for cooking.

“I found my inspiration from my mother,” Archbold said. “I was always helping her as a child, helping chop up vegetables and doing little things here and there. She always cooked every meal from scratch, and I learned from that.”

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Spanish cooking was Archbold’s primary style of food, even after moving to Houma, Louisiana, at age 9.

“My mother owned a small Hispanic grocery store,” she said. “So I made a lot of Spanish dishes, most of my experience growing up was Hispanic-oriented.”

Her love for cooking has led to another year of competing during All American Week, winning first place the year prior, her confidence now boosted to a higher level.

As the competition continued, the entire kitchen burst into sounds of commands from all four teams. Archbold's team remained calm, as she instructed the duties of each paratrooper-chef so all three courses could cook simultaneously.

‘Driven, Motivated’

“She is driven and motivated,” Mateau said of Archbold. “This competition was a credit to her; this was her show.”

“She put together the menu, put together all of the practices. This was her baby. And she just ran with it,” he added.

Archbold chose three dishes she knew the judges would love. First, for the appetizer, she chose a spring mix salad with a ginger carrot dressing.

For the entree, they cooked a chicken roulade with a garlic onion reduction sauce.

A molten-chocolate lava cake followed for dessert.

“I like to see the smile on people’s faces when they look at and taste our food,” Archbold said after serving the judges. “I like the satisfaction I get when I make something, and someone is enjoying it. I feel like I've accomplished something.”

Once the cooking is complete, Archbold and her team, begin to clean as the judges evaluate and score all the dishes based on presentation, taste and technique.

Repeat Victory

The scores are in; four teams wait to hear the final judgment. The winning brigade is, once again, 1st Brigade.

Autry saluted Archbold’s team and her cooking.

“You have a lot of talent here,” he said. “Being a young cook, this is just a step in the journey. There is a lot to offer in the future of cooking if she wants to pursue it.”

Now winning two years in a row, Archbold is already thinking about next year’s competition and the possible dishes.

“I'm happy it’s over, and we won,” Archbold said. “We could have done better, but that’s OK, because I think you get better as you go. Regardless how experienced you think you are or how many times you have done it, there will always be mistakes. You are always cooking new things, and that’s what we did. We got out of our comfort zone and we tried to be better than what we normally are.”

This year’s 82nd Airborne Division All American Week, the 29th, began May 21 and concludes today. The event, which features competitive contests, military capability demonstrations and more, celebrates paratroopers and the division’s storied history.