The 1st Annual USMC Combat/Operational Stress Control Conference will be held June 18-19 at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City, 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, Va. The conference will bring together military and civilian subject matter experts and stakeholders in the COSC process to discuss current and future COSC training, research, policies and programs. Invited speakers include Jonathan Shay, MD, PhD; Charles Figley, PhD; and Brett Litz, PhD, as well as other partners of the Marine Corps COSC effort from across the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain. Topics to be covered will include current research on the prevalence of PTSD and other disorders post-deployment, battlefield ethics and its potential connection to combat/operational stress injuries, current best practices for identifying and managing traumatic brain injury, the role of chaplains in combat/operational stress control, Operational Stress Control and Readiness in-theater lessons learned, and much more.
The conference is open to unit commanders and their representatives, Marines, chaplains, medical and mental health personnel, Marine and Family Service Center counselors, key volunteers, and family members. Conference participation is limited to 400 and those who wish to attend are required to register at
www.manpower.usmc.mil/cosc.
Early registration is encouraged. Please note that continuing education units for medical and mental health personnel will not be available this year.
For more information, see MARADMIN 312/07 or check out the conference website or contact Carmen Carlisle at 703-432-9544 (DSN 378-9544) or via email:
COSC@usmc.mil, or Maj. Adrienne Evertson at 703-432-9199 (DSN 378-9199).