DCoE Blog

• Service Members, Former NFL Players Share Common Ground on Game Day

  Posted by DCoE Public Affairs on January 29, 2013

  

  Former wide receiver Hank Baskett holds up a sign of thanks for service members. (Photo courtesy of Real Warriors Campaign)

  Sometimes it’s easier to talk about challenging experiences with someone who has been down a similar path. That’s the premise behind a program that puts service members together with former NFL players to watch football games, socialize and discuss common reintegration challenges, and through those exchanges, help break down barriers to seeking help for psychological health concerns or traumatic brain injuries. 

  This is the third year Real Warriors Campaign, sponsored by Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, partnered with National Football League Players Association to host “Game Day” events at military installations. In December 2012 and January 2013, nearly 300 service members and families heard former NFL players share their difficulties with transitioning from the NFL experience. By talking candidly about their struggles and getting help, these former professional athletes hoped service members and families coping with psychological health issues and transitioning from the military would embrace their messages, such as:

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  Categories: Real Warriors Campaign/Stigma , Collaborations , Personal Stories , Community Support , Families , DCoE , Psychological Health   |   Comments (2)

• Ready to Seek Psychological Health Care? Find the Right Resources

  Posted by Diana Moon, DCoE Public Affairs on January 16, 2013

  If you’re looking for information about psychological health care, but are unsure what resources are available or which ones are confidential, the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) created a fact sheet of psychological health resources that answers those questions. You can use the fact sheet to identify a health care resource that will best benefit your specific needs.

  
  

  Resources for Psychological Health Care

   

  The fact sheet lists resources ranging from hotlines to self-assessments to one-on-one counseling sessions.

   

  Information and hotline assistance

  
  

  Reach out for relevant information or immediate help.

  
  
  

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  Categories: Community Support , DCoE , Resources , Treatment , Psychological Health   |   Comments (2)

• Sergeant Major of the Army Speaks Out About Army Values, Psychological Health

  Posted by Stephanie Ayres, Real Warriors Campaign media relations lead on January 8, 2013

  “Loyalty is extremely important to us and if you say you are part of the Army and part of something larger than yourself, that loyalty to the person to the left or right of you, or the superior or the subordinate — it means something.” – U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Ray Chandler

  
  

  
  

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  Categories: Real Warriors Campaign/Stigma , Personal Stories , Families , DCoE , Treatment , Psychological Health , Leadership   |   Comments (2)

• DCoE Director Shares Reserve Component Birthday Message

  Posted by Navy Capt. Paul S. Hammer, DCoE director on December 13, 2012

  

  Soldiers of the 2-113th Infantry Battalion, New Jersey Army National Guard, relax between missions at the National Guard Armory in Riverdale, N.J., Nov. 5, 2012. More than 2,000 soldiers and airmen from the New Jersey National Guard have been mobilized in response to Hurricane Sandy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Mark C. Olsen)

  On behalf of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, I would like to wish the National Guard a happy 376th birthday. I would like to also wish the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force reserves a belated happy birthday.
  
  The National Guard has a rich history dating back to its formation in 1636, when it was established by the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In comparison, the five individual branches of the reserves were established during the 20th century, as far back as 1908 with the Army reserves and as recent as 1948 with the Air Force reserves. We often group the National Guard and reserves together and collectively refer to them as the reserve components. But, even though their missions may seem comparable, the National Guard and reserves have very distinct roles supporting our country.
  
  In the past they were called “weekend warriors,” but today this is far from true — they are a vital part of our military and the security of our nation. Guardsmen and reservists have shouldered a large burden during the last 12 years and they face unique challenges often overlooked or taken for granted. Approximately 78 percent of the 1.1 million service members in the reserve components have been activated since 9/11, comprising close to 50 percent of our total military force.
  
  

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  Categories: DCoE   |   Comments (2)

• Who is a Veteran?

  Posted by Navy CAPT Paul S. Hammer, DCoE director on November 9, 2012

  

  A young lady thanks military veterans at the Veterans Day Parade in New York City, Nov. 11, 2011. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Teddy Wade)

  Veterans Day is a day reserved to honor the contributions of the more than 22 million men and women in the United States who served in the Armed Forces both in wartime and peacetime — America's veterans. Most of us know what a veteran is but how many of us really know who they are? This Veterans Day, I encourage you to take a closer look at those around you and ask yourself, "Who is a veteran?" Reach out to the veterans in your life and ask how their service has changed them and made them who they are today.

  Here are some of the stories of the many veterans we honor this Veterans Day and every day.

  A veteran is the old man who lives down the street from you who landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy, knowing that when the ramp of the Higgins boat went down he had to clear out onto the beach and the boat wasn't going to be there to take him back. He is the man who returned home in 1945 with nightmares and trouble sleeping.

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  Categories: Veterans , DCoE , Leadership   |   Comments (4)

• DCoE Director Shares Marine Corps Birthday Message

  Posted by Navy CAPT Paul S. Hammer, DCoE director on November 8, 2012

  

  CAPT Paul Hammer at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, on Nov. 10, 2004. (Courtesy photo)

  In November 1921, Commandant of the Marine Corps Maj. Gen. John A. Lejeune issued Marine Corps Order No. 47, Series 1921. In it, he described the history, mission and tradition of the Marine Corps and directed that the order be read to all Marines on Nov. 10 of each year to honor the founding of the Marine Corps. Since then the Marine Corps birthday has grown from the simple reading of an order to full-blown celebrations.

  I first “celebrated” the Marine Corps birthday in 1975 when I was in boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. Having served four years as a Marine and several tours with Marines throughout my Navy career, I have experienced many Marine Corps birthdays, but none as memorable as the 229th birthday in Fallujah, Iraq, 2004.

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  Categories: DCoE , Leadership   |   Comments (0)