Archive | General | Warrior Transition Command

Resiliency and Compassion Fatigue

Filed under Behavioral Health, General, Non-profit, Training by jvargas on April 26, 2010 at 4:03 pm {one comment}

By Sarah Greer, WTC Stratcom

At AW2 Annual Training on Friday, the staff attended a session on Resiliency and Compassion Fatigue. Like AW2 Family members and caregivers, AW2 staff are empathetic, compassionate people, and they are usually deeply emotionally invested in the AW2 Soldiers and Veterans they support.

As I listened to the session, I wondered if some of the suggestions could also be applicable to AW2 Family members and caregivers. I’m not a psychologist or therapist, so I’m not an absolute source, but I thought this information might be helpful to others.

The presenter, Dr. Lisa Landry, explained that resiliency involves sustaining good health and well-being during stressful conditions. It’s usually not a natural skill; instead, it’s usually a learned strength. This doesn’t mean that resilient people deal with everything perfectly, but that they actively work to prevent burnout, take care of themselves, and prevent suffering.

Dr. Landry suggested several tips for preventing compassion fatigue and increasing resiliency, such as:

Acknowledge what is happening – it’s okay to admit that you’re dealing with a difficult situation
Take a break when you need one
Listen to your Family and friends who notice you’re disengaged, irritable, or isolated
Take care of yourself physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and mentally; This includes getting enough sleep and exercise, eating well, and engaging in creative and social activities
Find a peer to talk to and share how you’re feeling; Another AW2 Family member or caregiver is probably going through a similar experience
Keep your sense of humor and let yourself have fun in life
Be aware of how you’re feeling and look for things that revitalize and invigorate you
Make time for yourself
Make time for your Family and friends

During the months I’ve supported AW2, I’ve had the privilege of talking to many AW2 Family members and caregivers – to spouses and parents, as well as AW2 children. I’ve been incredibly impressed by their big hearts and deep resilience. They show so much grace and compassion, and I hope they’ll continue to take care of themselves as they support their AW2 Soldiers and Veterans.

Army Warrior Care and Transition Program Recognized by National Awards Program

Filed under General, Warrior Transition Command, WTC Commander by alanmorales on April 21, 2010 at 1:37 pm {no comments}

By BG Gary Cheek, WTC Commander

The U.S. Army Warrior Care and Transition program received an honorable mention in the category of Military Case Management on April 20, at the 2010 “Case In Point” Platinum Awards ceremony held at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

These awards recognize the most successful and innovative case management programs across the entire patient care continuum. The recognition the Army received is a reflection of the great work done to develop the Warrior Care and Transition program and is a testament to the amazing work our case managers do every day. To all who have worked and continue to work in the Warrior Care and Transition program thank you and keep up the good work.

Extended FMLA for Federal Employees to Care for Wounded Warriors

Filed under General, Resources by jvargas on April 14, 2010 at 1:17 pm {no comments}

By Sarah Greer, STRATCOM

Did you know that federal employees have the right to extend their Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) benefits to care for a military Family member who becomes seriously ill or injured in the line of duty?

Standard FMLA benefits offer employees of most organizations the opportunity to take up to 12 weeks per year for personal illness or to care for an ill or injured immediate Family member, such as a parent, spouse, child, or sibling. After taking FMLA leave, employees may return to the same position or to a position with “equivalent benefits, pay, status, and other terms and conditions of employment.” This is an excellent benefit for AW2 Families, and it demonstrates the American public’s commitment to wounded warriors who have sacrificed so much.

Last fall, Congress extended FMLA benefits to 26 weeks (approximately 6 months) for federal employees caring for military Family members. This also applies to federal employees caring for Veterans undergoing medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy for a serious injury or illness sustained on Active Duty within five years of the treatment.

Extended FMLA leave to care for seriously ill or injured servicemembers applies only to federal employees and cannot be combined with other FMLA leave, such as childbirth or caring for another Family member. Federal employees may use annual or sick leave to cover this time, and they only need to take unpaid leave if they run out. However, it offers peace of mind for Family members to know that their job is waiting for them while they stand by their wounded warriors.

OPM Director John Berry’s guidance on these extended FMLA benefits can help answer more questions, and AW2 Family members should talk to their AW2 Advocates for more information on their personal situation.

Watch the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games Highlights on NBC

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Soldier Story by jvargas on April 9, 2010 at 8:26 pm {no comments}

AW2 Veteran Andy Soule skis to a bronze medal at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.

By Sarah Greer, Stratcom

Tomorrow, NBC is broadcasting a highlights show of the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games from 3:30 – 5:00pm EST. As a big fan of the Olympics in general, I’m excited to see footage of the amazing American athletes from Vancouver.

During the show, I’ll particularly be watching for the two AW2 Veterans: Heath Calhoun and Andy Soule. You can read more about their experience on BG Gary Cheek’s blog for the Warrior Transition Command. Heath was elected by his teammates to carry the U.S. flag during the Opening Ceremony and competed in alpine skiing. Andy won America’s first medal of the Games, a bronze in the men’s sitting 2.4km pursuit biathlon.

I hope you will also tune in and enjoy the coverage.

Warrior Games Interview

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Warrior Games, WTC Commander by alanmorales on March 23, 2010 at 9:54 am {no comments}

By BG Gary Cheek, WTC Commander

On Friday, I participated in a radio interview with As It Happens, on CBC Radio – Canada. We discussed the upcoming Warrior Games and the importance of being active for all wounded warriors.

In the interview, I stressed the incredible power of sports for recovering warriors and the personal rewards you get from doing something very difficult. So many WTs have told me that accomplishing something that seems impossible restores and amplifies their self-image and gives them the confidence to make things happen.

I see the Warrior Games as a way of challenging wounded warriors of all services to fulfill their abilities. The experience may be a little different than what they did before, but they can still enjoy the rigors and excitement of competition.

You can listen to the interview podcast here, and just scroll down to the March 19 podcast. Good luck to all wounded warriors training for the Warrior Games.

Working Together Makes a Difference

Filed under General, Resources, Warrior Transition Command, WTC Commander by alanmorales on March 19, 2010 at 2:25 pm {one comment}

BG Gary Cheek, WTC Commander

I had an opportunity yesterday to present the Army’s warrior care story to a dozen Veteran service organizations (VSOs) such as the Paralyzed Veterans of America. I was the guest of Dr. Michael Kilpatrick of Force Health Protection. Although I covered the nuts and bolts of how the Warrior Transition Command and Army Wounded Warrior Program operate, it’s hard to truly summarize what we do and the impact we have on helping wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers move forward.

I think the key to what we have done is that we understand that every Soldier we work with is a unique individual with distinct challenges—and so we created a uniform system with flexibility. We exist to help Soldiers chart their own path forward to a rich future and provide assistance in their following of a Comprehensive Transition Plan based on their goals.

In my discussions with the VSOs, I emphasized that this is a team effort between the Soldier, WTC, MEDCOM, VA, VSOs, and other organizations such as the USOC Paralympics. I also demonstrated what our team effort can accomplish by sharing the inspiring stories of a few of our Soldiers who have continued to serve after injury, including CPT Scott Smiley, who is blind. Knowing we’ve made a difference validates everyone’s hard work and commitment.

Athletic Inspiration – AW2 Veterans in Paralympics

Filed under General, Staff Stories by jvargas on March 11, 2010 at 10:00 am {no comments}

By Emily Oehler, WTC Stratcom

Although I don’t typically watch a lot of sports, I always follow the Olympics. As a non-athlete (see my blog on running the Army 10 Miler), watching athletes of this caliber in action is amazing, unbelievable and beautiful. During the Winter Games, I was captivated by the women’s downhill skiing and men’s snowboarding.

Watching these athletes, hearing their stories and being a part of their triumphs awoke my lazy inner-athlete. Yes, after a four-month hiatus, it was time start running again. I got new shoes (hey, even the Olympians have great uniforms!) and hit the pavement.

To keep up my momentum, I will look to new Olympic athletes for inspiration — those at the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C., March 12-21, 2010. The U.S. Team, made up of athletes from 20 U.S. states, will compete in five sports (alpine skiing, biathlon, cross country skiing, sled hockey and wheelchair curling). A projected 600 elite athletes with a physical disability from more than 40 countries are expected to compete at the Games.

Among the 50 athletes, five are U.S. military veterans:

Heath Calhoun (Grundy, Va.), alpine skiing – a double above the knee amputee, AW2 Veteran (Iraq War Veteran)
Chris Devlin-Young (Campton, N.H.), alpine skiing – retired U.S. Coast Guard
Sean Halsted (Spokane, Wash.), cross country skiing – retired U.S. Air Force
Patrick McDonald (Orangevale, Calif.), wheelchair curling – retired U.S. Army
Andy Soule (Pearland, Texas), cross country skiing & biathlon – a double leg amputee, AW2 Veteran (Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom)

I look forward to watching these wounded warriors in action and using their stories to keep me inspired during my daily runs. Hope you’ll cheer them on with me!

Hurt Locker Movie Brings Up Memories

Filed under General by jvargas on March 4, 2010 at 10:00 am {one comment}

By Emily Oehler, WTC Stratcom

I love to watch medical shows – E.R., Grey’s Anatomy, Real Life Trauma. However, after working for the Society of Interventional Radiology for five years I began to understand why so many doctors hate to watch medical shows – they notice all the inaccuracies. Several times watching E.R. I noted errors in terms, expertise and procedures.

I have always imagined the same is true for members of the military when they watch war movies. While watching Operation Petticoat, a WWII movie, I wondered if the Navy really would allow live animals on a submarine, and with Full Metal Jacket, a Vietnam film, would Marines really sing the Mickey Mouse song (it seemed a tad wholesome for this crew)?

A few months ago I went to see The Hurt Locker, a film depicting the war in Iraq through the perspective of the bomb squad. It’s up for nine Oscars this weekend. When I saw the movie, I wasn’t really sure what to expect and hadn’t heard much about it. It felt more like a real-time documentary than a fictional movie. Within the first five minutes I was a ball of tense nerves and it didn’t let go.

So many of the Soldier stories I’ve heard at AW2 are hard for me to grasp—or even believe as someone who’s never served. This movie seemed to capture so many elements of the stories I’d heard. It also got to me because it brought to mind the first AW2 Soldier I met who shared his story with me – ironically, a long-time bomb squad Veteran. During my first trip to Walter Reed, this Soldier from Puerto Rico shared his injury story, his severe PTSD (when a flash hit, he saw the aftermath of an explosion with blood all over the ground), and struggle with his marriage post-injury. I was barely holding myself together when he stated, “It’s all worth it.” As he paused, my mouth fell open. He went on, “It’s all worth it because when I die, I’ll be buried with an American flag on my coffin.” And my tears fell. This man spent his career disarming bombs, faces a lifetime of physical and mental recovery, and could not be more proud of what it meant to serve his country. His patriotism was overwhelming and impressive.

I don’t know if this AW2 Soldier thinks The Hurt Locker is realistic based on his personal experience, but to me, it told a dynamic story of Soldiers in urban warfare in Iraq. I’d be curious how others think it holds up in depicting OIF/OEF.

Check Out Army Social Media

Filed under General by jvargas on February 24, 2010 at 9:23 pm {no comments}

By COL Kevin V. Arata, Director, Online and Social Media Division Office of the Chief of Public Affairs

The Army has been engaged on the social media front for well over a year now. We are present on four major social media sites—YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook—and have created the ArmyLive blog. We are present on these platforms because we know many people are getting their information this way, much more so than going to a traditional Web site or reading a newspaper. While we still do provide a lot of information on the Army’s Web site (army.mil) to keep people informed about the Army, using social media is becoming a very viable outlet as well.

The great thing about our social media sites is they allow us to instantly share information across multiple outlets, with the added advantage of allowing dialogue amongst our audience members, and between the Army and those who are participating on our sites. Check out our Facebook fan page for a great example of people who are on our page every day, showing support for the Army, asking questions and getting answers, and getting into discussion with fellow fans and the Army.

So why does this matter to you? It’s a great way for Veterans and currently-serving Soldiers and their Families to keep abreast of what’s going on in the Army, in a manner and place where you are probably already present anyway. So rather than have to go find Army-related information, you can become an Army Facebook fan and get news feeds at about the rate of one post per day, that appear in your Facebook news feed. If you are a Twitter user, and follow us on Twitter (@USArmy), you will receive links to interesting Army stories, and be asked questions about things where we want your feedback. And you can get your fill of videos and photos from the Army while surfing YouTube, or checking out photos on Flickr.

I invite you to check out the Army’s social media sites. Check out Army.mil and look for our social media icons. The links there will take you directly to our sites. You can also check out all the other Army units and installations that are actively engaged in the social media sphere. Go to the “All Army Social Media” link under our social media icons. There you will see over 350 official Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr accounts from Army units and installations worldwide.

Comprehensive Soldier Fitness: New Tool for Soldiers, Families, and Army Civilians

Filed under General, Resources, Training by jvargas on February 4, 2010 at 4:56 pm {one comment}

By LTC Jeanette Griffin, WTC Stratcom

The Army recently launched Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF), a new tool to help Soldiers, Families, and Army civilians face the physical and psychological challenges of sustained operations. CSF’s mission is to develop and institute a holistic fitness program in order to enhance performance and build resilience. The program focuses on five areas of fitness:

Physical
Emotional
Social
Family
Spiritual

Participants complete the Global Assessment Tool (GAT) survey which rates their emotional, social, Family, and spiritual fitness. They are then directed to training modules that match their fitness levels on each of the different areas.

I took the GAT a few weeks ago and realized that an AKO log-in is required. The GAT took me about 15 minutes, and I was satisfied with the balance of my scores.

After completing the survey, I was intrigued, and I completed one of the Emotional modules called “Put It In Perspective”. This module also took about 15 minutes and helped me walk through an exercise where I avoided “catastrophic thinking”, or focusing on the worst-case scenario, and instead developed a plan for the more realistic possibilities. In the exercise, I was told that my senior leadership wanted to see me by the end of the day.

First, I had to write out the “worst case” possibilities – that I might be fired, reprimanded, or given an impossibly difficult assignment.
Then, I wrote out the “best case” possibilities, such as being promoted or given a raise or award.
Finally, the module helped me look at the more realistic ideas – that my supervisor might be giving me feedback on a specific assignment or tasking me with a specific project, and I developed a plan for addressing the issue.

AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Families are an incredibly resilient group of people who have overcome so much. This tool won’t solve the wide range of problems wounded warriors face during recovery and transition, but it may provide some tools to address the challenges that continue to surface. I encourage AW2 Soldiers, Veterans, and Family members to give it a try.

CSF emphasizes that the GAT scores are confidential, and individual scores will not be reported to Commanders or Leadership. CSF is not a screening tool for any physical or psychological disease or dysfunction. It is instead a self-assessment tool to help individual Soldiers, Family members, and Army civilians to evaluate their balance of their fitness levels on each of these dimensions.

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