Archive | Guest Blogger | Warrior Transition Command

Army Chaplain’s Faith Strengthened Through Working with Wounded Soldiers

Filed under General, Guest Blogger, Warrior Care Month, WTC, WTU/WTB by jmiller on November 27, 2013 at 10:00 am {no comments}

By Chaplain (MAJ) B. Vaughn Bridges, Warrior Transition Brigade Chaplain, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), Guest Blogger*

CH (Maj.) B. Vaughn Bridges, WRNMMC, prays with Soldiers and their Families during a Navy Lodge dinner. (Photo courtesy of CH (Maj.) B Vaughn Bridges)

In October 2013, I began serving as the Warrior Transition Brigade (WTB) Chaplain at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Maryland. Shortly after my arrival at the WTB, I had the privilege of meeting with WTB Soldiers and their Families at our monthly evening meal in the Navy Lodge. This setting provides many ministry opportunities for military personnel who have been wounded in combat, injured and those with illnesses and other medical concerns.

Every day presents its own unique challenges and opportunities for ministry. As one example, a Soldier and her mother requested to speak with me when I arrived in my new position as WTB chaplain. They just wanted to come by to say hello and have a discussion about spiritual matters, just like they had done with the former WTB Chaplain. The Soldier explained to me that when she first received the news from the doctor that her condition was incurable, she put her trust in God to help her cope with such a hopeless prognosis. She also recalled her own experience with despair when the doctors said there was nothing else they could do. As I reflected on our conversation, I was astonished with the Soldier’s faith and acceptance and her ability to reflect, having the personal awareness to articulate her thoughts and feelings as she embraced this difficult challenge in her life.

This Soldier, knowing that she might not be healed, experienced a crisis of faith. She chose to have hope in God. During our conversation, I was reminded of the words of the late great preacher and theologian James S. Stewart from Scotland. Stewart wrote, “Let us consider the most inescapable ‘Either/Or’ of life; either despair – or faith. Either blank, unrelieved pessimism, or a gambler’s throw with your soul. Either darkness and futility and ultimate night, or the vision of God standing within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.”

Ministry with wounded, ill and injured warriors provides us with many teachable moments. My own faith increases and is strengthened when I meet people like this Soldier who choose to embrace life’s struggles with such courage and resilience. As the WTB chaplain, I seek to offer hope as I build and nurture relationships with these warriors by listening to their story.

*Note: The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

The Importance of “Being” vs. “Doing”

Filed under Guest Blogger, WTC, WTU/WTB by jmiller on November 14, 2013 at 12:48 pm {no comments}

By Chaplain (Capt.) Dave Christensen, Battalion Chaplain, 3/85 Mountain Infantry Warrior Transitions Battalion, Ft. Drum, NY, Guest Blogger*

CH (Capt.) Dave Christensen, WTB Fort Drum, speaks during a prayer breakfast. (photo courtesy of Capt. Christensen)

It’s all about “being”…not about “doing.” While I believe that statement is true for the pastoral care ministry of every Army Chaplain, I believe it be most true for a Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) Chaplain.

There’s nothing wrong with “doing” ministry. During my two years as a WTB Chaplain, I’ve run my share of programs, taught classes, administered spiritual assessments and even helped develop processes and procedures. All of this “doing” has been good and helpful for the recovery, rehabilitation, reintegration and reconditioning of our wounded, ill and injured Soldiers. However, I believe its importance pales in comparison to “being.”

“Being” is, in many ways, much more difficult than “doing” ministry. There is no method or procedure to “being.” It’s all about your presence, and not just your physical presence. It’s easy to just show up where Soldiers and Families are. Anyone can show up at a remote care muster, an adaptive reconditioning event, a Family Readiness Group meeting or even the hospital room. “Being” is that ability to be emotionally present. It’s having the courage to grieve when there is grief and to celebrate when there is joy.

“Being” is the aptitude to be spiritually present. Spiritual presence is the capacity to discern where a Soldier or Family is in their spiritual walk and appropriately come alongside them in that journey. As you can probably tell, “being” doesn’t brief well. It’s hard to quantify and report. For the most part no one will ever observe it and commend you for it either. So, how do I even know that “being” has any effect? While I can’t objectively quantify its effect, I know it’s there because of the things Soldiers and Families tell me.

There are two stories about the effect of “being” that stick in my mind. One day, I got a phone call from the wife of Soldier I had visited in the hospital while he was struggling with the effects of PTSD. Since he slept the majority of the time, I spoke mostly with her. She was calling to tell me how much it meant to her that I was there and how much my visit had helped her put things in perspective both spiritually and emotionally.

CH (Capt.) Dave Christensen, WTB Fort Drum, (front row, second from right) regularly gets together with WTB Soldiers outside of normal chaplain activities in order to “be.” (photo courtesy Capt. Christensen)

Another day, I got a call from an NCO who was a part of our remote care program and receiving care in her local community. She was struggling with a relationship issue. She told me that when I spent a day with her unit at a quarterly muster, she knew I was someone she could trust to help her when she needed it the most. In both these cases, I don’t remember giving insight, offering prayer, or even counseling these people. I only remember doing my best to remain emotionally and spiritually present. These are just two of many stories I could share about the effects of “being” on these Soldiers and Families.

“Doing” WTB ministry is often physically, emotionally and spiritually exhausting. However, a ministry of “being” in the WTB is often physically, emotionally and spiritually refreshing. I encourage you to have the courage to “be”.

*Note: The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

Former Military Chef Hosts New Cooking Show, Out-Cooks Opponents on Food Network Show “Chopped”

Filed under Advocate Story, AW2, Behavioral Health, Guest Blogger, Soldier Story by jmiller on November 8, 2013 at 10:42 am {no comments}

By Jeff Johnson, AW2 Advocate

AW2 Veteran Robbie Myers won first place on the Military Salute Edition of the Food Network Show “Chopped.”

U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2) Veteran Sgt. 1st Class Robbie Myers puts his military culinary skills to work as host of the new cooking show “Come and Get It,” a new series created to pay tribute to the men and women who have and are serving in the military.

“This show will be a Veteran run television show, from cameramen to set designers, everyone will be Veterans,” said Myers, an Adams Center, N.Y. native. “The show will highlight Veterans because there are many out there who got out of the military for extenuating circumstances, but became successful business owners and valuable members of the community.”

Myers served two combat tours in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2009, where he was subject to combat stressors and the loss of fellow Soldiers while fighting in the Korengal Valley. He sustained post traumatic stress disorder from his wartime experiences and has had a long road to recovery and a great deal of support from his wife, Jamie, and his Family.

His wife, Jamie, said she is happy to see her husband doing so well after making it through many stressful times together. Jaime works for the Cerebral Palsy Association and as a substitute teacher for students with special needs in a local school district.

“She’s my brain and has always been there for me through my recovery at every step,” Myers said about his wife. “She is very supportive, standing by my side through everything.”

Earlier this year, Myers competed against military chefs from other services on the Military Salute Edition of the Food Network show “Chopped.” During the competition, he made appetizers, entrees and desserts within a limited amount of time with ingredients unknown beforehand by the contestants.

“I had just medically retired, and a friend sent me a link to apply,” said Myers, who worked in the food industry before joining the military and during his military career. “I figured why not apply, and I was selected.”

“I went in humble and didn’t expect to win. It was three rounds, with four competitors,” he added. “I was kind of sick and couldn’t smell or taste anything, so I was happy as long as I didn’t get eliminated first.”

Despite his illness, Myers won the competition after competing one-on-one against a Navy chef in the final round when he created a “deconstructed sundae using pomegranates, pilot bread crackers, fruit chewy candy and dried carrots.”.

As the winner, he received a prize of $10,000 dollars, a significant achievement reflecting his strong skill in the culinary arts.

As his advocate, I have loads of respect for his courage, perseverance and strength in working his recovery and overcoming many challenges on the road to recovery. Myers has been very active in his recovery and has put his culinary interests and the support of his Family to the forefront in moving on with life after the military. His strength and perseverance are evident in all he does for himself and his Family, and he is an inspiration for others that you can realize your dreams and move on in your recovery.

New USO PSA Shows “Portraits” of Real Servicemembers with Invisible Wounds

Filed under Community Support Network, General, Guest Blogger, Soldier and Family Story by jvargas on April 10, 2012 at 1:34 pm {no comments}

By Susan Thomas, USO Vice President of Warrior and Family Care, Guest Blogger
Editor’s Note: USO is a member of the AW2 Community Support Network.

Susan Thomas and her husband share their story of dealing with invisible wounds in a new USO public service announcement.

It’s impossible to come back from war, regardless of your exposure to direct combat, and not come back changed. This was not something I widely recognized when my husband, then boyfriend, first deployed to Iraq back in 2003. While he was away, I prayed every night for his return, and return he did, to only deploy again a few months later. He was a communications officer, he would be fine. I kept telling myself that.

He was fine, at least on the outside. Little fights were normal, a lack of focus on our conversation to drift into a memory, that too was normal. Locking the doors, checking the window latches, that became just routine—some would say this hyper-vigilance is just part of serving your nation in the military. As a spouse, you sign up to stand by your servicemember and to support their decision to join the military—whether it was your decision or not. You love your servicemember as a military spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend, parent, or best friend. What is essential to recognize is that you are not alone, and that by connecting with others who have had similar experiences you can see yourself in them, and through their stories and courage you can yourself heal.

When I joined the USO, as the Vice President of USO Warrior and Family Care, I knew I was becoming part of an amazing organization that would not just develop programs and partnerships, but would help build hope and confidence along the recovery journey for wounded, ill and injured troops, their Families and caregivers. Little did I know when I began this journey, that I would build my own hope and confidence and help my husband to regain his own.

Post traumatic stress has been coined as a signature wound of these conflicts over the last decade, and more and more Families are being impacted. Post-traumatic stress does not impact only an individual; it impacts all their loved ones. Seeking assistance whether it is through formal or informal channels is important. My husband and I realized this was an issue, and because of that, we are in an even better position today. This would not be the case if it weren’t for acknowledging his behavior was not normal, and there is nothing wrong with that acknowledgement.

It is for that reason my husband and I participated in the USO Invisible Wounds PSA campaign entitled “Portraits”. I encourage you to check out the PSA at http://www.uso.org/warriorandfamilycare/and preview the videos that offer a more in-depth look into the lives of those living with invisible wounds, as well as caregivers like myself.

The US Army Marksmanship Unit Paralympic Shooting Team is Expanding

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Guest Blogger by jvargas on April 2, 2012 at 11:15 am {no comments}

By LTC Scott Wales, Guest Blogger

Editors Note: The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

For many years, the face of the Army Paralympic shooting effort was SFC Josh Olson. Now, the Army Paralympic shooting team is authorized a dozen shooters to represent the United States in international competition and is in the final steps of adding two more shooters to the squad, with half a dozen more being vetted.

The two new additions to the team are SPC Shanan Lefeat, an arm amputee, and SPC Eric Trueblood, a below the knee amputee. Lefeat was transferred to the Fort Benning Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) to train with the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) while Human Resources Command finishes reviewing a medical board’s recommendation that she continue on active duty (COAD). This is a necessary step, because all USAMU members are Soldiers first, competitors second.

Trueblood is a little further back in the recovery and paperwork process, but he is representative of many young Soldiers who learn about the opportunities available for continued service. When asked to describe Trublood’s reaction when he heard about the Paralympic shooting team, long-time USAMU member SFC Bill Keever said, , “His eyes just lit up when he realized there was a way he could remain a Soldier and continue to serve his country.”

Keever continued, “When I visit Walter Reed or the Center for the Intrepid at Brooke Army Medical Center, I explain to wounded Soldiers that they may no longer be on the battlefield, but the battle isn’t over. Their new battle can be against the competition on the shooting range.” For a young Soldier who has only seen an Army at war, where life has been a constant cycle of deploy and refit, deploy and refit, this is a revelation.

Keever noted, “When someone, anyone, lays down behind a rifle to competitively shoot, the focus required to do that task seems to block out any of the other issues they may be dealing with. Every Soldier comes to us with motivation and basic rifle marksmanship skills. We believe that with the coaching and other resources available at the USAMU we can take them as far as their talent will allow. It took three years for SFC Olson to reach world class level, but that entire time—and for years to come—he will represent the Army and the United States in a positive way.”

He summed up his recruiting efforts in this way, “I don’t hire people with disabilities. I hire people with ability. The USAMU is interested in people who are motivated and willing to train hard to represent their country as a world class athlete.”

The USAMU sends out representatives and training teams to work with wounded warriors on a regular basis. Those interested in competing at a high level in either the Paralympics or the upcoming Warrior Games in May are encouraged to make this known to their chain of command. More information on the USAMU is at www.usamu.com.

Wounded Warrior’s Archery Hopes Fulfilled by a Community Worlds Away

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Guest Blogger, Warrior Games, Warrior Transition Command by cmccarrie on March 26, 2012 at 10:25 am {no comments}

SSG Jorge Haddock-Santiago, (L) and Scott Dault, owner of Crossroads Archery, work to adjust a compound bow set-up donated to Haddock-Santiago through donations from the archery community and private organizations. (Photos by U.S. Army SSG Tracy J. Smith)

By SSG Tracy J. Smith, Fort Stewart, Georgia WTB
It was 2004 when SSG Jorge G. Haddock-Santiago made his first trek halfway around the world, marking the first of numerous deployments. With each combat tour, he suffered some form of injury that, in 2009, would leave the seasoned combat artilleryman unfit for continuation of active service.

Haddock-Santiago resigned to dedicate himself to the new mission of a transitioning Soldier—s to heal and transition back to active service or continue to serve the nation as a Veteran in my community.’

“I racked up a total of six deployments,” Haddock-Santiago said with a thoughtful look in his eyes. “The worst thing that ever happened to me wasn’t so much the physical injuries—it was losing my friends.”

The scars of loss are the hardest to bear for any Soldier especially carrying the guilt of ‘why not me?’

“I had so many things to work through,” he recalled, with a slight ever-present tremor in his hands. “I have come a long way working through my post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and other anxieties associated with loss.”

Haddock-Santiago, a native of Puerto Rico, dreamed of a military career that would find him mentoring others. As a young boy, his father introduced him to archery as a form of relaxation, patience, and focus. Upon his assignment to Bamberg, Germany’s Warrior Transition Battalion (WTB) he was reintroduced to archery as a part of the WTB adaptive sports program, never imagining the healing properties the sport would have.

When he was selected to try out for the Army’s 2012 Warrior Games archery team, Haddock-Santiago developed a renewed sense of purpose. Again travelling halfway around the world to Sumter, South Carolina, he was ready to compete to be a part of the third annual Olympic-style games for U.S. military service men and women who have become wounded, ill, or injured.

“I am ready to give my best in memory of my guys because their loss is a burden I carry throughout my life,” he said. “They were my mentors, and because of them I am alive.”

Retired SFC Steven Coleman, the U.S. Army Warrior Games archery coach, felt Haddock-Santiago’s chances for a spot on the team was strong. Unfortunately, opportunity can knock you down as quickly as you are lifted up.

“When military archers are sent this far it’s important that they come prepared,” Coleman explained about his clinic and the imperativeness of being on your ‘A-game.’ “His bow broke and the harsh reality is something like this can immediately end your chances to continue in a competition unless you are able to get that equipment repaired or replaced.”

To Haddock-Santiago it meant he had failed those he wished to honor, and he described how personal that failure was in one word-demoralized.

Soldiers are trained to be acutely responsive in tough situations, assessing then managing.

When it was suggested that a small archery shop in Summerton, South Carolina, , a 30-minute drive from the clinic grounds, may be able to fit him and his battle-buddy, SSG Albert ‘Al’ Louangketh, also a Bamberg WTB Soldier with a bow, they set off on a new mission not realizing another set of life-changing events were about to unfold.

Scott Dault, owner of the Crossroads Archery, was at his post with the same disarming smile that he has greeted customers with for more than 30 years.

“I could tell the young man was upset when he got me on the phone,” Dault recalled. “We just didn’t realize how much it meant to him to be here and how far he had travelled until I talked to him and his buddy Al filled me in a bit when they got here.”

Haddock-Santiago confirmed to his leadership in Germany that he found a bow but it may be a bit out of his budget. His First Sergeant reassured him that Haddock-Santiago should not worry about it adding, “My First Sergeant went one step further and volunteered to pay for it out of his own pocket.”

What the 17-year career Veteran did not realize was his benefits were manifesting before he had even arrived at the little shop in Summerton. Dault, along with his wife Kim, began contacting local archery clubs in the area before the two combat Veterans arrived.

“I got in touch with the president of Bowhunters of South Carolina] David Shull, and the president of Swamp Fox Archers, and they started a ripple effect reaching out to the local South Carolina archery organizations,” Dault said. “Within minutes we had the okay and were able to get Jorge fixed up.”

A customer who frequented Crossroads Archery, Bob Vaden, was so moved by the Soldier’s indomitable spirit and Dault’s determination and this fledgling brotherhood of archers that he reached in his pocket to make a personal donation.

“We look at our lives and know we owe a lot to good folks like Jorge and Al,” Dault said of Vaden’s gift.

Haddock-Santiago was the recipient an $1,100 archery setup courtesy of the Daults and his brotherhood of archers but the group’s altruism did not stop there as the man who traveled half-way around the world has sparked a new opportunity for an unlikely partnership.

“This is about rebuilding their lives,” Coleman added. “These Soldiers and Veterans have given so much as our true one-percenters and this is one of the most therapeutic gifts any of them can be given to rebuild focus, patience and self-confidence.”

SSG Jorge Haddock-Santiago, (R), a combat Veteran and U.S. Army 2012 Warrior Games archery coach, retired SFC Steven Coleman, work to repair Haddock-Santiago's compound bow during the initial archery preparation and selection clinic. (Photos by U.S. Army SSG Tracy J. Smith)

The curative benefits also match WTC’s mission of providing viable adaptive sports opportunity for the severely injured. Archery’s versatility allows those with severe disabilities to enjoy the benefits using special tactile equipment such as mouth-tabs for those with upper body strength issues or prosthetics and an upright aiming device to assist blind archers.

Dault’s band of archers has donated archery equipment to five additional wounded Soldiers since that momentous day in late January. The gift of a bow set-up can mark a new beginning for many of these Veterans and Soldiers. Although there will be therapeutic benefits knowing someone cares is the most important benefit. This is all due to an encounter born of misfortune and donations from caring communities’ worlds away from the chaos of the battlefield.

“I was never in the military but my dad was a U.S. Air Force pilot,” Dault said describing the importance of what their mission was becoming. “My first employee worked for me while he was in high school and in college joined the South Carolina National Guard. He was deployed a few times and is now a Major.”

Dault chuckles at the last statement and looks around at the mounted trophies and spoils of the hunt that hang around his internationally known shed-shop he deems a ‘one-horse-operation.’

He cannot help but fondly reminisce about the man that he says “types like he talks” and looks forward to seeing his friend when he again travels halfway around the world in March for the next archery-training clinic.

Being Confident in Your Abilities

Filed under General, Guest Blogger, Warrior Transition Command by cmccarrie on February 13, 2012 at 11:34 am {no comments}

Mark A. Campbell, Guest Blogger
Editors Note: Mark A. Campbell serves as the WTU Master Trainer/WTC Liaison for the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness- Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP). He joined CSF-PREP in 2007, and serves as a subject matter expert in applying mental skills training to the areas of injury, illness, and adaptive sports. The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

Confidence is a topic that I get asked about quite a bit, especially in regards to injury and illness. It is one of the foundational lessons in our Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) Performance Education Model, and is a lesson I continue to learn from and apply to my own life. Confidence refers to “a sense of certainty about your ability that allows you to bypass conscious thought (analysis, judgment, criticism) and execute fully and without hesitation.”Confident people develop strategies that allow them to deliberately focus their minds on thoughts and memories that create energy, enthusiasm, and optimism.

Looking at the six domains represented in the Comprehensive Transition Plan (CTP), it is most likely true that we are all very confident about certain aspects of our lives. I am also certain that we all have areas in which we could be more confident. Perhaps you have complete confidence about your relationships with Family members, but would like to build more regarding your physical self.

Injuries and illnesses can definitely affect our levels of confidence. These can create major changes in our lives, and afford us opportunities to view things differently. That is not necessarily a negative thing. Retired SSG Ryan Kelly once said, “An injury doesn’t change who you are, it’s a time to define who you are going to be.” Building confidence in a new situation can be accomplished through a number of steps.

1. Maximize Your Strengths.

This seems like an easy concept, right? When is the last time that you sat down and truly took a good look at yourself, making a list of the things that you are really good at? If I had to take a guess, based on the thousands of people I have tried this with, it wouldn’t have been any time recently (if at all). We are not conditioned to think in this way. Think back to when you were a child. If you were like me, you heard one phrase quite often, “Go to your room and don’t come out until you think about what you’ve done wrong.” This is a common thought process in our society. Looking at our weaknesses can be a good thing, because it helps us to address what we need to work on, and builds our levels of competence. Confidence, however, requires us to look at those things that we are good at. Sit down with a piece of paper and list all six CTP domains (Physical, Career, Emotional, Social, Family, and Spiritual), then begin listing strengths that you possess in each one. If it is a slow process at first, that is ok. Try listing one strength every day for a month. Go to your room and don’t come out until you think about what you’ve done….right.

2. Using Self-Talk

The way we communicate with ourselves is very important in the process of building confidence. Self-talk is an ongoing stream of thoughts that run through your head every day. These automatic thoughts can be very effective, or ineffective, in how we view our levels of confidence about a situation. Think about a recent performance and how you used self-talk to either set yourself up for success or failure. I met with a friend last week who has recently experienced a serious physical injury. The way he talked about himself and his situation really caught my attention. It turns out that he was setting the stage for his current situation with a consistent theme of “I can’t do this.” He was judging himself rather harshly on challenges in one of the domains. After looking at a variety of strengths that he possessed, in each of the domains, he began to see himself a bit differently. I had him take a few of those strengths and build them into our conversation. The tone changed dramatically, and he began to focus more on what he could do, instead of what he couldn’t. Re-visit your lists of strengths periodically and build them into how you speak to yourself.

Experiencing an injury or illness puts us in unfamiliar, uncomfortable territory. It can also provide us a unique opportunity to appreciate what we have. To see this opportunity requires a deep curiosity. This is where looking at our self-talk and our strengths come in. With an open and curious mind, these strengths will surface and confidence will build.

To find out more about mental skills, an overview of the program, and additional resources, go to the CSF-PREP website.

Helping Soldiers On and Off the Court

Filed under Adaptive Sports, General, Guest Blogger by cmccarrie on December 2, 2011 at 3:15 pm {no comments}

By: Mark A. Campbell, Guest Blogger
Editor’s Note: Mark A. Campbell serves as a WTU Master Trainer/WTC Liaison. He joined Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) in 2007, and he is currently working toward his doctorate in Health Promotion andWellness. The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

The psychology of performance has been around as long as performance itself. Elite performers have always looked for ways to improve their “mental game” and gain a personal edge in competition. The most recognized arena for this has historically been in sports. In the past 50 years, a formal type of sport science has been recognized to legitimize the field of performance psychology. Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) is an organization that provides education and training, based on these performance psychology techniques. CSF-PREP works closely with the Warrior Transition Command (WTC), to provide training to Soldiers and cadre.

November marks Warrior Care Month and to focus on the multi-dimensional aspects of care the theme is, “Healing the Mind, Body, and Spirit: Unlocking Unlimited Potential.” CSF-PREP is focused on helping Warrior Transition Unit (WTU) Soldiers be at their best when it matters most, by building the mental strength required to reach full potential more consistently. In addition to performance education classes, CSF-PREP also assists Soldiers in the WTUs through adaptive reconditioning programs. Adaptive sports help WTU Soldiers learn to apply principles such as building confidence, energy management, and the use of imagery. Along with other CSF-PREP performance lessons, these are a great way for wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers to take their adaptive athletic performance to a higher level. All of the many aspects of care and healing play a part in unlocking that potential.

The most important aspect of this approach is what happens off the court. Excelling in wheelchair basketball or sitting volleyball is a great feat, but learning to use those same mental skills in other areas of life is the real success. The true beauty of the CSF-PREP Performance Education Model is that the skills are transferrable to all of life’s performances. One of my mentors told me that, “A ropes course, used to teach skill building, is only a pile of wood and wire unless you can learn to transfer those skills to other areas of your life.” I couldn’t agree more.

Human beings are multi-dimensional, which means we consistently have a lot going on in our lives. Stop and think for a moment about how many performances you have on any given day. This number is sure to fluctuate, as some days are much busier than others. I would wager that you would struggle with listing them all, because there are so many. How would you like to be able to do all of these things better, consistently? That is what mental skills training can allow you to do, to create the optimal mindset to be at your best consistently. The CSF-PREP model leads to “Mental Strength for Life,” not just for single aspects of life.

CSF-PREP is located at 11 Army installations and provides six days of instruction, to all other WTUs, each quarter. Mobile teams schedule trainings and adaptive reconditioning for WTU Soldiers and cadre. Another service offered is “mastery,” in which a CSF-PREP representative can plan one-on-one sessions. This allows an individual the chance to get deeper into the material by applying it to personal aspects of life.

There are many resources available such as CSF-PREP and the adaptive reconditioning programs, to help you unlock your potential visit the CSF-PREP website for more information.

A Throw of a Lifetime

Filed under Guest Blogger, Soldier Story by jvargas on October 26, 2011 at 3:09 pm {no comments}

AW2 Veteran SPC Timothy Taylor threw the opening pitch during a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game in September.

By Retired SPC Timothy Taylor, AW2 Veteran
For most people around the world, September 11, 2001, is a date they will never forget. This was true for me, but I had to wait before I could make an impact. Almost a year later, after my seventeenth birthday, I joined the Army ready to get in the fight. I had no way of knowing the effect that would have on me ten years later

On September 10, 2011, I got to throw the opening pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game. Just like September 11, I will never forget this day, but for very different reasons.

I never imagined that one day I would be throwing a pitch in front of 40,000 screaming fans. It was by far the coolest thing I’ve done in my life. Many great things have happened to me since I was injured in Iraq on October 27, 2005, but none more exciting than this .

I know I was lucky to be picked to attend the game, let alone throw a pitch .There are too many people to thank, but I would like to acknowledge Pat Collins, my Advocate with the Army Wounded Warrior Army Wounded Warrior Program (AW2), without her support this never would have been possible. To all my fellow wounded warriors continue to get help and push for what you deserve. To all the Soliders keep up the good fight, and come home safe.

Making the Most of What You Have

Filed under Guest Blogger by alanmorales on August 23, 2011 at 4:16 pm {no comments}

By Mark A. Campbell, CSF-PREP, Guest Blogger

Editor’s Note: Mark A. Campbell serves as a WTU Master Trainer/WTC Liaison. He joined Comprehensive Soldier Fitness- Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) in 2007, and is currently working toward his doctorate in Health Promotion andWellness. The expressed comments and views of guest bloggers do not reflect the views of WTC or the United States Army.

Have you ever been walking through an airport, remember that you have to make a call before you board the plane, and realize that your cell phone battery is almost dead? You rush to the nearest outlet and plug in long enough to make the call, until you can arrive at your destination and fully recharge the battery.

Our personal energy stores are not unlike this. Have you ever left work feeling like you do not have enough “left in the tank” to spend quality time with your Family? One of the biggest performance challenges that an individual can face is effectively managing his/her energy. Life does not stop, it does not slow down, it will not wait for you. It is important to know how to make the most of the energy you have and to understand how to refill your energy tank whenever possible. “Energy management” is a term used to describe the process in which a person uses deliberate strategies to leverage the body’s energy resources.

I don’t have to tell you anything about stress. We are all masters of it. By definition, stress is “anything that causes us to mobilize energy.” If you look at it in that way, there are countless examples of this happening each day. Another good analogy would be that of an ATM machine. Imagine all day long you withdraw various increments of cash. If we only make small deposits from time to time, then we will never get ahead. One of the biggest misconceptions in our society is that “I’ll get enough sleep when I’m dead.” I think we all realize that there is a wall, and without the proper recovery, we will most definitely hit it hard. There are many different techniques that an individual can use to deliberately manage energy. Here are a few:

Recovery Breathing: Slowing down our bodies and taking good, cleansing breathes can benefit us on multiple levels. Recovery breathing is a way to relax tense muscles, calm the mind, as well as deliver more oxygen throughout the body. This will also improve your memory and ability to think clearly.
Reinterpret what you are up against: By looking at upcoming events in your life as “challenges” instead of “threats” we are less likely to unnecessarily mobilize large amounts of energy in the form of doubt, worry, and fear. By looking at an event as a challenge, then you can plan for all of the ways you can grow from the experience and be successful.
Control the Controllables: It is a common, human quality to focus on those things that we perceive as negative stressors, but have no control over (weather, traffic, other people, etc.). The only three things that we can ever truly control are what we think, what we say, and what we do. The next time you feel the negative effects of stress, look at what you can control in the situation. This will help to prioritize your stressors, and act on them accordingly.

It is important to have strategies in place for effectively managing your levels of energy. It will look a little differently for each of us, but the take-home message should be that stress happens. However, through deliberate recovery techniques we can minimize the negative effects. Our personal levels of energy are a scarce resource, and we should protect them in order to be at our best.

Page 1 of 312 3 »