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Army unveils PTSD education program

An Armywide education program on post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury will be pushed out next month to every leader and soldier in an effort to remove the stigma associated with asking for help with the stress of war.

“We’re all worried about it. We’ve got to get rid of the stigma and that’s what this education program is supposed to do,” Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody said Friday in a press briefing on progress in improving care for soldiers returning from the war zones.

the surveys of soldiers conducted in the war zone and on redeployment “are not as good as chain teaching,” he said, referring to educating all troops through leaders at every level.

“I don’t want percentages, I want to know names and I want to take care of these people. We’re going to chain teach this in the entire Army,” Cody said.

An educational video and a comprehensive program of instruction will be released and put in the hands of troops Armywide, including in theater, he said, and “within 30 to 45 days every soldier will be briefed on how to recognize the symptoms.”

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Cody has been at the forefront of sweeping changes at Walter Reed Army Medical Center since March, when it was revealed that soldiers in the medical hold company lived in substandard quarters and faced long bureaucratic delays in seeking medical evaluations and discharges.

In addition to unveiling the new PTSD and TBI educational program, Cody and Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, acting surgeon general of the Army, announced the establishment of a single command and control center for wounded soldiers, regardless of component — active, Guard or Reserve.

“This is an important transition. In locations where we had a medical hold for active duty and medical holdover company for National Guard and Reserve soldiers, we’ve merged them together,” Pollock said.

The initiatives discussed by Cody and Pollock were among a long list first announced June 14, including:

• The June 15 establishment of Warrior Transition Units at major Army installations nationwide.

• consolidation, effective June 15, of medical hold units for active Army soldiers and medical holdover units for National Guard and Reserve soldiers into single Warrior Transition Units. Medical Command will assume command and control of these units. Assigning all soldiers, regardless of component, under one command ensures equity in care, leadership and administrative support.

• Medical Command establishment of command-and-control structure for each Warrior Transition Unit, to include a primary care manager, nurse case manager and squad leader.

• Facilities repair and improvements by the senior mission commander, typically the installation commander, for wounded and sick soldiers will be their top priorities. They also will conduct monthly town hall meetings for soldiers and their families to share their concerns or needs.

• Armywide establishment of soldier and family assistance centers. The concept was developed during a meeting in May with leaders, soldiers, families and veterans. Centers have been stood up at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas.

• Guest lodging, effective now, for nonfamily members who provide patient support and care to wounded soldiers.

• Establishment of a Web-based system to track patients and their records to give Army leaders better visibility on a wounded or sick soldier’s location, medical status and progress of care.

• Liaisons for the Veterans Health Administration and Veterans Benefits Association are now co-located with Warrior Transition Unit case managers. The goal is to improve continuity of care and benefits for wounded soldiers.

• A limited release of MyMEB on the Army Knowledge Online Web site was to start June 15 to provide information on progress of medical evaluation claims. Feedback from a focus group of injured soldiers will be used to improve the Web site before its full release.

• Eighteen reserve-component lawyers and paralegals, called to active duty earlier to provide additional legal advocacy for soldiers undergoing the physical evaluation board process, will continue in that role.