Jan 21, 2011

In Fiscal Year 2010, the Red Cross provided more than 597,000 emergency communications services for nearly 150,000 military families, and nearly $6 million in immediate financial aid to 5,000 families. And thousands of volunteers, including servicemembers, veterans and military spouses, offered comfort and support to wounded and ill troops and their families in hospitals worldwide.

Jan 20, 2011

Members of the 102nd Forward Surgical Team, 56th Multifunctional Medical Battalion, cased their guidon Jan. 12. The team will uncase its colors in Afghanistan, where its 21 members will provide surgical support to coalition forces.

Jan 20, 2011

The Army is closing in on a 1-million user milestone for those who have taken the "Global Assessment Tool" survey -- the results of which serve as a starting point for an individual Soldier's journey though the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program.

Jan 19, 2011

The Defense Department is using virtual-world interactivity to educate and help warfighters and others who are reluctant to seek more direct care to deal with post-traumatic stress, said an official at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, also known as "T2."

Jan 19, 2011

The Army vice chief of staff reported a slight reduction this past year in suicides committed by Soldiers on active duty, from 162 in 2009 to 156 in 2010.

Jan 18, 2011

An Army study released today found that Soldiers who received extra behavioral-health screening prior to deployment had significantly lower rates of combat stress than those who did not.

Jan 18, 2011

To ensure military families don't get left out as the new national health care reform law extends parent's health insurance to their children up to age 26, TRICARE plans to roll out its new Young Adult Program by spring and to provide an option to make coverage retroactive to Jan. 1.

Jan 6, 2011

Watching a friend die in combat changed Sgt. Allen Chase's life. The father of six knew he needed help, but his goal is to become a commissioned officer and a physician's assistant, and he feared asking for help would end that dream.

Dec 27, 2010

Military leaders and troops alike need more time at home between deployments to help diagnose and receive treatment for the "invisible" wounds of war such as post traumatic stress, a senior Army officer said today.

Dec 20, 2010

Donning full scuba gear, 17 wounded warriors from Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion swam Sunday with sharks and other sea life in Georgia Aquarium's large tank in Atlanta.

Dec 20, 2010

There's a fine line between helping and hindering an injured Soldier. Knowing the difference can be critical to recovery. Tackling the complexities involved in treating a Soldier's physical and mental wounds in tandem is a challenge Fort Polk's Warrior Transition Unit cadre takes on daily.

Dec 20, 2010

In order to bring the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program to more Soldiers, the 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, recently opened the Iron Stronghold Resiliency Center on Camp Adder, Iraq.

Dec 17, 2010

The Army released suicide data today for the month of November. Among Active Duty Soldiers, there were 11 potential suicides.

Dec 15, 2010

Joint Base Lewis-McChord's 56th Army Band performed a holiday concert Tuesday at Carey Theater that was arranged exclusively for special needs children and families within the community. These are children with disorders and conditions like autism and cerebral palsy.

Dec 15, 2010

Bavaria Medical Department Activity Pediatric Neuropsychologist Dr. John Dieter works with military children across Europe who have highly complex situations such as severe autism or extreme developmental delays.

Dec 13, 2010

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Dec. 13, for the new $534 million Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center that will be constructed to replace the current 45-year-old building.

Dec 13, 2010

Emergencies and disasters are in the news every day. Preparing for them can make the difference between life and death. That's why Fort Polk's Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital held an all-day multi-situational mass casualty training Dec. 2.

Dec 13, 2010

The winds of change are blowing through the Army's Physical Readiness Training Program and Fort Polk is taking the initiative to stay ahead of the storms that are sure to follow in its wake.

Dec 8, 2010

This holiday season, servicemembers and their families can take advantage of Military Pathway's free, anonymous, online or telephone mental health self-assessments tool.

Dec 6, 2010

Eight wounded warriors returning to Iraq for the first time since they were injured received a hero's welcome during a ceremony at Al Faw Palace at Camp Victory Dec. 6.

Dec 6, 2010

Abas, a 9-year-old Afghan, is under the care of Company C, 426th Brigade Support Battalion on Forward Operating Base Fenty in Eastern Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province. He is from the nearby village of Kakrat. Abas suffered third-degree burns on both legs when he fell into a pit of hot coals that had been used to melt syrup to cook an Afghan treat.

Dec 2, 2010

The Army is in the midst of fielding a massive software upgrade to medical units on the front lines, delivering improved methods for capturing and reporting mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) data, as well as better tools for managing medical supplies, and better visibility of in-transit patients and equipment.

Dec 2, 2010

For decades, horses have charged into battle carrying cavalrymen, pulling artillerymen's caissons and serving as vehicles for mounted military police. Today, horses are helping wounded warriors by guiding them along the road to resiliency.

Dec 1, 2010

Hundreds of Army medical, science and technology experts gathered to discuss neuroscience and its role in training and materiel development at the third day of the 27th Army Science Conference Dec. 1.

Dec 1, 2010

Medical simulation technologies are being developed to give medics and combat lifesavers more realistic training that could result in lives saved on the battlefield.

Nov 30, 2010

The first of 17 planned off-base Army medical clinics opened today outside Fort Campbell, Ky., as part of an initiative that is aiming to free up health care access for Active Duty Soldiers on installations.

Nov 30, 2010

Science and technology is leading the approach for treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and those treatments were discussed by medical experts at a topical panel at the 27th Army Science Conference Nov 30. The treatments discussed ranged from cognitive therapy and pharmaceutical treatment to virtual reality.

Nov 24, 2010

Every day we are faced with images and stories about violent crime. Victims are held hostage, shootings happen in supermarkets, schools and even on secure military installations. In an effort to improve and sustain 502nd ABW emergency management policies and procedures, a massive Active Shooter Exercise was held on post Nov. 17.

Nov 24, 2010

A National Guard combat medic killed in action during Operation Iraqi Freedom was memorialized Nov. 23 when Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center's West Fort Hood Health Clinic was renamed in his honor.

Nov 22, 2010

A robot now being tested may soon be used to rescue wounded Soldiers under fire without risking additional lives.

Nov 19, 2010

The Army is using a new computer-based tracking system in order to provide more consistent care for injured Soldiers called e-Profile.

Nov 18, 2010

Sgt. Charles Berninghausen became the first amputee to complete the Warrior Leader Course at Fort Carson Nov. 12, almost four years after an improvised explosive device in Iraq nearly killed him.

Nov 18, 2010

A Pentagon team is working with the Army Medical Command and BAE Systems to build a new Caiman Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected Ambulance vehicle that offers a host of technological innovations.

Nov 18, 2010

Fort Bragg joined the 'be your best self' campaign with the grand opening of a new Army wellness center on Nov. 4. Motivated by the motto 'prevention is the best cure,' the center's staff teaches the community to value mental, physical and emotional fitness for optimum resiliency.

Nov 18, 2010

A pilot program that eases medical separation and speeds benefit payments for servicemembers too wounded, sick or injured to stay in the military will soon roll out to the entire force.

Nov 18, 2010

Groundbreaking for Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center's new hospital is scheduled for Dec. 13, signaling the start of a $534 million project that will consolidate services and enhance access to medical care for thousands of Fort Hood Soldiers, family members and retirees.

Nov 17, 2010

Army family members can now use the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness global assessment tool and all its online self-improvement modules without having a sponsored Army Knowledge Online account.

Nov 17, 2010

Replacing paper with electronic medical record systems, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (BCT), 4th Infantry Division (ID) at Fort Carson, Colo., and the 159th Combat Aviation Brigade (CAB), 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Ky., are the latest to join the growing list of units using MC4, a once battlefield-only system, to document Soldier care in garrison. This enables units to familiarize themselves with a system they will ultimately use down range.

Nov 17, 2010

Young children from military families are more likely to seek mental and behavioral health care when a parent is deployed than when a parent is at home, a military study has concluded.

Nov 15, 2010

The MTTP is a trailer outfitted with a computer-controlled mannequin that speaks, breathes and bleeds like a person. The platform was created to train Soldiers how to use their IFAK . The kit is often introduced but not often put into real-life training situations. Wounds simulated include amputations, sucking chest wounds and airway compromise.

Nov 15, 2010

The Mobile Obstetric Emergencies Simulator doesn't sound like something that is cutting-edge technology and can potentially save the Department of Defense millions of dollars in malpractice suits, especially when it only costs $20,000 to create.

Nov 15, 2010

Secretary of the Army John McHugh called the grand opening of Fort Meade's Warrior in Transition Solider and Family Assistance Center facilities "a very unique achievement" during the ribbon-cutting ceremony Nov. 10.

Nov 10, 2010

Chilly, misty weather didn't dampen the spirits of more than 150 people who attended the Nov. 5 opening of the Fort Bragg, N.C., Army Wellness Center.

Nov 10, 2010

The Army Warrior Transition Command launched a new website covering issues identified in feedback from wounded, ill and injured Soldiers and veterans.

Nov 4, 2010

The U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center has teamed up with the Family and MWR Command to provide Soldiers with a ready-to-use tool that, according to Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Eyer, is "anything but your boring safety presentation."

Nov 4, 2010

A retired detective of the Nashville Police Department said Tuesday that military communities face special challenges with domestic violence, but progress is being made to address the root problems.

Nov 3, 2010

Nine years of conflict has revolutionized the way the military treats its combat wounded, Vice Adm. Adam M. Robinson Jr., the Navy surgeon general, told American Forces Press Service.

Nov 2, 2010

In an attempt to combat the rise in Army-wide suicides, efforts are being made to increase awareness of the risk factors and warning signs to prevent suicides. In addition, Army leadership across the board is stepping up to provide better assistance in mitigating causes linked to suicidal thoughts and actions.

Nov 2, 2010

October is the month designated, by the American Physical Therapy Association in 1982, as National Physical Therapy Month to celebrate physical therapy nationwide. This year's theme for National Physical Therapy Month is Move Forward: Physical Therapists bring motion to life.

Nov 1, 2010

FORT RILEY, Kan. -- Kelly Narowski got out of the passenger's side of her friend's Jeep Wrangler and ran over to the driver's side because her friend was too drunk to drive. After her friend buckled up, Narowski started driving down the road. She wasn't wearing her seatbelt. "I remember getting out of the car, and I remember what I was wearing and how the mountains and the sky looked," Narowski said. "It was the last time I ever walked."

Nov 1, 2010

A panel of experts last night noted significant progress in the efforts of the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments to help servicemembers, veterans and their families affected by post-traumatic stress disorder.

Nov 1, 2010

Army health care providers have been using this ancient Chinese technique for active duty Soldiers downrange for several years, since Air Force doctor Richard C. Niemtzow was credited with developing Battlefield Acupuncture nearly 10 years ago.

Oct 29, 2010

This year 142,000 Army children are dealing with their parent's deployment, said Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Thomas R. Lamont, adding that the Army is studying how they cope.

Oct 28, 2010

A free smart phone mobile application that will help servicemembers, veterans and family members track their emotional health is now available, Defense Department officials announced this week.

Oct 27, 2010

The number of accidental deaths in the Army has dropped dramatically in recent years, from 299 deaths in 2005 to just 179 in 2010. However, those grim numbers still trouble Brig. Gen. Bill Wolf, director of Army Safety, whose primary responsibility is reducing risks and keeping Soldiers safe.

Oct 27, 2010

The Army's surgeon general announced a new partnership of trust between Soldiers and their Families and Army Medical Command, based on improved access and continuity of care, at the third Family Forum of the Association of the United States Army's Annual Meeting.

Oct 25, 2010

More than 50 wounded, visually impaired and amputee athletes signed up for the 2010 Army Ten-Miler Sunday, competing against each other in categories of their own for the first time.

Oct 25, 2010

ARLINGTON, Va. - Runners from the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program triumphantly took the team trophy from the Brazilian Army at this year's Army Ten-Miler on Sunday.

Oct 25, 2010

The TRX equipment and exercise program is a suspension training system that uses body weight to achieve fitness goals. The system is starting to gain attention in the Army. Thanks to the American Red Cross, the newest workout equipment on Fort Polk will not be found at any gym. Rather, it can be found at the Warrior Transition Unit.

Oct 21, 2010

Master Sgt. Casey Davis' love for cycling came to an abrupt halt when he was recently diagnosed with Grave's Disease - an autoimmune disease which affects the thyroid gland.

Oct 20, 2010

Just one year after the Army first implemented the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program, its director is impressed with the number of Soldiers who have participated in the program and with how many have said it is effective.

Oct 18, 2010

If you seek help from the troop medical clinic for a medical condition, will your commander be told about your condition' Could this be embarrassing for you, perhaps even damage your career or lead to disciplinary action' Such concerns can lead a Soldier to avoid medical care, perhaps until a condition becomes a serious health hazard.

Oct 13, 2010

Openly discussing the damage stigma does to Soldiers in need of mental health services is a step toward eradicating the problem, said an Army suicide-prevention leader Tuesday.

Oct 6, 2010

Soldiers gathered at the compound for the Rocky Elite Iron Warrior Competition, a competition that tested the endurance of both males and females in a three-series weight lifting event. The events included the squat, bench press and dead-lift.

Oct 5, 2010

In an effort to re-vamp the Army's suicide-prevention program, a new scenario-based video has been created to supplement the growing arsenal of training aides which promote life preservation.

Oct 5, 2010

The U.S. Army Public Health Command (Provisional) launched its new Web site today, making Army-related public health information more accessible to Soldiers and retirees, their families, Army civilians, and medical and other professional colleagues.

Oct 4, 2010

One of the great, positive changes in Army culture over the years is the ever-increasing willingness to acknowledge and talk about domestic abuse in Army families. There are resources available for families seeking assistance, places for victims to go for help, advocates and counselors to monitor the situation. It hasn't always been that way.

Oct 4, 2010

The Army's senior noncommissioned officer met with United States Division-South Soldiers at the Basra Resiliency Center Sept. 29.

Sep 30, 2010

When word broke of several apparent suicides in the Fort Hood area over the weekend, Maj. Gen. Will Grimsley, the installation's senior commander, called together all brigade-level commanders and their command sergeants major and directed them to take a hard look for at-risk Soldiers in their ranks. He directed them to pass the word down to battalion commanders and company commanders, as well.

Sep 30, 2010

The Army marks National Depression Awareness Month in October, with a theme of "Depression is Treatable - Get Screened - Seek Care."

Sep 28, 2010

Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 3-9, but Installation Management Command safety officials, from headquarters to garrison level, say such concerns remain a constant priority.

Sep 27, 2010

The Armed Services Blood Program hosted a blood drive at Fort McNair Sept. 10, ''in honor of the 9AcA "11 victims."

Sep 27, 2010

The Enhanced Combat Aviation Brigade, 1st Infantry Division is an all-in-one aviation brigade from Fort Riley, Kan. The unit deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq this March in support of Operation New Dawn, and is now the only aviation brigade in Iraq. The brigade's main mission is the support of ground forces, which involves freedom of maneuver, counter-indirect fire, route clearance, and convoy security. It is also involved in advising and assisting Iraqi aviators across the country. The unit is the first ever enhanced aviation brigade, meaning that it has absorbed other units, becoming a super brigade of sorts. If there is something flying in Iraq, it likely wears the brigade's insignia, the historic "Big Red One."

Sep 24, 2010

THE Army has come a long way from the days when Families of servicemembers killed on active duty were greeted with telegrams coldly notifying them of their loss.

Sep 24, 2010

John Wayne has toured Afghanistan and Iraq, hunted grizzly bears in Alaska and earned the Silver Star; and as of July, he is the first one-legged Soldier to graduate the Special Forces Sniper Course.

Sep 24, 2010

HEIDELBERG, Germany -- Tucked away inside the Patrick Henry Village Activity Center in Heidelberg a small group gathered, its members armed with long swathes of purple or lime green stretchy material.

Sep 24, 2010

Resiliency isn't just the latest Army buzzword or online training subject. For some units - like the Warrior Transition Unit, Vilseck - building resiliency is a goal worth achieving.

Sep 23, 2010

Tony Jurich, Ph.D., and Kansas State University Marriage and Family Therapy professor who has worked with Fort Riley for 39 years, and Sandra Stith, Ph.D, and K-State Marriage and Family Therapy director, spoke to 1st Infantry Division Soldiers in Morris Hill Chapel Sept. 9 discussing different areas of suicide prevention.

Sep 23, 2010

The Army needs a significant cultural change so Soldiers who need behavioral health services and treatment will seek care, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Peter Chiarelli told Fort Hood's Health Promotion Council Tuesday at III Corps. Wendy Lakso, III Corps and Fort Hood health promotion officer, said the council, an asset of Army Public Health, integrates medical, tactical and garrison assets on the installation to address public and behavioral health concerns.

Sep 23, 2010

Some 200 disabled active-duty servicemembers and military veterans will compete in the second annual Warrior Games, scheduled to be held May 16 to 21 in Colorado Springs, Colo., officials announced today.

Sep 23, 2010

The past years of conflict have witnessed improved battlefield care and well-oiled medical evacuation and trauma-care networks that are saving lives that in past wars would have been lost. There have also been huge advances in treating amputations and spinal-cord injuries.

Sep 20, 2010

Despite advancements in laws, policies and public perception, those with physical, mental and sensory impairments are sometimes excluded from education opportunities or employment. However John Morgan, a mathematician with the Army Research Laboratory at the Adelphi Laboratory Center, is an example of a determined self-sufficient employee and an extreme athlete.

Sep 20, 2010

I've stared at this blank canvas -- the open page on my word document program -- on and off for hours.

Sep 20, 2010

In an effort to lower combat deaths by wounds the Army established Medical Simulation Training Fields for field medical personnel to develop skills associated with medics and Combat Life Savers in order to decrease death by wound rates. The Joint Base Lewis-McChord Medical Simulation Training Facility features a field training environment where medics utilize their combat life saving skills in a simulated combat scenario.

Sep 20, 2010

Prostate cancer was the most highly diagnosed non-skin cancer at Madigan Healthcare System last year. The prostate is a small, walnut-sized gland that makes up part of a man's reproductive system. Since September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, there isn't a better time to not only discuss something most men are not knowledgeable about, but also inform men about the recent changes in prostate screening.

Sep 16, 2010

Having a battle buddy can be a life-saver because not all wounds are visible.

Sep 16, 2010

Six months of underwater scuba training culminated in diver certification for five Soldiers from Charlie Company, Warrior Transition Battalion-Europe at a ceremony held here on Ledward Barracks.

Sep 14, 2010

The toughest battles may be the ones fought in our minds and it takes courage to reach out for help.

Sep 14, 2010

Six Soldiers and one Marine from Walter Reed Medical Center visited West Point to test their abilities on a challenging set of obstacles Sept. 10. The Indoor Obstacle Course Test is a rite of passage for all West Point cadets as a testament to their physical fortitude. Being able to muster through this intense test of balance, strength and stamina is hard enough, given months of practice and training. But for the wounded warriors, with only hours of preparation, the test was an inspirational example of warrior ethos and human perseverance, said Col. Gregory Daniels, Master of the Sword.

Sep 14, 2010

Military suicides have more than doubled in the Army, exceeding the national average over the past five years, and leaders are redoubling efforts to figure out why.

Sep 13, 2010

Two fathers belong to a club that is growing every day.

Sep 9, 2010

While active-duty Army suicides are trending downward, reserve-component suicides appear to be on the rise -- a fact that worries leaders as the Army observes Suicide Prevention Month.

Sep 9, 2010

Active-duty family members who live near some Army installations soon will have an additional option for health care, without traffic, waiting time, expense and frustration that may sometimes be involved with going to on-post medical facilities or TRICARE network providers.

Sep 9, 2010

For the first time, members of the Retired Reserve who are not yet age 60, the so-called "gray area" retirees, can purchase TRICARE health coverage for themselves and their eligible family members with the Sept. 1, 2010 launch of TRICARE Retired Reserve, or TRR.

Sep 9, 2010

The unforgiving terrain of the Nangarhar, Nuristan, Konar and Laghman provinces in eastern Afghanistan hosts hoards of insects and wildlife that create quite a hairy situation when it comes to cohabitating with troops; however, the Soldiers of the preventive medicine section of Charlie Company, 426th Brigade Support Battalion, Task Force Bastogne, see "combat" with these creatures on a daily basis.

Sep 3, 2010

In the past year, more than 1,300 Soldiers, including about 20 drill sergeants from Fort Benning, have taken the Master Resilience Training course, part of the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program.

Sep 3, 2010

If Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker has his way, yoga and other alternative therapies would be integrated into Army medicine to treat the pain of wounded Soldiers.

Sep 2, 2010

"What are dreams' Inside the Sleeping Brain," was recently shown at Brooke Army Medical Center as an opportunity for staff to learn about the science behind sleeping and dreams.

Sep 1, 2010

DoD is in the middle of a civilian employee fitness campaign called "Leap into Fall" that challenges employees to log 1.5 million hours of physical activity.

Sep 1, 2010

The Army ACE Suicide Intervention Training Program, developed by U.S. Army Public Health Command (Provisional) behavioral health experts, was evaluated by a panel of suicide prevention experts and is now listed in the Suicide Prevention Resource Center and American Foundation Best Practice Registry for Suicide Prevention.