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Today's Focus:

ARNG Decade of Health

SENIOR LEADERS ARE SAYING

"They still want to contribute. They want to raise their kids in a nice place. They’d like an education. They want their kids to go to school, and they want to make a difference. In my view, we cannot do enough for them, and that’s a check we ought to write right off the top of our budget to make sure they’re taken care of for the rest of their lives."

- Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, speaking about the wounded warriors, their families and the families of the fallen

Chairman emphasizes importance of personnel in budget considerations

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

Year of the Noncommissioned Officer

"Considering we were hit twice and the damage to the vehicle, it could have been a mobility kill. We were still mission capable after all that. I kept checking the gauges and they were good. We had seven people in that vehicle and we're all here to talk about it, so I'd say [the MRAP] is worth every tax dollar!"

- Sgt. Michael Starkey, a personal security detail driver assigned to the 277th Engineer Company attached to the Headquarters Support Company, 46th Engineer Battalion, 225th Engineer Brigade

Soldiers gain confidence in protective gear after they walk away from attack

CALENDAR

2009: Year of the NCO

2009: Year of the Military Family

2009: 100th Anniversary of the Chaplain Assistant

May 2009:

- National Mental Health Month

- National Military Appreciation Month

- Asia Pacific American Heritage Month

May 6: 2009 Army Birthday Ball Registration is Open

May 8 : Military Spouse Day

May 8-10 : Best Ranger Competition

PROFESSIONAL WRITING

Army Professional Writing

TODAY'S FOCUS

ARNG Decade of Health

What is it?

The Decade of Health (DOH) is a ten-year strategic deployability and readiness marketing campaign supporting personal responsibility for health and wellness. Maintaining force strength and sustaining critical operations rely heavily on healthy, fit Soldiers. The chief surgeon, Army Reserve National Guard (ARNG) has launched an intense, focused media strategy targeted at Soldiers and their families that will promote readiness and enhance strength management. A Soldier deployment and readiness issue is targeted each year with an innovative, nontraditional communications plan to enhance health literacy and produce measurable results. The objectives are best reflected in the Decade of Health Campaign mantra, "Always Ready, Always There...Always Healthy."

What has the ARNG done?

The Decade of Health communications plan includes a multi-media, guerilla marketing approach that maximizes funding to support the deployability and readiness objectives of each annual campaign. Campaign topics for 2006 through 2009 include: dental readiness, blood pressure awareness with alliance support from the American Heart Association, healthy weight management and in 2009 the ARNG Ready and Resilient campaign was announced by LTG Clyde Vaughn. "The campaign will focus on maximizing the resilience of our ARNG Soldiers, units, and families by enhancing their abilities to adapt to and to recover from the many stresses of our challenging missions."

What continued efforts does the ARNG have planned for the future?

The chief surgeon, ARNG will assess and evaluate Soldier deployment and readiness issues and select the 2010 campaign in the summer of 2009. The campaign will leverage the momentum gained from the four previous Decade of Health campaigns and integrate the readiness and reintegration resources offered by DoD, the ARNG Soldier/Family Service Support Division, and other NGB partnerships.

Why is this important to the Army National Guard?

Optimal Soldier readiness and health maintenance are key factors in Force Health Protection. The DOH supports the health and wellness of Soldiers to support force strength and sustain mission operations that all rely heavily on healthy, fit Soldiers. ARNG families are critical to the success of health and wellness, reintegration and retention initiatives.

Resources:

ARNG DOH Web site

POC: LTC Jose Ortiz, Chief, Preventive Medicine, ARNG

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