ARLINGTON, Va. (Nov. 13, 2013) -- Thousands of service members and civilians from the Joint Force Headquarters -- National Capital Region/U.S. Army Military District of Washington and interagency partners gathered to hear motivational speaker and author Bob Delaney deliver a presentation about Post Traumatic Stress awareness and education in Conmy Hall at Joint Base Myer -- Henderson Hall.
Delaney is a veteran referee for the National Basketball Association and shared his personal struggle with Post Traumatic Stress from serving undercover with the New Jersey State police to the audience members.
According to NBA Cares' Hoops for Troops website, Delaney has provided training for the past 30 years to Federal, State, County and Local law enforcement officers and agents throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.
He has helped many to understand and identify symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress and the impact it has on the individual and the ripple effect to family and friends.
"Peer-to-peer therapy is the first step to battling Post Traumatic Stress," said Delaney. "We're not eliminating Post Traumatic Stress, all we can do is try to understand it, and understand how to live with it."
Delaney highlighted that peer-to-peer therapy can not only prevent growth of Post Traumatic Stress today, but can be a tool to use for the future generations.
"We can never lose sight of the fact that we're all human beings underneath those uniforms," said Delaney. "When we have awareness and education, we raise the bar and take away those stigmas."
NBA Cares Hoops for Troops is a year-round initiative led by the NBA, its teams and players in collaboration with the Department of Defense, USO and other military and veteran serving organizations to honor active and retired service men and women and their families.
"I enjoyed hearing Mr. Delaney's presentation and understanding his Post Traumatic Stress formula: experience + intellectual readiness + reflection = growth and development," said Capt. Jason M. Halligan, JFHQ-NCR/MDW aide-de-camp to the commanding general. "He reminded me how important it is to take time to reflect, something that is not easy to do in our fast-paced world."
In May, 2012, Delaney was awarded the Outstanding Civilian Service Award from the Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Raymond Odierno, for his outreach and support for Post Traumatic Stress awareness and education for Soldiers and Army Families.
"I was fortunate to have an experienced mentor who was very understanding of what I was going through when I returned from Afghanistan," said Halligan. "If it wasn't for him encouraging me to talk about my experiences, I believe I would have had much more difficulty adjusting back to a state-side lifestyle. I will make a more conscious effort to discuss traumatic events with my peers so that we may ensure we remain resilient and ready for the next mission."
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Joint Force Headquarters - National Capital Region/U.S. Army Military District of Washington
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