CAMP GRAYLING, Mich. - In a sandy clearing surrounded by tall pines, green tents and red crosses on military vehicles, a small Iowa unit occupied the area known as "Fiddler's Green." The 294th Area Support Medical Company (294th ASMC), an Iowa Army National Guard (IANG) unit based out of Washington, Iowa, recently completed their annual training at Camp Grayling, Michigan, on Aug. 18, 2018. The 294th ASMC provided medical support to various units during Northern Strike, a joint multinational combined arms live fire exercise involving approximately 5,000 service members from 11 states and six coalition countries.
Within their ranks, Capt. Aaron Seely is providing a medical service that is often overlooked. Seely is a behavioral health officer who has served with the 294th ASMC since he joined the IANG in 2013. Originally from small town New York, he previously served six years on active duty with the Army as an armor crewman, from 1994 to 2000. After leaving active duty, Seely couldn't imagine returning to military life.
"After I got out of the military, I started going to school part time and found myself gravitating toward psychology," Seely said. "I fell in love with the profession. Understanding human behavior and why people do what they do was really intriguing to me."
After graduating from Drake University with a Bachelor's Degree in psychology and a Master's Degree in clinical social work from the University of Iowa, Seely felt he had found a way to make a difference. He now lives and works in Windsor Heights, where he runs a private psychotherapy practice four days a week, and then provides services one day a week at a mental health center in Newton. Throughout his 13-year break in military service, he began to reflect on his experience with the Army and what it meant to him. He was introduced to a behavioral health officer during a professional conference at Camp Dodge Joint Maneuver Training Center in 2012, where he learned about the impact behavioral health officers have on Soldiers' lives overseas and at home.
"When I got out of active duty, I was pretty burned out from the operation tempo in a combat arms unit and being away from my family," Seely said. "I realized there was a great need for mental health services. I wish I'd had access to resources like that. I was beating down the recruiter's door shortly after that."
Initially, Seely was unsure of the military's level of emphasis and approach to mental health. However, he said he was pleasantly surprised with the widespread support from leaders across the state and a robust behavioral health team. The Iowa National Guard currently has two psychiatrists, a psychologist and four clinical workers, as well as two civilian case managers who are available Monday through Friday to take Soldiers' calls.
"You don't have to wait until the next drill weekend for somebody to respond to you," Seely said. "We also have a full-time civilian substance abuse counselor who does a lot of telephonic services with Soldiers, so they don't have to drive from all corners of the state to get help."
Seely's main role in the 294th ASMC is to advise the commander on mental health matters impacting Soldier readiness, including preventive measures like stress management and trends within the unit. He also provides services to the medics, whose responsibilities leave them prone to seeing and experiencing traumatic events. Whether Soldiers are dealing with traumatic events, relationship problems or interpersonal Soldier conflicts, Seely is always ready to lend a helping hand.
However, getting Soldiers to reach out is an uphill battle in Seely's profession. The National Guard offers a unique challenge because the connection with troops is not always daily.
"A big difference between active duty components and the National Guard is that we don't see Soldiers for 30 days at a time," Seely said. "Their home life is a little more distant."
A stigma still exists surrounding mental health services, too. Many fear they could jeopardize their career by reaching out for help, or that rumors of seeking help could negatively impact their image as a Soldier.
Over the years, Seely has fostered working relationships with the troops in the 294th ASMC, helping to bridge the gap between their military and civilian lives and working to abolish the stigma.
"I feel like I'm part dad sometimes, part therapist and part friend," Seely said. "A lot of people struggle with mental health issues throughout their lives at different points and for different reasons, but that doesn't mean they're career-ending issues."
Seely emphasized how important it is to get the word out about behavioral health officers and services. Similar to Army chaplains, it's important for Soldiers to know they are able to talk to professionals.
He was pleased to see improvement in this area during Northern Strike. One of the units, who used their services the most during the exercise, was a combat arms unit. He took this as a sign that leaders are beginning to see the long-term benefits that can come from short-term breaks.
"Those are, historically, units that really encourage Soldiers to be mentally tough and self reliant, with a 'suck it up and push forward' mentality," Seely said. "Now these units are beginning to realize that if you give a Soldier a day of low-stress training or even a 24-hour break, you get a higher quality and more resilient Soldier."
Resilience, growth, performance and learning all seem to intersect in various ways.
Even Seely has had an opportunity for some personal development of his own. The Northern Strike exercise has facilitated a large amount of contact with state behavioral health resources from both Michigan and New Hampshire. These professionals have had an opportunity to share Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), memorandums and policies regarding behavioral health for all unit levels.
"We've shared contact information and bounced ideas off of each other to professionally collaborate, so it's been a great resource for me," Seely said.
It was through professional collaboration that Seely found a place back in the military, and through that, he continues to develop his skills. He noted that the IANG's behavioral health services benefit from our civilian counterparts and he wants others to be aware of the opportunities that exist in the IANG.
"This is a great opportunity to work with really talented men and women," Seely said. "If there's anybody thinking about wanting to serve their country, and they're not sure how, this is a great opportunity to do so."
It's that personal contact with the troops that feeds Seely's love for his profession. He values face-to-face interactions that foster strong relationships and trust. Mental and behavioral health is a vital aspect of Soldier readiness, and Seely believes in it.
"I really love that kind of access to Soldiers," Seely said. "It's an accumulation of seeing Soldiers come to me struggling or feeling stuck, or feeling like they can't talk about mental health, but then finding the courage to come talk to me. Being able to work with a Soldier, from beginning to end, through a mental health issue is what I remember and feel good about."
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