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EOD FAMILY
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| Courtesy of Deb Schwedhelm Photography |
NECC Family Readiness Video
For the past few weeks I've been involved in a working group which is focused on creating a video for all
NECC commands and their families concerning family readiness. The plan is to have a broad spectrum of people from
across the Force to represent and capture all aspects of family readiness. Interviews of each volunteer for the video will
be done allowing us to use bits and pieces from all, in the final video. Sharing their real life stories of how family
readiness has helped them over come, how it has helped them endure, and persevere, is our goal. Our lives within
the military are proving to be more trying; we as volunteers to our families and commands know the importance of family readiness.
We know how important it is for our sailors to go to war confident their families are being taken care of and looked after.
NECC is hoping this video will be the key to showing our families what we already know. Please help us make this
video the best it can be. If you have ideas for questions that can be asked during the interviews please pass them along
to me. If you have any ideas on who should be asked as one of our interviewees pass that along as well. Below
you will see the list of the different people we intend to interview. As always your comments, ideas and thoughts
are welcome. The more input we have on this project the better it will be. NECC is dedicated to it's families,
let's help spread the word to our families and make this Force the best in our Navy!! Jennifer Mancini NECC
Ombudsman jenomb1@yahoo.com Interviews of the following from all entities of NECC: CO Chaplain CMC FRG Leader FRG
Member Teenager OMB IA IA Spouse Widow Survivor Survivorʼs Spouse Injured Sailor Spouse of
Injured Sailor
REMEMBER ME VIDEO CLICK HERE
Below
you will find Return and Reunion Briefings designed for our deployed sailors and also for our families. They are designed
so that both sailors and families will have good information about what to expect when coming home from deployment.
This will hopefully
give our sailors and families some tools that will help them better readjust in our unique EOD deployment and readiness cycles.
Deployment Reunion Power Point for Families
Deployment Reunion Power Point for Active Duty
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Coming Home . . .
What to Expect, How to Deal When
You Return from Combat
This “graphic story”
by comic-book masters Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón sends service members a clear and memorable message about post-deployment
reunion and reintegration issues -- issues like marital stress, drug and alcohol abuse, aggressive driving, sleep problems,
and combat stress symptoms that, left untreated, can grow more serious and harder to beat.
The story involves four returning service members and the challenges
they meet with the help of service-specific and DoD resources. Three of them
-- Marine Sergeant Jason Fetterman, Army medic Mandy Clark, and Army Specialist Danny Moreno -- are old high-school friends.
First Sergeant Peter Douglas, Army National Guard, is their former basketball coach. All have recently returned to their hometown
after combat duty.
The characters face and surmount challenges:
- Jason Fetterman must renew his relationship with his wife and build a new one with their infant son.
He faces the common post-deployment responses of insomnia and quick anger, and receives guidance from his command and Military
OneSource.
- Mandy Clark, a single mom of a 3-year-old, needs and gets support with child care and single-parent
issues.
- Danny Moreno faces tougher times. His erratic driving and depressed mood are hurting his relationship
with his girlfriend, and he makes an attempt at suicide. His buddies are concerned and supportive, and Moreno
gets the help he needs.
- Douglas, who has already confronted an alcohol problem, feels a strong sense of responsibility
to the other three, and works to guide them to the right resources.
Author and illustrator Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón are highly regarded figures in the graphic-book business. Mr. Jacobson was managing editor and editor-in-chief
at Harvey Comics, where the characters he created included Richie Rich, and was executive editor at Marvel Comics. Mr. Colon
has worked at Harvey, Marvel, and DC Comics, where he oversaw
production of Wonder Woman, Blackhawk, and the Flash. Mr. Colón served in the Army National Guard and in the Air National
Guard as a gunner on a B-26 during the Korean Conflict. Together they created the The
9/11 Report: A Graphic Adaptation, the highly regarded book published in 2006
by Hill and Wang.
Subject matter experts from the Army and Marine Corps were closely involved with the book’s development. They are COL Carl Castro and MAJ Dennis McGurck (Walter Reed Army Institute of Research), and CAPT William Nash and Dr. Thomas Gaskin (Combat/Operational Stress Control branch
at HQMC). Dr. Julia Whealin (National Center
for PTSD, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System) was involved in planning the book’s scope.
Service members were
also critical players in the project’s development. Author Sid Jacobson met with service members at Bethesda Naval Hospital,
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, and Marine Corps Base Quantico to help make sure that the book is as accurate a portrayal
of the service member’s experience as it can be.
The booklet also contains a resource guide containing contact information for relevant service-specific, DoD, and other resources for returning service
members.
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
Understanding the Effects of Trauma and Traumatic Events to Help Prevent, Mitigate
and Foster Recovery for Individuals, Organizations and Communities
A Program of Uniformed Services University, Our Nation’s Federal Medical School, Bethesda, Maryland
• www. usuhs.mil/csts/
U nderstanding Post Deployment Stress
Symptoms
Helping Your Loved Ones
Families and friends of returning service members often wonder
what to expect after their loved one comes home from a combat zone. They may ask what is "typical" and when should they become
concerned. The question is often "at what point should I be worried about my husband or my son?" or "how can I encourage my
wife or my daughter to get the help I think she needs since she returned from deployment?" Service members who have a difficult
time after their combat experience often reveal their troubles to those they most trust— their family or close friends.
This can be communicated by what they say or what they do. Increased drinking, anger, irritability, or reckless driving for
example can be especially frightening for combat veteran families, and confuse or trouble their children.
What are the warning signs that may signal problems? If
there is a problem, how can we bring it up? How can we encourage them to get help? This fact sheet recognizes your important
role in helping your loved one when he or she comes home.
Distress Responses
It is not uncommon for people who have been involved in high stress situations to have
what are called distress responses. Distress responses may be physical or emotional in nature . Symptoms of distress are usually mild, and go away after several weeks. If these problems (described below) last longer than a month or
two months after returning home, a medical professional should be consulted. There are effective treatments today that are readily available from primary care physicians
or mental health providers.
■ Sleep
Problems — difficulty falling
asleep; staying asleep or waking early and not being able to get back to sleep.
■ Restlessness
— being jittery, fidgety or showing
a high degree of nervous energy.
■ Overly
Watchful or Hypervigilant — oversensitivity
or anticipation about things in the environment (e.g., noise, physical objects) that are viewed as a threat to personal safety.
■ Social
Withdrawal — avoiding family
or friends, always wanting to be alone, avoiding social activities that he/she use to enjoy.
The majority of returning service members is likely to have
some of the distress responses described above.
Risk Behaviors
People returning from combat deployment can sometimes start or increase the frequency
of behaviors that compromise their health and the health and safety of those around them. Examples include:
■ Cigarette
Smoking — often starts or increases
in the combat zone, and continues or increases upon return home.
■ Alcohol
Use — although alcohol use is
not allowed during deployment, it is available and may be used by some service members. Upon return, alcohol use may start
or continue as a misguided means of reducing stress.
■ Reckless
Driving —Returning veterans experience
a transition from the intensity of driving in a war zone to routine driving in a civilian setting. Stress and alcohol are
other factors that contribute to risky driving.
More Serious Problems
There are conditions that cause more serious problems for returning service members,
their families and friends. Some of these conditions are:
■ Violence
— When irritability or
anger turns into violence there is risk both for the service member and the family. Mixing anger with alcohol can be particularly
troublesome since the individual loses the ability to understand his/her behavior or its consequences. Conflicts that become
violent need to be recognized by family who should seek outside help. Violent behavior can be caused by physical and emotional
problems for which there are treatments and require medical assessment. When violence occurs
in families, children are particularly at-risk and need to be protected. Families are urged to get help quickly.
■ Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that results when traumatic
experiences (such as combat) lead to lasting symptoms: nightmares, flashbacks, and unsettling memories of the trauma. Other
symptoms that are experienced and can be noticed by others include excitability, nervousness, over anxiousness, hypervigilance,
and avoidance of people or social situations that can remind a person of the trauma experience. Symptoms of PTSD are serious
and require medical attention, but there is good news. PTSD is a treatable problem and combat veterans can recover. But, left
untreated PTSD can lead to problems in day-to-day living, both for veterans and their families.
■ Depression is different from normal human unhappiness. Depression is a deep,
unchanging, prolonged and painful sadness that does not respond to attempts to help a person "cheer up." It includes a loss
of interest in things one was previously interested in, including family, hobbies, friends and work. Depression typically
leads to changes in individual functioning (difficulties with appetite, sleep, concentration and enjoyment of activities once
a source of pleasure), as well as a loss of a sense of wellness and self-esteem. There are excellent treatments available
for depression.
■ Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a condition that results when service members
are exposed to explosive events in the combat theatre. While many combat veterans may be aware that they have suffered from
a head injury, some who sustained mild injury may not. Symptoms of mild TBI can include headaches, impulsive behavior, anger
outbursts, changes in personality or slowed thinking. These symptoms can sometimes be difficult to distinguish from other
emotional conditions. As TBI symptoms can cause problems in the lives of combat veterans or their families, it is important
to bring any concerns to the attention of a health care provider.
Seeking Help
It is often difficult for veterans with combat related emotional or behavioral problems
to seek the help they need and deserve. People often feel ashamed and view their suffering as a sign of personal weakness
— something they can ‘snap out of’ or ‘tough it out’. Family and friends can help by pointing
out that emotional problems are no different from medical problems, and must be diagnosed and treated like any medical condition
(i.e. a cough, sore throat or sprained or broken ankle.) It is also important to let the person know that their health affects
the health and well being of the entire family and should not be neglected. The good news is that medical treatments today
are very effective for helping with these problems. Our military supports help-seeking, especially early on before problems
worsen and interfere with quality of life.
Resources
Many resources are available to veterans through the DoD, Veterans Affairs (VA) and
community agencies. When appropriate, service members and their families should seek out help from health care professionals
who have experience in the treatment of combat stress related problems. Sometimes a chaplain, a good friend or a trusted member
of your unit can make it easier to arrange for the right kind of help. Service members living in more remote locations (such
as National Guardsmen, reservists or those who have left active duty status) should reach out to VA or local (TRICARE) healthcare
providers in the civilian community where they live.
For additional information see Internet websites:
http://www.militaryonesource.com/skins/MOS/home.aspx
http://www.battlemind.org/
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/index jsp
http://www.centerforthestudyoftraumaticstress.org
Warning Signs
Symptoms that require medical attention include:
■ Strong desire to avoid other people that continues for weeks or months after
return
■ Increased jitteriness or jumpiness that does not go away after return home
■ Headaches or unexplained changes in personality or thinking
■ Unsettling memories or flashbacks to uncomfortable wartime events that continue
after coming home
■ Sense of sadness, guilt or failure that does not improve
■ Angry outbursts, irritability, family arguments or physical fighting that is
out of character and continues
■ Changes in alcohol use — drinking more and more often; guilt about use,
inability to decrease or stop use, or family member concerns about use.
■ Risk-taking behaviors — reckless driving or other risky activities that
have health consequences
■ Thoughts of death or a wish to no longer be living (this is serious. Family
and friends should call a doctor or 911 immediately).
Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress, Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences
4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814-4799 Tel: 301-295-2470 | Fax: 301-319-6965
www.usuhs.mil/csts | www.centerforthestudyoftraumaticstress.org
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Response to queries regarding
Coming Home: What to Expect, How
to Deal When You Return from Combat
1. What is Coming Home?
Coming Home is a short (32-page) “graphic
novel” – the term used currently to describe highest-quality books with comic-style illustrations. It’s
designed to give returning troops a heads-up about issues they may face at home – issues like marital stress, drug and
alcohol abuse, aggressive driving, sleep problems, and combat stress symptoms – and where and how to get help.
The
story involves four returning service members. Each has been affected by combat in some way and to a different extent:
- Marine Sergeant Jason Fetterman experiences insomnia and anger, and works to renew his relationship with his wife and
build a new one with their infant son.
- Army Sergeant Mandy Clark deals with re-entry into life at home as a single mother.
- Army Specialist Danny Moreno drinks too much, drives too fast, and is having problems with his relationship with his
girlfriend.
- First Sergeant Peter Douglas, a member of the Army National Guard, works to welcome the newly returned service members
and guide them to resources that will make their reintegration easier to handle.
Each
character, with the help of his or her buddies, friends, and family, comes to recognize the importance of getting support
– from the Command, installation programs, and Military OneSource. Using these resources, each character surmounts the
challenges of reintegration after combat.
The
book also contains an
extensive list of resources available to service members
and their families.
2. Who created Coming Home?
Coming Home is a Military OneSource publication. Sid Jacobson, who wrote the storyline,
is former editor-in-chief at Harvey Comics and executive editor at Marvel Comics. Ernie Colón, who drew the illustrations,
served in the Army National Guard and in the Air National Guard as a gunner on a B-26 during the Korean Conflict, and oversaw
production of Wonder Woman, the Green Lantern, Blackhawk, and the Flash at DC comics. Mr. Jacobson and Mr. Colón worked closely
with military experts, Military OneSource staff, and service members (at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Bethesda Naval Hospital,
and Marine Corps Base Quantico) to make Coming Home as accurate a portrayal of
the service member’s experience as it can be.
3. Who is Coming Home meant
for?
- Coming Home is meant primarily for service members of all branches, but especially Army and Marine Corps, about to return home
after combat, or who have recently returned home from combat.
- Spouses of these service members will also benefit from the situations described
and the resources listed in the book.
- Command leadership will also benefit from the book’s portrayals and resources.
Parents
should be aware that Coming Home is not meant as an educational material for young
children. It deals with situations that are best understood by adults, such as
marital stress, combat-stress symptoms, alcoholism, and depression, including suicidal depression.
4. How will Coming Home be
distributed?
- Individual copies of Coming Home may be ordered
by service members or their family members by visiting www.militaryonesource.com or by calling 1-800-342-9647.
- Military community service providers, Commanders, chaplains, and other personnel
helping service members and their families may place bulk orders for appropriate events such as return and reunion briefings,
PDHRA activities, and other events supporting returning military service members.
Combat Pay Can Count toward Economic Stimulus Payment Eligibility
IR-2008-48, March 20, 2008
WASHINGTON — Military personnel serving in combat zones have the option of
including their nontaxable combat pay on their 2007 or 2008 income tax returns if it helps their eligibility for the 2008
economic stimulus payments.
To receive the stimulus payment this year, combat zone personnel or their spouses
must file a 2007 income tax return by Oct. 15. Otherwise, they can claim the economic stimulus payment on next year’s
income tax return.
“The last thing we want our troops in Iraq or other war zones to worry about
are their tax returns. But we do want the troops, and their families stateside, to know they may qualify for the economic
stimulus payment,” said Linda E. Stiff, Acting Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
Starting in May, the IRS will issue economic stimulus payments of up to $600 ($1,200
for married couples) plus a $300 payment for each qualifying child younger than 17. The payments are based on 2007 income
tax returns. The payments for individuals will begin to phase out starting at $75,000 in adjusted gross income ($150,000 for
married couples).
Even individuals and families who normally do not file a tax return because they
have no filing requirement may qualify for an economic stimulus payment. They may be eligible for the minimum payment of $300
($600 for married couples) plus the $300 for each qualifying child younger than 17.
People must have at least $3,000 in qualifying income to get a payment. Qualifying
income is defined as any combination of earned income (such as wages or taxable income from self-employment), nontaxable combat
pay and certain benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement.
Military personnel who normally would not file an income tax return because their
2007 income is not taxable can file a simple Form 1040A with the IRS if they want to receive the economic stimulus payment.
They should report their nontaxable combat pay on Line 40b of the Form 1040A to show at least $3,000 in qualifying income.
The Department of Defense lists the amount of excluded combat pay on line 12, box Q of Forms W-2 received by military personnel.
If a military person is serving in a combat zone, his or her normal tax filing requirement
is extended until at least 180 days after leaving a combat zone. However, spouses or others with a power of attorney can prepare
and file a 2007 income tax return on their behalf so that the stimulus payment is received this year.
The IRS has developed Package 1040A-3, an 8-page publication containing tax tips, a sample Form 1040A and a blank Form
1040A. The package, available at www.irs.gov, contains everything needed to file the return immediately.
To ensure that a stimulus payment will be received in 2008, the return must be filed
by Oct. 15 to allow sufficient time for processing.
There are a number of special tax code provisions that apply to members of the military
serving in combat zones. They include:
- All military pay earned by enlisted personnel or warrant officers is excluded
from gross income;
- Monthly pay of up to $6,867.60 earned by commissioned officers is excluded
from 2007 gross income.
- All military pay earned by enlisted personnel hospitalized because of injuries
sustained in a combat zone is excluded from gross income during the period of hospitalization. The exclusion is limited to
two years after the date of the termination of combatant activities in the combat zone.
- Commissioned officers hospitalized because of injuries sustained in a combat
zone have a monthly maximum exclusion of $6,867.60 for 2007 and have the same two-year limitation.
- Military personnel who miss a tax filing deadline because they are in a combat
zone have 180 days after they leave that combat zone to file a tax return, if they have taxable income.
All the provisions also apply to members of the Reserves and the National Guard.
The IRS reminds filers that they can get their stimulus payments faster by using
direct deposit when they file their tax return.
In addition, the IRS urges people to file electronically. For people who normally
are not required to file a tax return, the IRS and the Free File Alliance have a special program set up to allow for free
electronic filing. For those with computer access, IRS Free File –Economic Stimulus Payment is available at IRS.gov.
INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEE (IA)
CHILDREN and IA DEPLOYMENTS
An educational program covering topics such as how to help your children successfully manage
an extended deployment and ways children can stay connected to their deployed parent.
INDIVIDUAL AUGMENTEE Meetings:
Meet with other spouses of Individual Augmentees serving in various IA deployment locations.
For more information for IAs and family members, visit www.ecrc.navy.mil or call 877-364-4307
***********************************************************************************************
HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING FOR A BOOK WITH INFORMATION ON THE MILITARY FAMILY LIFESTYLE?
CHECK OUT THE INFO BELOW!!
http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=book_review
Mrs. Joanne Patton once said "I was raised with the book 'The Army Wife.'"
Do you have a book
that you cherish because it tells "your story" as a
military spouse today? Have you been looking for a book with information
or
guidance about the military family lifestyle. Fortunately, these days there
are many books on the market that fit
the bill; sometimes so many that
you're not sure which one to choose. Here you'll find reviews of books
written for
and about military families reviewed by military spouses.
Heroes at Home: Help & Hope for America's Military Families
When
Duty Calls: A guide to equip active duty, guard, and reserve personnel
and their loved ones for military separations
Separated
by Duty, United in Love; A Guide to Long-Distance Relationships
for Military Couples
While They're at War
Down
Range to Iraq and Back
COURAGE After Fire
Finding my Way- A Teen's Guide to Living with a Parent Who Has Experienced
Trauma
Your Soldier Your Army: A Parents Guide
Help! I'm a Military Spouse, I Want a Life Too!
Lizzie's
War
The Dandelion Diaries
Also reviews of books for younger children:
http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=books_for_children
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