113th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Story by Spc. Angel Martinez

By Spc. Angel D. Martinez
113th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq – The battlefield is a dangerous place. War and stress go hand-in-hand and mental health units are helping Soldiers fight against that stress, but they need Soldiers to take the initial step to get help.

The 785th Medical Company (Combat Stress Control Unit), an Army Reserve unit out of Fort Snelling, Minn., has joined this fight for the third time in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"Our main mission is to keep the Soldiers doing their mission with their unit," said Sgt. 1st Class Tim Lindquist, a Chanhassen, Minn., native and the unit's non-commissioned officer in charge.

If a Soldier needs help, the prevention team will assess and try to control the situation. If the case dictates, the prevention team will send the client to nearest on post restoration center.

Combat Stress Control is divided in two categories, prevention and restoration.

The prevention program is the same as the restorative, but with four-man teams integrated with units outside the wire before help is needed.

The restoration portion is a three-day program in which the "clients," Soldiers who visit the facility looking for help, have interviews with the mental health technician, psychiatrist, psychologist and other mental health experts. Although it is a three-day program, it is not limited to three days.

The patients also go through different classes focusing on subjects such as sleep, hygiene and relaxation techniques, coping skills, anger and stress management, bereavement, home front issues, communication, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder awareness and positive thinking.

The classes are available to everyone, and there are no appointments needed to attend them.

According to Lindquist, the number of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder cases is increasing due to the amount of rotations in OIF.

"What we've been finding is, now that guys are coming back for their third, fourth and sometimes even fifth time, and the tours being extended from 12 to 15 months, we're getting a lot more (cases of) chronic PTSD," he said.

The Combat Stress Control Center is located in Building C 70, on Camp Liberty West Logistic Support Area, next to the Witmer Troop Medical Clinic.

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