Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Ange Desinor | Maj. Alexander Ragan, center, a Littleton, Colo., native and the behavioral health...... read more read more
PAYNESVILLE, Liberia – As Soldiers prepare to transition out of Liberia and into controlled monitoring areas, a few may face certain challenges such as stress. Some Soldiers may suffer from mild anxiety after being away from home. To help, Soldiers will look to their peers or seek help from a behavioral health specialist. By having a behavioral health advocate available, it promotes the strength of the battle buddy system and the mantra that Soldiers take care of each other.
Maj. Alexander Ragan, the behavioral health officer for the Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 36th Engineer Brigade, provides behavioral health support to all Soldiers at the National Police Training Academy, in support of Operation United Assistance, but he can’t be with every group that enters the CMAs.
“I educate Soldiers on purposefulness, on supporting each other and the battle buddy system approach to recognize signs and symptoms of Soldiers who are struggling,” said Ragan, a Littleton, Colorado, native. “It's more of a need now that we are transitioning out of Liberia to the controlled monitoring environment.”
Ragan said the unit has one behavioral health officer and two chaplains in the brigade, and they can’t be everywhere at once. So they’re training and empowering other Soldiers to help support their peers.
He said medics as well as key leaders, whom the command has seen as positive and approachable, are receiving additional training to be behavioral health advocates to help identify Soldiers who need support.
“This helps us balance out our assets while we are here and transitioning out to go to the CMA,” said Ragan.
Some of the things Soldiers can do to mitigate stress are: Early identification, encourage others to utilize helping services, awareness of current unit stress issues, and assist in diminishing stigma and barriers, he said.
One of the main goals is to be aware of a situation before it gets to any medical professional or chaplain.
The behavioral health advocates serve as the first stop in helping Soldiers dealing with stress. However, they are not therapists. Ragan said he encourages Soldiers to seek professional help when available.
Staff Sgt. Timothy Moser, a San Diego, native and an operations noncommissioned officer, of the 104th Engineer Company, 62nd Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade, was chosen as the company's behavioral health advocate.
“I'm able to help out Soldiers that need my help,” he said. “My tolerance level for stress is pretty high, so it's easier for me to deal with my own as well as help mitigate the stresses Soldiers go through.”
Leaving the environment to regroup is a technique Moser learned to deal with stress while attending the stress management class.
“I call that running back to the 50-yard line,” said Moser. “When I have my moments, I separate myself from the environment and regroup. Going to [the dining facility] is my stress reliever. It's like my own little sanctuary and my own time that I have for myself.”
Moser said transitioning out of Liberia and into a CMA can be stressful for many Soldiers. The process of not knowing what to expect can weigh heavily on a Soldier’s mind because they're coming back from a unique mission.
“Sometimes we wonder what the CMA's are going to be like. Are [people] going to be scared of us and think that we have Ebola?” asked Moser. “A lot of people don't understand or aren't educated enough so they might treat us different.”
Seeing things from a different perspective has helped Moser and his Soldiers cope with stress.
“We get so focused on ourselves or view a situation with tunnel vision, we miss the big picture,” said Moser. “We don't see a positive side to certain things when we get caught up in the negativity.”
Soldiers are preparing for what their role is going to be for completing the mission, Ragan said. Because the Soldiers worked hard and were successful in a short amount of time, they're able to go home sooner. That can have an effect on Soldiers.
Ragan meets with each behavioral health advocate to discuss high-risk service members in units, to make sure those in need are seeking care and to assess morale in the unit.
“The program reinforces resiliency and helps Soldiers maintain readiness,” said Ragan. “The sooner the Soldiers get help or help themselves, the better.”
| Date Taken: | 01.10.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 01.10.2015 02:23 |
| Story ID: | 151662 |
| Location: | MONROVIA, LR |
| Hometown: | LITTLETON, CO, US |
| Hometown: | SAN DIEGO, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 375 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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