KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Many deployed soldiers look forward to the day they can descend the steps of an aircraft and take their first steps on U.S. soil. Task Force Thunder’s missions in Afghanistan are winding down, and that day, beginning their reintegration into Army life at Fort Campbell, is fast approaching.
With anticipation building for the return trip home, the process of settling in will take time, patience and a little bit of flexibility. Remember SRP before deployment? The process of reintegration will be SRP times seven, and every bit of time added to that predeployment SRP processes indicates the level of importance when returning to life in the States.
Getting prepared
Maj. La Rue Meehan, brigade personnel officer, has been through multiple deployments and said that preparing oneself mentally now for the process will make for a smoother re-integration later.
“It’s going to be a change of pace, slower than usual,” he said. “Expect it to [seem] boring, and expect each day to be a full day.”
Every dark cloud has its silver lining, and to brighten this dreary situation, reintegration schedules have been determined by flight schedules. Day Zero begins the moment soldiers arrive at Fort Campbell. There will enough "hurrying up to wait" in the next few days, so those on the first chalks will get a little head start on the process. No matter the order of arrival, the schedule of events will be the same.
What to expect
The full seven-day reintegration process begins the day after soldiers arrive home, but allows for plenty of time to reconnect with loved ones – time that is just as important as the paperwork and briefings to be completed.
“Your families will have changed too, not just you,” said Sgt. David Ojeda, pathfinder with Task Force Palehorse.
Family, friends and senior leadership will all be lined up waiting with arms outstretched to welcome their heroes home. In military fashion, one by one, soldiers will make their way to the reception ceremony. Unlike basic training, this reception will be a real celebration - complete with refreshments, live music performed by the Army band, and the most important part, family members.
After a short formation and welcome home speeches, each soldier will be released for 15 minutes to say hello and reconnect with family members briefly. At minute 16, it’s back into formation and then onto buses to turn in sensitive items, a process that should only take a couple of hours, before being released for the evening.
Reintegration day one begins bright and early with a formation in the company area, with no exceptions, except a few major holidays. Soldiers will be assigned one of the seven stations and will need to be prepared with their SRP packets in hand, and pens holstered in the pockets of their jacket sleeves. Each SRP packet should include SGLV paperwork, a DD93 form, and all leave forms, to include mid-tour leave.
When given a choice, most people prefer to hear the bad news before the good news, and that is exactly the approach taken with the schedule. Day one is going to be a bear of a day, so have a good breakfast in your belly and a full cup of coffee in your hand. It includes suicide prevention, post deployment stress, drug and alcohol briefings. To add a little variety, information on the retrieval of stored personal items and POVs are mixed into the day’s schedule. Transportation will be handled solely by bus for the duration of the reintegration period, but POVs will be available for retrieval on day two.
Days two through seven will also begin bright and early, but soldiers will be split into groups and cycle through the remaining six stations at different times, ensuring wait times are cut down as much as possible. Expect a thorough medical and financial review, the two most important areas to soldiers’ health and welfare. The lines may be long, but the days will be filled with friendly faces who are there to help soldiers transition from deployment and back into life in the States.
Remember what's important
Coming home from a deployment takes a toll on soldiers that many don’t expect until they arrive. Ojeda can speak from experience and says it’s important to take it slow during this adjustment period.
“It takes a week or so to get back to a normal schedule,” he said.
During that period, it’s important to be mindful of activities once the training day comes to an end. The stress of returning from deployment can increase the risk for atypical behavior. Meehan mirrored the importance of taking it slow during the first few weeks at home.
“Statistically it’s safer to be here in theater deployed, than to bring you home,” Meehan said. “Here you have leaders looking at you every day, but once home soldiers are left to their own accord when the duty day is over.”
Although the first seven duty days back home will run on the reintegration station schedule, units may have additional training scheduled for each day. Meehan expressed how important it is to take advantage of the programs available and the help given to each soldier, ensuring things are done correctly instead of hastily.
“You are going back [through the reintegration process] to reset and make sure you are okay,” Meehan said. “Rather than rush through this process, take the time to get what you need.”
| Date Taken: |
11.03.2011 |
| Date Posted: |
11.03.2011 02:04 |
| Story ID: |
79482 |
| Location: |
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, AF |
| Web Views: |
203 |
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0 |
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This work, Operation home front: Let the reintegration process begin!, by SGT Nicole Smart, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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