Photo By Sgt. Kyle McNally | Marines with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command conduct "dynamic...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE, CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 15, 2013) – The Marines and Sailors at U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command are innovators; solvers of complex problems who are committed to achieving their mission to the best of their abilities. Their approach to fitness is no different.
MARSOC’s Performance and Resiliency (PERRES) program was conceptualized in 2009 with the help of Col. George Bristol, the architect of the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and then MARSOC’s inspector general and Assistant Chief of Staff. The program doesn’t just focus on enhancing physical fitness, but largely aims to strengthen the mind and spirit.
“Ultimately, PERRES is a culture,” said Brad Lambert, MARSOC’s PERRES program manager. “It emphasizes personal and unit development, spiritually, mentally and physically.”
PERRES takes what Lambert calls “a resiliency approach” to wellness, focusing on performance enhancement and prevention rather than reactive measures.
“We want to teach, educate and train Marines to optimize their capabilities while preventing injury and sustaining a career within the Corps,” said Lambert.
MARSOC’s leadership has embraced the PERRES program and is taking an aggressive approach to incorporate all available and emerging capabilities to preserve its forces and their families throughout their assignment, said Lambert. In addition to resourcing this effort, another huge push is informing and educating MARSOC personnel to ensure they know the program’s “pro-habilitative” focus on mind, body and spirit, he said.
Through proactive measures, PERRES addresses the personal complexities that can sometimes arise from war, such as injury and anxiety. However, according to Dr. Carroll Greene, MARSOC’s command psychologist, the effects of combat on the mind and spirit are often more positive than negative.
“The un-sensational – and therefore unspoken – truth is that seventy-five to ninety-five percent of our warriors and their families experience long-term growth, family pride, enhanced self-esteem, strength development from stress inoculation and many other benefits from their service, acceptance of risk and personal sacrifices,” he said.
Greene posits that Marines have a “warrior mindset”; something that attracts them to the challenging lifestyle of the Corps. According to Bristol, the PERRES emphasis on spirituality targets that mindset.
“You’re living a life less ordinary,” said Bristol in an interview with the Marine Corps Times. “You’re doing something tremendous for your country, something tremendous for the Marine Corps, something tremendous for your family.”
Each component within U.S. Special Operations Command uses a PERRES program of some type. Although the newest command in SOCOM, MARSOC has already steered innovations in a different direction than those of its special operations counterparts.
“We’ve placed a big emphasis on the integration of PERRES within the command,” said Lambert. “We want to increase force readiness while maximizing the health of the service member and family member in a proactive manner.”
As part of this integration, PERRES has aligned with MARSOC’s family readiness program, said Lambert.
“This will shift the focus of the family readiness program from supporting the Marine to supporting the personal growth and development of the family member,” he said, referring to the “holistic” concept of PERRES.
MARSOC provides its Marines, Sailors and their families with PERRES subject matter experts at the battalion level, the first time a Marine Corps organization has done so, said Lambert.
Representatives include physical therapists, strength coaches, psychologists, chaplains and a command dietician.
These additions provide MARSOC personnel with an ability to recover amidst a high operational tempo, said Lambert. One example is the Third Location Decompression (TLD), which provides an immediate release for Marines and Sailors returning from deployment, allowing them to reintegrate and decompress at a third location prior to coming home.
During TLD, Marines check in with a physical therapist, a psychologist and a chaplain to screen for potential issues, and to “expedite their access to subject matter expertise,” Lambert said.
Marines can access the same services in garrison. A weekly “Alternative Pain Management Clinic” provides acupuncture, physical therapy and trigger point dry needling to address musculoskeletal pain and symptoms of anxiety and insomnia, all without medication.
While PERRES has made significant strides at MARSOC, Lambert says that the program will continue to grow.
“Ultimately, we’re going to find better ways to make Marines and their families more efficient and resilient at what they do,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 01.15.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.15.2013 16:06 |
| Story ID: | 100533 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Web Views: | 3,620 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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