BETHESDA, Md. – May 21, 2025 Expeditionary medical teams play a dual role—as caregivers and as guardians of their own wellness with mental health as a core component of combat readiness, especially within expeditionary medicine.
Medical professionals are expected to operate in high-stress, high-risk environments while supporting warfighters and stabilizing casualties and that mission starts with ensuring they themselves are mentally fit and emotionally resilient.
“As medical professionals, we are quick to ensure the health and safety of our comrades. But to be effective warfighters, we need to commit to our health – mind, body, and soul,” said Naval Medical Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) Bethesda Command Master Chief Aaron Paul, a native from Bronx, N.Y. “We are all humans, and empathy for coworkers and their families is mission essential.”
Leaders and peers alike must encourage open conversations, destigmatize help-seeking, and prioritize empathy. Just as we ensure physical readiness before a deployment, we must do the same for mental health.
Immediate, confidential mental health support is accessible worldwide for Service members, veterans, and their families—reinforcing our commitment to “Taking Care of Our People.”
Mental health resources are globally accessible for service members and their families.
Updated access to the Veterans/Military Crisis Line (VCL/MCL) is available across all combatant commands, ensuring no one is ever without support—whether in the continental United States, or outside the continental United States (OCONUS).
For anyone in distress, experiencing a crisis, or supporting someone who is:
• Call: 988 and press 1
• Visit: www.veteranscrisisline.net
• Text/Chat: Send a message to 838255 or use VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat
For those OCONUS, new region-specific crisis lines provide direct access to trained responders:
Combatant Command Off-Base Number DSN (On Base)
NORTHCOM Dial 988, Press 1 DSN 988
INDOPACOM +1 844-702-5493 DSN 988
EUCOM +1 844-702-5495 DSN 988
CENTCOM +1 855-422-7719 DSN 988
AFRICOM +1 888-482-6054 DSN 988
SOUTHCOM +1 866-989-9599 DSN 988
More details can be found at: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/military-crisis-line
Providing access to these life-saving resources and ensuring they are well-publicized within every unit and location is a collective responsibility. From the Pentagon to the farthest deployed location, no one serves alone.
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2025 06:41 |
| Story ID: | 498666 |
| Location: | BETHESDA, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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