Courtesy Photo | (Photo courtesy Staff Sgt. Quan-Phillip Pham) Capt. Jeffrey Kim (far left), Lt. Col....... read more read more
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FALLS CHURCH, Va.- Asking for help can be one of the hardest things a person can do. It’s especially hard for Soldiers who have it in their DNA to press forward and finish the mission no matter what. Army Staff Sgt. Quan Phillip Pham was one such Soldier. He recalls his time during a deployment last year to the Middle East, which was especially busy for the California National Guardsman. “I was like the mayor of the base, and so I knew everybody- I helped everyone coming in, got rooms situated, and helped with the VIPs coming in. I was involved in a lot of day-to-day activities there.”
In January of 2024, a drone attack at the base landed Pham in the Soldier Recovery Unit at Fort Bliss. “I was in my sleeping quarters at about 5:30 am when the drone hit,” said the married father of three. “I was medically evacuated due to a Traumatic Brain Injury. I had constant headaches and sensitivity to light, which is why I have to wear sunglasses all the time now.”
Pham had other deployments in his career and says he knew a recovery program for Soldiers existed. He never imagined he would need it. “I knew of the Warrior Transition Units back in the day, and I helped Soldiers go to their appointments when we returned from Kosovo. I never thought I would be at the current-day Soldier Recovery Unit at Fort Bliss.”
Being in an SRU and connecting with like-minded Soldiers made Pham realize the Army Recovery Care Program is there for the taking, and he wishes more wounded, ill, or injured Soldiers would reach out and take advantage of the help offered. “There's nothing wrong with asking for help. Many of us have gone through a dark period, and it takes a while to pull ourselves out. Now I feel better having asked for help and surrounding myself with a support system as best as possible. It can be difficult if you don’t have a support system. It could be that your family is your main support system. Even from afar, you need to open up to your family and friends.”
The connections made within the SRU are also part of the building blocks of support Pham says are vital to recovery. “I talk to about 15 or so service members and what we've been through, and we all try to help each other surpass the dark and support each other mentally and spiritually, too.”
Besides the physical and occupational therapy offered at the SRU, Pham took advantage of career and education classes as he prepares to retire from the Army medically. “I’m going through the Commercial Driver’s License course here at Ft Bliss, at a trucking school, getting certified in 5th wheel towing, hazmat, and single and double trailer classes.”
With more than 20 years of service in the Army, Pham offers this advice to younger Soldiers about their health. “Don’t think like the old standard Army that I grew up with, that if you seek help, you are weak. In this day and age, there is nothing wrong with asking for help. The Army has it.”
| Date Taken: | 05.30.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.02.2025 13:31 |
| Story ID: | 499292 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 56 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Reach out for support and surpass the dark., by MaryTherese Griffin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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