10/26/2022
Undersecretary of the Army Hon. Gabe Camarillo visited Fort Riley, Kansas, for a tour and orientation brief. The 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley Sexual Harassment Assault Response and Prevention Fusion Directorate welcomed Camarillo with a tour of the installation’s Fusion Directorate facility and briefed him on the opportunities, challenges and lessons learned during the Fusion Directorate pilot program.
10/26/2022
Recently, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued a warning to parents and caregivers to be on the lookout for fake pills containing the lethal synthetic opioid fentanyl. There has been a sharp rise in fentanyl deaths in the past couple of years. According to the DEA, cartels and gangs make fentanyl and press the opioid into fake pills that are made to look like OxyContin, Xanax, Adderall and other prescription drugs.
10/26/2022
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about the over-the-counter drug Benzedrex and the harmful effects of misusing it. Benzedrex is a nasal decongestant inhaler and is used short term to temporarily relieve congestion due to colds, hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies. According to the FDA, the health risks of abusing propylhexedrine (nasal decongestant inhalers) include psychosis, pulmonary disease and sudden death.
10/24/2022
The Department of Defense recently announced the winners of the 32nd Annual Secretary of Defense Community Drug Awareness Awards. The Fort Hood, Texas, Army Substance Abuse Program was selected as the Army’s winner, and the Florida National Guard Counterdrug Program Drug Demand Reduction Outreach was selected as the National Guard winner.
10/24/2022
A place for Soldiers and Civilians to recharge during the day was dedicated at U.S. Army Sustainment Command (ASC) headquarters in Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois. The recharge room has two rooms: one for relaxing and one for exercising. The relax room has massage and lounge chairs. The exercise room has two treadmills, an elliptical machine, a set of weights and a weight bench. The area is intended to improve the mental and physical health of ASC’s workforce.
10/24/2022
More than 150 military Members, their Families, Veterans and others attended the 2022 Kid’s Pumpkin Fest and Fire Safety Event held at the South Post Community Center at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. This was the third children’s resiliency event organized through a multiple-directorate team effort to create activities where participants experience all five dimensions of wellness: emotional, spiritual, physical, social and intellectual.
10/20/2022
Today the DOD released the DOD Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: Calendar Year 2021, which provides annual suicide data and outlines efforts to address and prevent suicide.
10/19/2022
Upgrading living quarters, extending permanent change of station accommodations and enhancing services for military team members will be among the quality-of-life improvements the Army will make for its Soldiers, according to the service’s top enlisted leader. To help eradicate sexual harassment and sexual assault from its ranks, Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Grinston said, the Army will focus on building trust among its Soldiers, noncommissioned officers and their chains of command.
10/18/2022
Sgt. Maj. Rafael Colon Hernandez, assistant chief of staff of medical at U.S. Army South, sat proudly in his office decorated with awards, coins and memorabilia from his more than 29 years of service in the U.S. Army. Behind the pride of his honorable service, he reflected on countless moments of abuse, neglect, racism and combat-related trauma he had to overcome throughout his life.
10/14/2022
As the Army moves forward with transforming for the future, taking care of team members is the central focus, senior leaders stressed at this year’s annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army. One of the concerns that Army team members have faced in recent years is the stigma associated with seeking help for mental illness.
10/12/2022
Building cohesive teams and creating a healthy command climate are critical to preventing harmful behaviors, such as substance abuse, sexual harassment/sexual assault and suicide, Army’s People First Task Force leaders emphasized at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington. “Cohesive teams — Soldiers that are connected to Family, unit and friends — are foundational to the Army," Maj. Gen. Christopher Norrie, the task force director, said. "This is what ‘People First’ means.”
10/11/2022
In April, a Soldier stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, was found dead in his on-post quarters. A preliminary investigation by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division suggested a drug overdose, but a more detailed examination revealed that the Soldier had ingested counterfeit Percocet tablets that contained fentanyl. The Texas man who sold the highly potent synthetic opioid was arrested and convicted.
10/07/2022
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) strives to bring awareness to mental health and death by suicide. As the Defense Department's only Level II trauma center overseas, LRMC is one of the first stops for Soldiers throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East who are in need of psychiatric evaluation. Decades of war have taken an emotional toll on not only the service members who are on the front line but also on the Family members who support them.
10/04/2022
During a 15-week series, Master Resilience Trainers from across the Army Materiel Command (AMC) enterprise will review aspects of resiliency, hoping to help participants become better equipped to use life skills and build mental and emotional fitness.
10/03/2022
Preventing suicides and treating people with substance use disorders (SUDs) topped the discussion during the Annual Substance Use Disorder Symposium, hosted by the National Capital Region Pain Initiative at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The symposium, in its sixth year, virtually brought together clinicians, researchers and other health care practitioners from around the globe to present their work, which focused on identifying, preventing and treating SUDs.
10/03/2022
There was a significant increase in the prevalence and reports of sexual assaults across the Army last year, according to the Department of Defense’s annual fiscal-year report on this crime, which was released Sept. 1.
