For Some, the Toughest Battle May Be at Home
Cpl. Frans E. Labranche [Source]

A little heard of program developed by the clinical staff at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow offers service members a big opportunity to overcome issues related to combat stress and PTSD.

Leathernecks often return from deployments with horrible images of war playing over and over in their heads and try to go about their normal lives only to be met with stresses and emotional issues they haven’t encountered before. Those who seek help are widely successful but are usually Marines on large installations with medical facilities for their recuperation on hand.

For reserve Marines who return to small Inspector-Instructor staff detachments, however, life is expected to continue on, and information about recovery processes may be very limited.

“Every reserve command should know about this program,” said Master Sgt. Gordon Roy, technical control chief here. “Marines that need help need to know where to get it.”

The program uses several methods of helping Marines reconnect with their pre-PTSD selves and offers a peaceful 10 days away from the pressures of life.

“When I got there, it was like the film kept on playing in the front of my head, and the real me wasn’t connected anymore,” said Staff Sgt. Ronaldo Sereal, a radio chief here who went through the Barstow program in May.

Using a series of treatments including eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, neuro-linguistic programming and clinical hypnosis, the clinic weans Marines off medication and into healthfully healing the stress of combat.

“The hypnosis is not like you see on TV where a doctor comes in and swings a watch in front of you and tells you, ‘you’re getting sleepy,’” said Sereal. “It gives you a chance to relive and re-evaluate the situations that bother you and the problems that you brought back; it really helped me to re-connect.”

The Warrior Strengthening Program’s neuro-linguistic programming is a set of guiding principles about real-life which allow an individual to change, adopt or eliminate behaviors, according to the program overview. This allows the patient to choose the state and level of their own well-being.

“The treatment worked and I haven’t looked back,” Sereal said.

The program makes three follow-up evaluations by calling the patient, their commanding officer, and family and friends. One 30 days after the program, another at six months, and a final evaluation after one year.

This method of evaluation allows for the program to ensure the full recovery of each Marine, and it seems to be working.

The program managers boast a 98 percent success rate, and senior leadership is pleased.

“I am excited that such a program exists for our Marines,” said Sgt. Maj. Robert E. Roberts, Marine Forces Reserve Headquarters battalion sergeant major. “This is an excellent opportunity, and it’s unfortunate that more don’t know about the benefits it offers.”

And the benefits are astronomical for Sereal.

“I didn’t think that the stress was as bad as it was before I went,” he said. “I got there really wanting to get better. The course was 10 days long, but I think I was better after three.”

If the Warrior Strengthening program has been this successful for the few who know about it, more PTSD recovery programs are needed.

“They (the programs) work,” said Sereal” “I think every Marine that has troubles when they get back from Iraq should do the right thing and get help.”

Many commands are starting to realize the importance of treating PTSD.

In July, Marine Forces Reserve counselors, medical personnel and command leadership were invited to a Combat Operational Stress Control Training seminar given by Lt. Cmdr. Peter Bauer, officer in charge at Behavioral Health Medical Task Force, Camp Shelby, Miss.

The seminar helps attendees recognize signs and minimize the negative impact of combat operational stress on service members and their families.

Seminars like this will provide better, more up-to-date information to leadership, who, in-turn, can give their warriors the proper weapons to fight the war on PTSD.

For more information on the Warrior Strengthening program, contact William Boxx at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, California, at (760) 577-6533 or by email at william.boxx@usmc.mil.

For more information on the Combat Operational Stress Control Training seminar, contact Janie Beers at mailto:Janie.beers@navy.mil.

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