Fighting New Battles - Arkansas National Guard

The Arkansas Minutemancover storyIraq in their shadow,Arkansas’ troops arefighting new battlesWorking to mendthe scars of warStory and photos by 1st Lt. Chris HeathscottArkansas National Guard Public AffairsAlong with the physicalreminders, the loss of 16Soldiers from shared hometownsin Arkansas has searedmemories into the minds ofmany of these men and women.Last spring, hundreds of Soldiers returning from Iraq with the39th Brigade Combat Team thought they were putting theiryearlong deployment behind them. For many of them, however,the deployment wasn’t left far behind. It continues to shadowtheir lives.Nearly 300 Soldiers who deployed with the 39th broughthome injuries from battle, along with the Purple Heart in honorof their sacrifice. However, these brave men and women werenot the only Soldiers tagged with reminders of their time inIraq. Non-battle injuries born from the strain of a yearlongdeployment offered many more with an undesirable souvenir oftheir time in service.Along with the physical reminders, the loss of 16 Soldiersfrom shared hometowns in Arkansas has seared memories intothe minds of many of these men and women. Experience onthe battlefield has left some fighting new battles at home. Thetruth of the matter is that battles leave scars…both physicallyand emotionally.The first step to healing these wounds is to identify theproblem, a challenge that the commander of the 39th BrigadeCombat Team, Col. Mike Ross, took seriously.“My primary concern right now is for the health and wellbeing of my Soldiers,” said Ross, who served as the brigade’sdeputy commanding officer during the deployment. “It is ourintent to take care of our Soldiers and to assist them the best wecan.”One method used to assist the troops is the Post DeploymentHealth Reassessment (PDHRA). The goal of the PDHRAis “to identify any potential health issues our Soldiers may haveas a result of their service, no matter how small….anythingfrom headaches to [Post Traumatic Stress Disorder],” said Ross.The initial results of the reassessment returned high numbersof referrals for follow up care for the brigade. PTSD hadindeed risen its head as an issue of concern, however, the largemajority of referrals were for follow up in relation to physicalSee ‘new battles’ on page 28Page 26 Summer Fall 2005 2006