Photo By Spc. Josh Lecappelain | Capt. Josh Tomchesson talks to Soldiers during a tobacco cessation class, Aug. 21,...... read more read more
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By Spc. Josh LeCappelain
4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – One of the greatest challenges tobacco users face is having the ability to stop – and stay stopped. For many, this enormous task can feel overwhelming at times; a burden too difficult to bear alone. Not only is nicotine a physical need, it also becomes a psychological one.
To help Soldiers defeat their tobacco addictions, tobacco cessation classes restarted here in June. According to Air Force Capt. Josh Tomchesson, deputy officer in charge of combat stress at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, the classes offer the perfect opportunity for "the elimination of a bad habit."
To Tomchesson, a member of the 732nd Expeditionary Support Squadron and a former tobacco user, the disadvantages of using tobacco products far outweigh any perceived positives.
"If you look at the health risks involved, it makes sense to stop," he said. "Cardiovascular disease is the number-one killer in America, and [it is] related to tobacco usage."
Stopping tobacco usage often leads to other advantages, like increased ability to run longer and faster (which improves Army Physical Fitness Test scores), a return of taste buds and an increased vitality. A 2004 study by Sir Richard Doll for the British Medical Journal found that stopping smoking in early adulthood can add up to 10 years of healthy life.
Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Kalsu would often stop in the combat stress building and ask about ways to help them quit their tobacco addictions.
"We have a huge need, with folks asking us for medication and about what they can do to stop," said Tomchesson, a graduate of Cameron University in Lawton, Texas. "We partnered up with the Troop Medical Clinic to provide a comprehensive service. The chaplain's service also lets us use their facility."
Unlike previous iterations of the classes, which had up to eight sessions scheduled, the new block of instructions fits comfortably into four classes.
"We have distributed the resources more equitably to meet Soldiers' needs, as well as that of our mission. We've structured the classes to provide multiple components: physical, psychological and behavioral," Tomchesson said.
"In the classes, we provide education, problem solving and, because of the nature of the class, we provide support.
Tomchesson says he often sees people experiencing a momentary relapse and feeling they've completely fallen off the wagon.
"You don't have to go back to square one," he added, saying Soldiers currently involved in the class have previously tried to stop between one and 15 times and that it usually takes between five and seven attempts to stop for good. "One cigarette doesn't give up everything they have done to stop smoking."
Soldiers who quit tobacco usage while deployed need to prepare themselves for a different set of challenges when they return home.
"Each is a unique environment -- if you don't prepare for both, you set yourself up for failure," Tomchesson said, stating specific examples of hanging out in relaxed environments with friends who smoke, and dealing with stressors not faced when deployed. "Our challenge is giving them the skills to apply to multiple environments."
Anyone is welcome to attend the classes and registration is not required prior to attendance.
"If folks are wondering what it is about or if they want to give it a look, it's a great time to come out and get more information," Tomchesson said.
The classes are held every Thursday, at 3 p.m., at the Kalsu Chapel.
| Date Taken: | 08.27.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 08.27.2008 08:56 |
| Story ID: | 22921 |
| Location: | ISKANDARIYAH, IQ |
| Web Views: | 201 |
| Downloads: | 175 |
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