Photo By Jovi Prevot | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jean Whaley, left, a behavioral health specialist, and Maj. Dale...... read more read more
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CAMP TAJI, Iraqi – “Resiliency is the ability to really bounce back from a difficult situation - stressful situations; it keeps the warfighter mentally and emotionally capable. So they are able to do their job, without distraction,” said Maj. Dale Willis, a behavioral health officer assigned to 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team.
For Willis and Staff Sgt. Jean Whaley, a behavioral health specialist, both assigned to Company C, 106th Support Battalion, 155th Armored Brigade Combat Team, Mississippi Army National Guard, Soldier welfare is their duty.
“Our role as a behavioral health team is to conduct battlefield circulation missions to locations where our deployed troops are located,” said Whaley.
Resiliency is a priority for the United States Army. Measuring resiliency is no easy task, though. It requires trained behavioral health professionals engaging Soldiers on a personal level.
The Behavioral health team conducted one of multiple battlefield circulations to visit troops deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, Dec. 17-27, 2018.
Their unique training and experience enable them to personally engage with Soldiers.
“This rotation to Taji, Iraq, allows us to talk with our Soldiers, discuss concerns they have and assist them with counseling opportunities,” she said.
The main mission is to check on the Soldiers and see how they are managing day-to-day stress.
“Resiliency is how Soldiers are coping with the deployment stress, being away from family and friends and how they are dealing with the current mission,” said Willis.
For the Willis and Whaley team, Soldier care is just business as usual.
“This is our second rotation to Taji, and we have also had missions throughout the rest of the area of operations,” said Whaley. “We do this kind of thing a lot.”
This trip also afforded the opportunity to work alongside their troops of the 1st Squadron, 98th Cavalry Regiment, as they interact with Iraqi soldiers.
“Part of the 1-98th’s mission is to train and assist the [Iraqi] 9th Armor Medical Team,” said Willis. “So we observed them providing medical training.”
The team also got to watch Soldiers bond with their Iraqi counterparts.
“We have also been afforded the opportunity to observe the Medics of the 1-98 Cav. as they foster relationships with the Iraqi 9th Armor Medical provider, Maj. Mohamad,” said Whaley. “Maj. Willis and I were welcomed by Maj. Mohamad to speak with him and other officers about their experiences battling ISIS in Mosul.”
“[Maj. Mohamad] talked about treating more than 70 soldiers with battlefield injuries,” said Willis.
“He was relaying how stressful it was for him as the only medical provider present during the battle of Mosul,” he said. “He was able to talk about his experience and share his story; he made a negative experience a positive memory – that is resiliency.”
| Date Taken: | 12.23.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 01.23.2019 09:22 |
| Story ID: | 307890 |
| Location: | CAMP TAJI, IQ |
| Hometown: | HATTIESBURG, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 156 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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