Embedded Airmen aid Taji Soldiers at CSC

Published Oct. 12, 2009
By Senior Airman Andria J. Allmond
332nd Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs

CAMP TAJI, Iraq -- The Combat Stress Clinic at Camp Taji, Iraq, is swirling with digital-print patterned activity. Mostly, the health care providers are outfitted in Army combat uniforms, but a few sets of sage tiger-striped garb mark the Air Force's presence among the sea of Soldiers.

Four 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing mental health care providers are embedded into the Army's 55th Medical Company here, providing treatment and prevention of mental health issues for servicemembers in the Baghdad and central Iraq area.

"The Air Force's role here is to augment the Army in terms of combat stress treatment and other mental health concerns," said Air Force Master Sgt. James Bridwell, mental health technician at the Camp Taji CSC. "We function as a unifying force by providing the manpower -- psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker and mental health technician -- necessary to treat the troops here.

"Whether Army or Air Force, mental health is the same across the board. Yes, there are some differences between the two branches. But, as far as the mission, we are all on the same page."

The clinic doesn't just focus on combat stress -- the providers and technicians treat a variety of health issues affecting servicemembers' mental and emotional resilience.

"Our main focus is to come together and keep the warfighter mission-capable," said Army Staff Sgt. George McQuade, NCO in charge of the clinic's prevention team. "In the past, when we were experiencing more troops being engaged in combat here, we were treating things like stress reactions. Since the mission has changed from a few years ago, we're looking at different issues from before.

"Now, we see the troops facing communication, family and job issues, more so than combat-related issues. One way the Air Force has helped us with these changing needs is by their commitment to the drug and alcohol program."

In order to keep the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines on Camp Taji at their best, the dual-branch team takes a two-pronged approach. Sergeant McQuade, deployed from Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, Ind., said that mental health providers treat patients while technicians participate in preventive treatments.

"We conduct classes to help prevent mental health issues from surfacing," said Sergeant McQuade. "We want to address issues that are concerns among troops as well as their leadership. We get out there and see what's going on in the different units. This may mean we are giving instruction on anger management, redeployment or stress management depending on the needs of the unit."

Air Force Maj. Derek Munoz, CSC staff psychologist, said the clinic stays busy, comparable to a stateside outpatient clinic.

"Day-in and day-out, we have our normal scheduled appointments, plus (the providers) trade off being on-call for any emergency appointments," he said. "We have walk-ins every day, and since demographics drive the system, we mostly see Soldiers opposed to Airmen."

Sergeant Bridwell, deployed here from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., said that Soldiers at Camp Taji haven't been put off by receiving treatment from Airmen. Aside from the occasional administrative differences, the team has been successful in avoiding branch-related snags in treating mental health matters.

No matter what the specific health topic, the Air Force providers face some similar issues treating Soldiers as they face treating security forces Airmen.

"I've never worked with the Army before this deployment, but I find some resemblance between them and our security forces," said Air Force psychiatrist Capt. Joy Jones, deployed from Offutt AFB, Neb. "It takes time to break down the tough exterior, get them to talk, or for some, to go to mental health at all. We all need to be educated and let commanders know that having a person go to mental health doesn't mean they're out of the fight. I've seen people who waited too long to get help and then end up with career-ruining problems because they didn't come for help early."

As one of the many successful joint missions downrange, the Air Force and Army professionals at the CSC take pride in their common dedication to helping fellow servicemembers in need.

"We all get along and are working for the same goal," said Sergeant Bridwell. "It's great working with the Army because they've been doing this a long time and they have this down to as close to an exact science as it can be. Together we do whatever we can to get our people -- Airmen and Soldiers -- on the right road. And at this point, I think the only way to tell us apart is by the uniform."