Feb. 24, 2011 Air Force has new weapon in fight against Spice Air Force officials began drug testing Airmen Feb. 22 to determine whether they are using Spice -- the street term for a range of designer synthetic-cannabinoid products. With the implementation of testing, officials intend to send a very clear message: use Spice, and you may lose your career, end
Feb. 24, 2011 CMSAF discusses need for strengthened resiliency at symposium The Air Force's senior enlisted leader discussed the importance of resiliency and its impact to the service Feb. 17 here during the Air Force Association's Air Warfare Symposium and Technology Exposition.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy spoke candidly about the repercussions of a
Feb. 17, 2011 Air Force officials warn: 'Spice' harmful to health, career A recent spate of incidents involving service members abusing the herbal mixture "spice" has prompted uniformed service leaders to stress the ramifications of using the drug and other prohibited substances, officials said here Feb 11. Marketed and sold as incense, and closely resembling potpourri,
Feb. 17, 2011 Parents of suicide victim share story On May 3, 2010, Joie Gates' boss entered her office and abruptly ordered a co-worker she was chatting with to leave with him. Three uniformed Air Force officers then entered the room and Ms. Gates knew she was about to get some bad news. They told her that her only child, Airman Austin Gates-Benson,
Feb. 17, 2011 Top doctor cites importance of psychological health Psychological health is among the military's most critical and most promising areas of medical treatment, the Defense Department's assistant secretary for health affairs said Feb. 8.Speaking at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury's Warrior Resilience
Feb. 17, 2011 Global Strike Airmen save lives by employing the wingman concept Two Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen employed the wingman concept recently when they alerted base security forces to the suicidal thoughts of their friend and got him the help he needed."A life was saved in our command that day because immediate action was taken by two wingmen who were paying
Feb. 9, 2011 The Air Force Medical Service – What’s Next? EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was published in U.S. Medicine's "This Year in Federal Medicine - Outlook 2011." It is re-published here with the publisher's permission.We in the Military Health System have made ourselves a tough act to follow. Our achievements have changed the face of war. We can
Jan. 25, 2011 No Airman left behind: Pursued by anxiety A young man lifts weights in a crowded gym. All of a sudden, a lion appears in the doorway, locks eyes with the young man and bursts into full pursuit. That surge of adrenaline and panic is what one Airman here felt while performing normal everyday tasks."I'm going through this feeling of a lion
Jan. 6, 2011 Suicide prevention alliance focuses on troops, veterans A suicide-prevention task force for service members and veterans has been added to a national alliance that officials hope will help bring more attention to the issues and offer solutions in the future.Officials with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention last week announced that
Jan. 6, 2011 Resiliency is key to surviving challenges Resiliency. Interesting word. Although I'm familiar with the meaning, I can't recall having ever actually used the word in conversation. Resiliency can be defined as the ability to grow and thrive in the face of challenges and to bounce back from adversity. A less formal expression of the concept
Dec. 17, 2010 Comprehensive Airman Fitness: Mental health through military fitness The holidays are a time to celebrate, but can be very stressful. Waiting in line, heel-to-toe for the perfect gift, hoping it's not sold out. Jumping from flight to flight and having to put up with the long lines and airport security. Red holiday lights -- could be a reminder of bumper to bumper
Dec. 1, 2010 Airman saves wingman from halfway around the world Police officials are crediting the quick actions of a security forces Airman here with saving the life of a former Airman living halfway around the world.Senior Airman Jordan Gunterman, a 379th Air Expeditionary Wing fly-away security team leader, led authorities to his the former coworker's Florida
Dec. 1, 2010 Fight against holiday depression The holiday season is viewed by many celebrants as a time of "peace on earth" and a sudden influx of packages through the post office.But for some servicemembers deployed during the holidays, peace and packages might be hard to find, or replaced entirely by depression or even thoughts of suicide.
Nov. 23, 2010 DOD center tracks health, illness in U.S. forces A new Defense Department agency employs combined medical expertise to track health, illness and injury across the military services, the center director said.Army Col. (Dr.) Robert F. DeFraites heads the Maryland-based American Forces Health Surveillance Center, which serves servicemembers, family
Nov. 22, 2010 Children of deployed more likely to seek mental health care Young children from military families are more likely to seek mental and behavioral health care when a parent is deployed than when a parent is at home, a military study has concluded.Findings also show that children of married couples -- with the father as the servicemember -- are more likely to
Nov. 8, 2010 CMSAF visits Andrews, discusses Air Force issues More than 900 Airmen from Joint Base Andrews gathered to hear the Air Force perspective from the highest ranking enlisted Airman.Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James A. Roy spoke to JB Andrews Airmen about joint readiness, deliberate development and building resiliency during an enlisted call
Nov. 8, 2010 Air Guard adds psychological health directors Air National Guard leaders have created a new, wing-level position to provide mental health support to Airmen and their families before and after deployments."The Air Guard is the only service component that does not have military members who are mental health professionals or technicians," said
Nov. 2, 2010 Q and A with Lt. Gen (Dr.) Charles B. Green This interview with the AF/SG appeared in the September/October 2010 edition of SERGEANTS Magazine. It appears here with the publisher's permission.Q. How is the Air Force medical community bridging medical treatment for all Airmen? How does the Air Force "team" with the Department of Veterans
Nov. 1, 2010 The Enlisted Perspective: Even one suicide is too many An alarming trend is happening in our Air Force, and we need your help. We've had a drastic increase this year in the number of suicides among our total force Airmen - active duty, guard, reserve and civilians. Last year we lost 84 Airmen by suicides; this year, we've nearly reached that number, and
Nov. 1, 2010 VA officials taking life-saving campaign to streets Nearly 1,200 life-saving advertisements are going up on city buses, bus shelters, rail and subway stations across the nation displaying a message of hope for those who have served their country and may be facing an emotional crisis. Department of Veterans Affairs officials are advertising the VA