May 3, 2022 Language-enabled Airmen support mental health initiative with partner nation A team of seven French Language Enabled Airman Program scholars recently partnered with the Defense Institute for Medical Operations to provide language support for a mental health mobile training team in N'Djamena, Chad.
July 1, 2019 A visible war on invisible wounds As the Airman speaks, the tears well up in her eyes until the weight brings them rolling down her cheeks. She can’t hold her tears back, but she won’t keep quiet; every tear is a memory and every word a liberating breath.Every sob is met with a comforting hand on the shoulder and a ‘we are with you,
May 24, 2019 Seeking mental health treatment: 49th Maintenance Group chief shares his experience with PTSD “Dealing with a traumatic event from 2011 in Afghanistan, I realize now that I probably needed help long before 2018, but at the time I felt like I’d figured out how to control the ghosts in my head. I forced myself to keep them at bay, and instead of dealing with my problems, I just let them
Sept. 4, 2018 Air Force's first Invisible Wounds Center opens The 96th Medical Group held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Air Force’s first Invisible Wounds Center Aug. 30.
Aug. 19, 2018 Finding healing through helping others Senior Master Sgt. Richard “Joe” Chwalik has been through a lifetime’s worth of setbacks; incidents that have left long-lasting emotional scars. Yet, he found his way through the darkness by asking for help when he needed it most.
May 15, 2018 Check your ego at the door, be your own advocate Master Sgt. James Stalnaker always thought going to mental health was a deal breaker for your career; that mental issues make you a weaker person. It took encountering struggles of his own to change those views.
March 14, 2018 Clinic answers call for invisible wound care In the midst of brain injury awareness month, construction of a facility to treat traumatic brain injury is well underway at the 96th Medical Group.
Dec. 19, 2017 Air Force tackles Traumatic Brain Injury with early detection and holistic approach to treatment With over 3,000 cases of traumatic brain injury on average per year, TBI continues to be a significant issue for Airmen and readiness. TBI is an invisible wound, meaning the lack of physical markers often makes it difficult to detect or for others to understand the severity.
Sept. 20, 2017 Invisible wounds: Finding a voice Air Force leadership and wounded warriors came together to speak out on invisible wounds during a panel discussion at this year’s Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference, Sept. 18, 2017.
June 29, 2017 Healing from invisible wounds: The other side of the story Chanda D’Angelo was in a frenzy; she quickly washed all the clothes in her home, zoomed the vacuum across every floor, wiped down every surface, cleaned out the refrigerator and stove and scrubbed the windows and mirrors until they were spotless. Exhausted, she had just enough time to get her hair
June 14, 2017 Healing from invisible wounds On Jan. 15, 2008, Senior Airman Christopher D’Angelo, a heavy equipment operator, was the lead gunner in an armored vehicle convoy on a road near Baghdad. The sun was shining and the air comfortable. His unit had just transported construction materials to forward operating bases and was currently
April 4, 2017 New Air Force clinic to offer interdisciplinary approach to treating TBI and other invisible wounds The Air Force is creating a new clinic that specializes in the treatment of invisible wounds, with an emphasis on traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and pain. The facility will be located at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. It is still in the early planning phase, with the hope