News Call Gen
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News Call Gen. Petraeus Preps Forces for Transition in Iraq In a Christmas letter to all members tional brigades that began deploying in they will have to adjust rapidly to of Multi-National Force-Iraq, Gen. January 2007. The 3rd Brigade Combat changing conditions in theater. David H. Petraeus summarized pro- Team, 1st Cavalry Division, redeployed Another change in leadership is gress made during 2007. Security has to Fort Hood, Texas, in early December scheduled in February, when Lt. Gen. improved in many parts of the nation, without replacement. Another four Ray Odierno, commander of Multi- with violence down about 60 percent brigades are scheduled to leave by July. National Corps-Iraq and Gen. Pe- from a peak last June. The progress, The 1st Armored Division, led by traeus’ second-in-command, will re- however, is reversible, Gen. Petraeus Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, replaced the deploy with III Corps. Gen. Odierno pointed out, and much work remains, 25th Infantry, led by Maj. Gen. Ben- has been commander of Multi-Na- especially helping Iraqi security forces jamin Mixon, in northern Iraq last Octo- tional Corps-Iraq since December and Iraqi government organizations ber. In December, the 4th Infantry Divi- 2006 and is respected by the Iraqi mil- take responsibility for their country’s sion, with commander Maj. Gen. Jeffery itary and political leadership. When future. In addition, the job must be W. Hammond, took control of Multi- III Corps redeploys to Fort Hood, he done as U.S. forces rotate and senior National Division-Baghdad from the 1st will be replaced by Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. commanders shift with them. Gen. Pe- Cavalry Division, commanded by Maj. Austin III, commander of the XVIII traeus warned that 2008 will bring Gen. Joseph Fil Jr. It is the 4th Infantry’s Airborne Corps. Like most senior many changes and that the “way third deployment to Baghdad; Gen. commanders, Gen. Austin has exten- ahead will not be easy.” Hammond was an assistant division sive combat experience in Iraq. When The Army is slowly beginning to re- commander there in 2004 and 2005. Ex- the 3rd Infantry Division led the inva- duce the number of troops deploying perience will help the new senior com- sion in March 2003, he was the assis- to Iraq as part of the surge of five addi- manders effect a smooth transition, but tant division commander. Study Reveals Delayed Stress. An deployment medical screening. nent troops—who went through two Army study found that veterans of Col. (Dr.) Charles S. Milliken and screenings. Their findings were pub- the war in Iraq are more likely to re- Col. (Dr.) Charles W. Hoge of the Wal- lished last year in The Journal of the port mental health problems several ter Reed Army Institute of Research American Medical Association. Only 4 months after deployment rather than and Jennifer L. Auchterlonie of the percent to 5 percent of the veterans immediately upon their return, with Army Center for Promotion and Pre- were referred for mental health care one in five active duty soldiers and ventive Medicine compared the men- after the initial postdeployment health more than 40 percent of reserve com- tal health assessments of the first assessment. That number jumped af- ponent troops needing referral for 88,235 soldiers—56,350 active duty ter the postdeployment health re- mental health treatment after a post- soldiers and 31,885 reserve compo- assessment three to six months later, when 20.3 percent of the active duty soldiers and 42.4 percent of the Army Reservists needed treatment. The later numbers include soldiers who had re- Surgeon General Confirmed. Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, confirmed as the 42nd Army Surgeon General, receives his additional stars from his wife, Audrey, and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., at a promotion ceremony at the Penta- gon in December. Gen. Schoomaker will also serve as commanding general, U.S. Army Medical Command. Maj. Gen. Carla Hawley-Bowland will replace him as com- manding general of the North Atlantic Re- gional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. U.S. Army/SSgt. Angel D. Thompson Army/SSgt. U.S. February 2008 I ARMY 61 COMMAND SERGEANT GENERAL OFFICER CHANGES* MAJOR *CHANGES* *Assignments to general officer slots announced by the CSM J.D. Fourhman General Officer Management Office, Department of the Lt. Gen. J.F. Fil Jr. f rom 1st Inf. Div. to Army. Some officers are listed at the grade to which they are from CG, 1st Cav. 3rd USARCENT/ nominated, promotable or eligible to be frocked. The report- Div./CG MND-B to CFLCC. ing dates for some officers may not yet be determined. CG, Eighth U.S. I Army/CoS, UNC/ CFLCC—Coalition Forces Land Component CFC/U.N. Forces Command; USARCENT—U.S. Army Central. Korea. *Command sergeant major position assigned to a general officer command. ferred themselves or were receiving mental health care because of em- ployee-assistance referrals. The sol- diers had symptoms serious enough Maj. Gen. H.B. Maj. Gen. R.P. Maj. Gen. C.F. Maj. Gen. G.S. to prompt a medical provider to order Bromberg from Lennox from CG, Pollett from CG, Pollock from Dep. an evaluation, but were not necessar- CoS, USSTRAT- U.S. Army ADA NETCOM to CoS, SG/Acting SG, COM to CG, U.S. Ctr. and Fort Bliss USSTRATCOM. USA/Chief, U.S. ily diagnosed. Army ADA Ctr. to ADCS, G-3/5/7. Army Nurse Corps and Fort Bliss. to Dep. SG for The need for referrals jumped in four Force Mgmt./Chief, categories tested. The largest change U.S. Army Nurse between the immediate health assess- Corps, OSG. ment and the follow-up were reports of Brigadier Generals: D.K. Chipman from Staff JA, CENTCOM to Cmdr./Cmdt., JAG’s Legal Cntr. and conflict with friends and family, which Sch.; J.D. Johnson from Asst. Div. Cmdr., (Mnvr.), 2nd Inf. Div. to Dep. CG, FMWRC; M.A. Legere from Asst. CoS, J-2, USFK/Dep. C-2, CFC/Dep. U-2, UNC to Asst. Dep. CoS for Intel., C-2, MNF-I; rose from 3.5 percent to 14 percent for M.J. Walsh from Cmdr., Gulf Reg. Div., ACE, OIF to CG, U.S. Army Engineer Div., Miss. Valley. active duty soldiers and from 4.2 per- I ACE—U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; ADA—Air Defense Artillery; CENTCOM—U.S. Central cent to 21.1 percent for the reserve com- Cmd.; CFC—Combined Forces Cmd.; FMWRC—Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Cmd.; ponent troops. Symptoms of major de- JAG—Judge Advocate General; MND-B—Multi-National Div.-Baghdad; MNF-I—Multi-Nat. Force-Iraq; NETCOM—Army Network Enterprise Technology Cmd.; OIF—Operation Iraqi Freedom; OSG—Office pression rose from about 5 percent to 10 of the Surgeon General; UNC—U.N. Cmd.; USFK—U.S . Forces Korea; USSTRATCOM—U.S. percent for active duty troops and to al- Strategic Cmd. most 25 percent for the reserve compo- nents. The percentage of reports of of deployment on soldiers. Four train- for enlisted soldiers, noncommis- post-traumatic stress disorder rose ing briefs have been developed and sioned officers and warrant officers. from 11.8 percent to 16.7 percent for ac- are available for soldiers, leaders, Na- When lieutenants are promoted to tive duty soldiers and 12.7 percent to tional Guard/Reserves and families. captains, they will begin multifunc- almost 25 percent in the reserve compo- tional training because it is then that nents. The leap was also greater in the Army Creates Logistics Branch. By officers become exposed to positions reserve components in terms of overall general order of the Secretary of the that require diverse expertise. Logisti- mental health, rising from 17.5 percent Army, the Logistics branch is the new- cians will have a broader focus and to 35.5 percent, while the active duty est branch for commissioned Army of- will function as supply-chain man- percentage rose from 17 to about 27. ficers. All captains through colonels agers, but will keep up their skills in The first study to track the mental in the Ordnance, Quartermaster or their secondary specialty. They will health of veterans of Operation Iraqi Transportation branches across all wear the Logistics branch insignia Freedom over time, the report is part components of the Army who have and the regimental crest associated of the Army’s effort to improve health completed the Captain’s Career Course with their secondary area of concen- care and reduce the stigma often asso- are now Logistics branch officers. tration. ciated with mental health disorders. A new primary military occupa- As part of Base Realignment and Since the completion of the study, tional specialty, 90A replaces func- Closure, the three logistics schools— the Army has implemented Battle- tional area 90 (multifunctional logisti- the Quartermaster School, Fort Lee, mind (www.battlemind.org), a pro- cian). The new specialty indicates Va.; the Transportation School, Fort gram that prepares soldiers for combat proficiency in all three logistics areas. Eustis, Va.; and the Ordnance School, as well as returning home following New lieutenants will continue to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.—will combat. The goal of this training is to begin their careers as Ordnance, be consolidated at Fort Lee by 2011. develop a realistic preview, in the form Quartermaster or Transportation offi- Logistics officers will train there. For of a briefing, of the stresses and strains cers, and those branches will remain more information, visit the Logistics 62 ARMY I February 2008 branch web site: www.cascom.army. mil/cascombasic2/publicsite/ Army Casualties in Afghanistan logbranch/index.htm.