Volume 41, No. 8 A worldwide publication telling the Army Medicine Story ARMY MEDICINE MERCURY CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS FEATURE ARMY MEDICINE MERCURY US ARMY MEDICAL COMMAND ARMY MEDICINE PRIORITIES Commander COMBAT CASUALTY CARE Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho Army Medicine personnel, services, and doctrine that save Service Members’ and DOD Civilians’ lives and maintains their health in all operational environments. Director of Communications Col. Jerome L. Buller Chief, MEDCOM Public READINESS AND HEALTH OF THE FORCE Affairs Officer Army Medicine personnel and services that maintain, restore, and improve the Jaime Cavazos deployability, resiliency, and performance of Service Members. Editor Valecia L. Dunbar, D.M. Graphic Designers READY & DEPLOYABLE MEDICAL FORCE Jennifer Donnelly Army Medicine (AMEDD) personnel who are professionally developed and resilient, Rebecca Westfall and with their units, are responsive in providing the highest level of healthcare in all operational environments. The MERCURY is an authorized publication HEALTH OF FAMILIES AND RETIREES for members of the U.S. Army Medicine personnel and services that optimize the health and resiliency of Families Army Medical Department, published under the authority and Retirees. of AR 360-1. Contents are not necessarily official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. SOCIAL MEDIA CENTER Government, Department of Defense, Department of the Army, or this command. FOLLOW US ON The MERCURY is published Army Medicine monthly by the Directorate of Communications, U.S. Army LTG Patricia D. Horoho Medical Command, 2748 CSM Donna A. Brock Worth Road Ste 11, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234- 6011. BE CONNECTED ON Questions, comments Army Medicine or submissions for the MERCURY should be directed to the editor at SEE WHAT’S PLAYING ON 210-221-6722 (DSN 471-7), Army Medicine or by email; EXPLORE OUR PHOTOS ON Army Medicine The deadline is 25 days before the month of publication. Unless otherwise indicated, all photos are U.S. Army photos. START PINNING TODAY ON The MERCURY submission Army Medicine and style guide can be accessed JOIN THE CONVERSATION ON Army Medicine 3 | ARMYMEDICINE.MIL TSG SPEAKS! Surgeon General says Brain Health ‘New Frontier’ By Lisa Ferdinando, ARNEWS This article discusses key themes of the Army first place, he said. surgeon general’s remarks and others to the “I can remember this day almost as if Brain Health Consortium April 10-11, Defense it was yesterday. The light bulb went off,” Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Va. said Schoomaker, noting that was the start Brain health is the “new frontier” in of the Comprehensive Soldier and Family science, said Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho Fitness program. as she kicked off a two-day consortium on Sleep, activity, nutrition, community the topic. relationships, and social interactions were Tapping into the full potential of the all areas that needed to be addressed for brain can have immense benefits for resiliency and fitness of the force, he said. Soldiers, their Families and the nation, The Army was looking at fusion said the Army’s surgeon general in of mind and body for the fitness and opening remarks of the Brain Health readiness of Soldiers and their Families, Consortium April 10 at the Defense he said. Health Headquarters. Good Leadership Key to Hardy Force “I think the brain fascinates us, and it’s Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho Col. Shawn F. Kane, deputy command truly a unique organ,” Horoho said. She Disturbing Trend surgeon with the Army Special spoke before an audience that included Horoho’s predecessor, retired Lt. Gen. Operations Command, talked about a Soldiers, doctors, academics, and health Eric Schoomaker, said in his 30-plus years “hardy, resilient force.” industry experts. in the military there was “hardly a day” Relaxation, nutrition, and fitness The brain is the only organ in the when the country wasn’t in conflict. make a difference and make people more human body that has self-awareness, she Around the time he became the Army resilient and hardy, he said. There is said. It has evolved the ability to predict surgeon general in 2007, he said, he and “concrete evidence” backing that up. threats and act proactively. then-Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. “We all have the risks of serious physical “Ultimately, the decisions made by the George W. Casey talked about a trend injury, mental challenges, etc. in the line brain impact our overall health and also that was “quite disturbing” across the of work that our Soldiers do,” he said. our well-being,” Horoho said. “The brain, military, especially in the Army. “But by being a resilient and hardy force through our daily decisions, becomes the With multiple deployments that lasted you can take that opportunity and kind of gatekeeper of the health and fitness of our 12 to 15 months in length, and very little grow from it.” bodies.” rest time between deployments, Soldiers A healthy, motivated and successful The brain needs to be a central focus were becoming fatigued. The result of that population is one that doesn’t focus since better decisions made by the brain stress was showing up in war zones and on the “victim” role, being depressed, will lead to better health, she said. when the Soldiers returned home, he said. unmotivated or stressed, he said. To that end, Army Medicine has Contact with the enemy was higher As a whole, humans are highly resilient. initiated the Performance Triad program, in many respects than it had been in Otherwise, they would never have which promotes a three-fold approach previous wars; Soldiers were exposed to survived through time if they did not have to total health. That approach includes killings and deaths of both the enemy and the ability to bounce back. a focus on proper sleep, activity, and their battle buddies, he said. “Resilience is the most common nutrition, she said. Suicides rates increased; there were drug reaction to an event. As a people, we are Small changes in behavior done in and alcohol addiction problems, he said. very resilient,” he said. a consistent manner lead to improved Schoomaker briefed Casey on the many It cannot be stressed enough the role health, she said. A healthy, well-rested and Army programs to help Soldiers with their leadership has in promoting a healthy and well-fueled brain makes better decisions. problems. But that’s not what Casey was resilient force, Kane said. “At war, that equates to a combat interested in, he said. “Leadership will make any program advantage,” Horoho said. “In life, that Casey wanted to know what the Army succeed or fail,” he said. equates to a better you. It equates to a was doing to improve the well-being of “I think that is a key part of all of this better family, and it equates to a better Soldiers, strengthen the force and prevent ... that good leaders can help with the community.” Soldiers from entering this phase in the hardiness and the resilience of their force,” he said. 4 | ARMYMEDICINE.MIL AMEDD GLOBAL Center for the Intrepid is the Winner of the Army Medicine Wolf Pack Award The Center for the Intrepid (CFI) Their successful teaming approach at Brooke Army Medical Center is the supported the CFI mission of patient winner of the Army Medicine Wolf care, education and training, and Pack Award for the 2nd Quarter FY14. research. Since opening in 2007, the The Wolf Pack Award recognizes a Center has served over 1,000 individuals collaborative team effort by military with functional limb loss. This team’s and Department of the Army civilians, remarkable interaction and motivation and sometimes contractors, working resulted in “graduates,” from this together to make a significant comprehensive physical rehabilitation contribution to Army Medicine. For program, returning to active duty or this quarter, the award recognized the retiring and successfully returning to The symbol of a broken ring, cracked but still talented, caring, and compassionate civilian life. Congratulations to Team intact, marks the entrance to the Center for the Intrepid, a 65,000 square foot rehabilitation team of professionals at CFI for their CFI for their dedication and exceptional center next to Brooke Army Medical Center in San phenomenal interdisciplinary teamwork. achievement! Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Daren Reehl) Army Medicine’s Brain Health Consortium Just a Beginning By Mike O’Toole, Army Medicine Public Affairs We have more than 70,000 thoughts a and Resiliency; Cognitive Performance; but achieves a state of mindfulness day. One person’s brain generates more Neuroplasticity; Mindfulness Training, with a “diminishing emotionality” electrical impulses each day than all the the Human Dimension Program and better suited to deal with uncertainty. telephones in the world combined. more. Other participants defined desired Army Medicine has taken a major Within the presentations, perhaps the outcomes as “hardiness” and “grit.” By first step in partnering with academia, greatest challenges were the expectations the symposium’s end, however, there the healthcare industry and a variety of sought by a pair of battle-tested combat was general agreement that a definition thought leaders to better understand leaders: TRADOC Commander Gen. of “brain health” was elusive for the brain health for Soldiers, the Army David Perkins and 4th ID 1st Brigade moment, pending additional discussions Family, and society as a whole. Commander Col. Dave Hodne. Perkins, and research. Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, the Army defining his command as the “architects” Lt. Gen. (ret.) Eric Schoomaker, surgeon general and commanding of the Army, called the brains of its former Army surgeon general, echoed general, U.S. Army Medical Command, Soldiers the ultimate weapon: “We are the combat commanders’ call for their hosted the inaugural Brain Health banking on our cognitive capability.” Soldiers to be given a “new set of Consortium April 10-11, at Defense Hodne spoke of the long-held ethos tools to make judgments,” capable of Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Va.