thedrifter
05-17-06, 08:24 AM
Iraqi war veteran returns to Iowa and begins biggest battle of his life <br />
By MATTHEW WILDE, Courier Staff Writer <br />
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WAVERLY --- Hope. That is about all Chris Nolan holds onto these days. <br />
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Hope...
thedrifter
05-17-06, 08:27 AM
Be prepared: Guard takes active measures to limit combat stress
By MATTHEW WILDE, Courier Staff Writer
DES MOINES --- Hidden explosives, snipers, rocket-propelled grenades and suicide bombers threaten the lives of Iowa Army National Guard members serving in Iraq.
Most will return home in good condition, able to work and communicate with family and friends as if never away.
Others will face symptoms related to post-traumatic stress disorder and won't be so lucky.
Chris Nolan of Waverly, who served with a combat engineering company, watched two friends die in a roadside bomb attack. Now he says he can't hold a job.
Guard officials know they can't totally prevent the disorder, but through proper training and mental health counseling, they hope to lessen the chances soldiers suffer during and after deployment.
"I don't think any human being can be prepared 100 percent for what war can bring. But the military does a great job helping soldiers cope," said Capt. Jason Wisehart, commander of Alpha Company of the 224th Engineering Battalion based in Burlington.
Three soldiers under Wisehart's command died and 17 received Purple Hearts during a recent deployment in Iraq.
The events haunt Nolan, who saw friends injured and killed. He is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder but believes preparation National Guard officials offered was adequate, though a simulation.
"I had a lot of good training before. They showed us pictures and live video, but it really doesn't compare to the real thing." Nolan said.
Lt. Col. Greg Hapgood said the Iowa National Guard and the U.S. Army prepare soldiers for war by providing realistic, theater-specific training. For example, soldiers heading to Iraq participate in convoy live-fire exercises. The military also simulates roadside bombs going off near vehicles.
And soldiers train for civil unrest mimicking combatants attacking with small arms and mortars.
"You can't duplicate the feeling of a hostile situation where someone wants to take your life ... but we can come really close," Hapgood said.
In the classroom, soldiers are briefed about the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and where to go for treatment. In Iraq, the military provides combat-stress teams, which are specially trained mental health counselors.
Wisehart said teams helped his soldiers.
However, he added one of the best ways to combat the disorder is through peer counseling --- soldiers talking about deaths and other stressful situations soon after the incidents happen. And then getting on with the task at hand.
"Feelings of fear and anxiety were common," Wisehart said. "The saving grace for us was to talk about what happened and get back on a mission. That way they know it won't happen each time on the road."
Since returning from Iraq, the Iowa National Guard sent counselors and psychiatrists to talk with soldiers from the 224th and their spouses.
Wisehart said Nolan has the only documented case of post-traumatic stress disorder in the unit to date.
Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.
Ellie