Return From Deployment:

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Return From Deployment Warrior Transition Brief
Version 061026
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General Conway, June 06
its important, at the command level and at
every subordinate level, that people understand
that we will treat the mind just as certainly as
we treat a body wound to get our Marines and
Sailors back into shape. And it is no
embarrassment. There should be no stigma
associated with the fact that youre having
problems from something you have done or
experienced or seen in a combat zone.
Combat stress injuries can happen to even the
strongest Marines
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Deployment Review

• What our mission was
• What we came to do
• What our challenges as a unit were
• What the good was that was done here
• The sacrifices that some of our Marines/Sailors
  made
• Why we made a difference

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What Are the Challenges of Retraining to Garrison
and Home Life?

• Giving up the security of being surrounded by
  your buddies 24/7
• Giving up the security of being armed 24/7
• Learning that trash on the roadside back home is
  not going to explode as you drive by
• Learning, not just in your head but in your
  heart, that people on the street do not want to
  kill you
• Learning to adjust to the slower pace and lower
  excitement level of life at home
• Relearning how to be around others without
  swearing or being offensive
• Learning how to do the things you miss (like
  drinking, driving, or sex) in safe moderation
• Figuring out how much to tell family and friends

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The Greatest Dangers You Will Face Back Home

• Accidents from taking risks
• Alcohol and drugs
• Getting irritated and getting into fights

Being home should not be more hazardous than
being in combat.
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Healing from Wounds The Other Transition
Challenge
Injuries can be physical, mental, or spiritual
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How Many Marines Have Stress Injuries?

• ALL Marines experience stress during operational
  deployment
• MOST reactions to combat and other operational
  stress are normal and go away quickly on their
  own
• SOME Marines sustain stress injuries from the
  impacts of terror and horror, the wear-and-tear
  of operations, or the death of comrades
• FEW Marines experience stress injury symptoms
  that dont heal up on their own
• VERY FEW dont get better with treatment once
  their stress injuries are identified

Stress injuries can be treated. Get help!
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Three Types of Stress Injuries
COMBAT / OPERATIONAL STRESS
TRAUMA
GRIEF
FATIGUE

• An impact injury
• Due to events involving terror, horror, or
  helplessness

• A loss injury
• Due to the loss of people who are cared about

• A wear-and-tear injury
• Due to the accumulation of stress over time

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Combat/Operational Stress Injury Signs and
Symptoms

• Sleeplessness trouble falling or staying asleep
• Physical reactions uncontrollable pounding
  heart, sweating, or trouble catching your breath
  for no reason
• Irritability, anger, or rage outbursts, sometimes
  with little provocation
• Repeated disturbing thoughts, images, or memories
  of a terrible or horrifying experience
• Repeated disturbing dreams of a stressful
  experience
• Isolating yourself from other people, or having
  an unusually hard time being around others
• Being hyper-alert even when there is no danger,
  or too easily startled
• Feeling physically and emotionally drained
• Not being able to enjoy activities or people you
  used to find enjoyable

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Healing from Injuries The Four Pillars Of
Health
COGNI T I V E
EMOTIONAL
SPIRITUAL
PHYSICAL
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Imbalance In the Four Pillars of Health
SPIRITUAL
If one falls, they all fall.
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Physical Pillar of Health
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Emotional Pillar of Health

• Positive emotions need to be strengthened through
  practice
• Negative emotions (like useless anger) need to be
  weakened through stopping them
• Bad feelings from events you cant forget need to
  be faced

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Cognitive Pillar of Health

• Ask yourself how your thoughts might be making
  you feel bad
• Ask yourself if those bad thoughts are reasonable
  and fair

It's all my fault.
It's all your fault.
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Spiritual Pillar of Health
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Successful Warrior Transition Includes

• TOTAL health
• Physical
• Emotional
• Cognitive
• Spiritual
• RESETTING and RESTORING our
• Bodies
• Feelings
• Thoughts
• Relationships and Beliefs

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Where to Seek Assistance
SNCO
Chaplains
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Conclusion
Combat and arduous deployments affect
everyone Most Marines and Marine spouses are
resilient and bounce back quickly, but some,
through no fault of their own, will
not Transitioning back to garrison and home life
involves both retraining and healing from stress
injuries Support from the members of your unit
and family and friends is important Its OK to
ask for help
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Return From Deployment Warrior Transition Brief
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The Greatest Dangers You Will Face Back Home

• Accidents from taking risks
• Alcohol and drugs
• Getting irritated and getting into fights

Being home should not be more hazardous than
being in combat.
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Healing from Wounds The Other Transition
Challenge
Injuries can be physical, mental, or spiritual
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Three Types of Stress Injuries
COMBAT / OPERATIONAL STRESS
TRAUMA
GRIEF
FATIGUE

• An impact injury
• Due to events involving terror, horror, or
  helplessness

• A loss injury
• Due to the loss of people who are cared about

• A wear-and-tear injury
• Due to the accumulation of stress over time

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Three Types of Stress Injuries
COMBAT / OPERATIONAL STRESS
TRAUMA
GRIEF
FATIGUE

• An impact injury
• Due to events involving terror, horror, or
  helplessness

• A loss injury
• Due to the loss of people who are cared about

• A wear-and-tear injury
• Due to the accumulation of stress over time

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Physical Pillar of Health
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Emotional Pillar of Health

• Positive emotions need to be strengthened through
  practice
• Negative emotions (like useless anger) need to be
  weakened through stopping them
• Bad feelings from events you cant forget need to
  be faced

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Cognitive Pillar of Health

• Ask yourself how your thoughts might be making
  you feel bad
• Ask yourself if those bad thoughts are reasonable
  and fair

It's all my fault.
It's all your fault.
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Spiritual Pillar of Health
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Successful Warrior Transition Includes

• TOTAL health
• Physical
• Emotional
• Cognitive
• Spiritual
• RESETTING and RESTORING our
• Bodies
• Feelings
• Thoughts
• Relationships and Beliefs