Real Warriors

Learn about what the Real Warriors program is offering military service members...

Only those who survive combat truly know and understand the impact it has on a military service member's life. It's overcoming the natural instinct not to kill or hurt another person, and images of mutilated bodies in combat zones that often leave emotional scars that simply don't vanish when service men and women return home. Those scars, if untreated, often turn into marital problems, substance abuse issues, suicidal thoughts, and explosive episodes of rage.

However, a military culture that encourages individuals to "suck it up and drive on" keeps many service members from seeking help, according to the 2007 Department of Defense Task Force on Mental Health Report. According to the Report, this stigma is impairing the health of the nation's fighting forces, and placing pernicious stress on their families.

"Real Warriors," a program developed by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), records firsthand accounts from service members who have struggled with trauma but sought help to resolve these psychological issues.

The DoD report emphasized the deep-rooted stigma in the warrior culture. It stated that 59% of Soldiers and 48% of Marines said that they felt they would be treated differently by leadership if they sought counseling. Real Warriors is an attempt to replace that stigma with the idea that getting help is not a sign of weakness but of strength.

“The campaign, which launched in May 2009, seeks to remove the stigma that often prevent service members from obtaining treatment for psychological health concerns and traumatic brain injury in the same way that they receive treatment for physical wounds and illnesses,” said Brigadier General Loree Sutton, DCoE director.

Service members who volunteer to participate recount how and why they finally sought treatment, and how this helped ease their psychological pain and that of their families. The volunteers are videotaped, and their messages are used on printed materials and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that air on American Forces Radio and Television System, and on civilian broadcast networks nationwide. The videotapes are also available online at realwarriors.net.

“At the heart of the Real Warriors Campaign are the volunteers featured in the video profiles and PSAs, who have had the courage to reach out and share their stories in the hopes of encouraging others to seek care,” Sutton said. “These volunteers are the proof many service members need to know that reaching out makes a difference, and seeking psychological health care does not automatically mean the end to a military career.”

Statistics aren't yet available on the program's success, but since implementation, Sutton said that service members have reported coming forward after hearing the PSAs. The military's leadership also fully supports the program, she said.

“Our senior leadership recognizes the need to combat stigma. Recently, during remarks at the VA-DoD Mental Health Summit, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates referenced the campaign as an important part of that effort, " Sutton said.

The Real Warriors campaign is one of many initiatives undertaken by DoD after delivering the Mental Health Report to Congress. Policymakers and mental health experts warned of the tremendous cost to the nation's fighting force and their families if more money and attention weren't placed on the prevention, intervention and treatment of psychological issues related to two wars that have been ongoing since 2001.

The task force charged with authoring the Report found that 38% of soldiers and 31% of Marines report psychological symptoms 90 to 120 days after returning from deployment. For National Guard members, that figure rises to 49%. Even more troubling, these numbers escalate for those with repeated deployments - now reaching five and six times in the last eight years for many in the armed services.

Sutton said other measures being taken to ease the psychological burden are deploying more psychological health professionals, integrating psychological and physical health services, and initiating psychological health assessments post-deployment.

There is a growing demand for those wanting to work in counseling, specifically helping the nation's service men and women and their families. The government needs mental health professionals and advisors, especially when designing and implementing programs like Real Warriors. If you are considering a career in counseling, request information from schools offering counseling degree programs or schools offering psychology degree programs to learn more about the process of entering this field.

**Service members, veterans, military family members and healthcare practitioners with questions related to psychological health and traumatic brain injury can call the DCoE outreach center at 866-966-1020.