Skip to main content

Military Health System

Mental Stress is like a ‘Check Engine Light’ Flashing–Don’t Ignore It

Image of Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason David talks about his  journey of recovery through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program during a video conversation with Defense Health Agency Command Sgt. Major Michael Gragg. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason David talks about his journey of recovery through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program during a video conversation with Defense Health Agency Command Sgt. Major Michael Gragg.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Warrior Care | Warrior Care | Psychological Fitness

For one Air Force senior enlisted leader, the problem of “combat stress” and the toll it takes on warfighters – and often on their families, too – continues to be an issue that the military community struggles to fully understand.

“Sometimes they don’t feel right about only having mental injuries. They don’t think it’s a big deal, but it is,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Jason David, the chief enlisted manager for the Defense Media Activity.

David spoke about his own journey of recovery through the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program during a video conversation with Defense Health Agency Command Sgt. Major Michael Gragg at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, Nov. 19. They were both attending Virtual CARE Week events as part of the DOD’s Warrior Care Month observance.

David was seriously wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom and said he “had a hard time with recovery in general.” He later was deployed to Afghanistan, and made use both times of mental health care services available to troops and veterans as part of his recovery.

“I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve seen a psychiatrist. I'm not ashamed to say I’ve been to behavioral or mental health care,” he told Gragg during their conversation during the Day of Healing events

David also spoke about the continued societal stigmatization of wounded warriors.

“Aside from the physical [injuries], the mental stress – they call it combat stress – that is a bizarre concept for folks that are not serving, who haven’t served, or don’t know anyone who has served in the armed forces,” he said.

The physical and mental recovery “takes a toll on yourself, your family, and your livelihood.”

And for those who have invisible wounds, the burden can even be bigger, David said.

He used the analogy of an automobile engine warning light to help explain the effects that psychological injuries can have.

“What happens when your check engine light turns on? Do you just ignore it until your engine stops or are you responsible because you’re thinking about the longer game, you’re thinking about the big picture?”

“You don’t know if it’s going to be a dramatic chain of events that’s going to ultimately hurt you in the long run.”

The priority placed on mental health and total force fitness reflects a generational change for many senior leaders, David said.

“Leaders should include Warrior Care in their toolbox,” David said. “You can’t be the leader you grew up with today in 2021. You have to evolve” in your thoughts and actions about wounded warriors and warrior care.

“You have to be a different leader. What worked 20 to 30 years ago won’t work today.”

Visit the Defense Health Agency Facebook page for more of the interview with David.

In addition to Warrior Care programs and each Service’s treatment programs, Military OneSource provides wounded warrior specialty consultation services to help eligible wounded, ill or injured service members, veterans and their families get immediate assistance for issues related to health care, resources, facilities and benefits. Service members and veterans injured in accidents or battling serious illnesses are also eligible.

For help with thoughts of suicide, contact the Military & Veterans Crisis Line: Dial 988 and select Option 1

You also may be interested in...

MSMR Vol. 10 No. 5 – September/October 2004

Report
1/1/2004

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Cold injuries, active duty, U.S. Armed Forces, July 1999-June 2004; ARD surveillance update; Update: pre- and post-deployment health assessments, U.S. Armed Forces, September 2002-October 2004; Sentinel reportable events.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 10 No. 4 – July/August 2004

Report
1/1/2004

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Update: Human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1), antibody screening among active and reserve component soldiers and civilian applicants for military service, 1985-June 2004; Completeness and timeliness of reporting hospitalized notifiable conditions, active duty service members, U.S. Army medical treatment facilities, 1995-2003; Completeness and timeliness of reporting hospitalized notifiable conditions, active duty service members, U.S. Naval medical treatment facilities, 1998-2003; Completeness and timeliness of reporting hospitalized notifiable conditions, active duty service members, U.S. Air Force medical treatment facilities, 1998-2003; Update: pre- and post-deployment health assessments, U.S. Armed Forces, September 2002-July 2004; Sentinel reportable events; Brucellosis in a soldier who recently returned from Iraq; ARD surveillance update.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 10 No. 6 – November/December 2004

Report
1/1/2004

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Leishmaniasis among U.S. Armed Forces, January 2003-November 2004; Hospitalizations for Acute Respiratory Failure (ARF) /Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) among participants in Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom, active components, U.S. Armed Forces, January 2003-November 2004; Update: pre- and post-deployment health assessments, U.S. Armed Forces, September 2002-November 2004; ARD surveillance update; Sentinel reportable events; Assignment locations, active component, U.S. Army, June 2004.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 10 No. 3 – May/June 2004

Report
1/1/2004

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Fractures among members of active components, U.S. Armed Forces, 1998-2003; Frequencies and characteristics of medical evacuations of soldiers by air (with emphasis on non-battle injuries), Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF), January-November 2003; Update: pre- and post-deployment health assessments, U.S. Armed Forces, September 2002-April 2004; ARD surveillance update; Sentinel reportable events.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

DoD Directive 6490.5 on Combat Stress Control Programs

Policy

Policy for Individual Medical Readiness Metrics

Policy

MSMR Vol. 9 No. 2– February/March 2003

Report
1/1/2003

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Vaccine preventable diseases, active duty, U.S. Armed Forces, 1998-2002; ARD Surveillance Update; Pre-deployment medical evaluation forms, U.S. Armed Forces, 1996-2003; Sentinel Reportable Events.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 9 No. 7 – November/December 2003

Report
1/1/2003

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Tears of cruciate ligaments of the knee, U.S. Armed Forces, 1990-2002; Cold weather injuries, active duty, U.S. Armed Forces, 1998-2003; Update: pre- and post-deployment health assessments, U.S. Armed Forces, September 2002-September 2003; Sentinel reportable events; ARD surveillance update.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 9 No. 3 – April 2003

Report
1/1/2003

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Hospitalizations among active duty members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2002; Ambulatory visits among active duty members, U.S. Armed Forces, 2002; Relative burdens of selected illnesses and injuries, U.S. Armed Forces, 2002; Reportable medical events, U.S. Armed Forces, 2002; Characteristics, demographic and military, U.S. Armed Forces, 2002; Acute respiratory disease surveillance, U.S. Army.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 9 No. 1– January 2003

Report
1/1/2003

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Malaria among active duty soldiers, U.S. Army, 2002; Mortality Trends among Active Duty Military Personnel, 1992-2001; ARD Surveillance Update; Reportable events, calendar year 2002; Sentinel Reportable Events, calendar year 2002.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 9 No. 5 – July/August 2003

Report
1/1/2003

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Update: Human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1), antibody screening among active and reserve component soldiers and civilian applicants for military service, 1985-June 2003; Completeness and timeliness of reporting of hospitalized notifiable conditions, active duty service members, U.S. Army medical treatment facilities, 1995-2002; Completeness and timeliness of reporting of hospitalized notifiable conditions, active duty service members, U.S. Naval medical treatment facilities, 1998-2002; Completeness and timeliness of reporting of hospitalized notifiable conditions, active duty service members, U.S. Air Force medical treatment facilities, 1998-2002; Pre- and post-deployment health assessments, U.S. Armed Forces, September 2002-July 2003; ARD Surveillance Update; Sentinel Reportable Events.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 9 No. 6 – September/October 2003

Report
1/1/2003

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Incidence, severity, and trends of pneumonia/influenza and acute respiratory failure/pulmonary insufficiency, U.S. Armed Forces, January 1990-June 2003; Carbon monoxide poisoning, U.S. Armed Forces, January 1998-June 2003; Update: pre- and post-deployment health assessments, U.S. Armed Forces; ARD surveillance update; Active duty force strength by medical treatment facility locations, U.S. Army.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

MSMR Vol. 9 No. 4 – May/June 2003

Report
1/1/2003

A monthly publication of the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. This issue of the peer-reviewed journal contains the following articles: Heat-related injuries, U.S. Army, 2002; Syncope, active duty, U.S. Armed Forces, 1998-2002; Pre-and post-deployment health assessments, U.S. Armed Forces, September 2002- June 2003; ARD Surveillance Update; Sentinel Reportable Events; Correction: Sentinel Reportable Events.

Recommended Content:

Health Readiness & Combat Support | Public Health

Policy on Standardization of Oral Health and Readiness Classifications

Policy

Policy Memorandum for Reserve Component Individual Medical Readiness Tracking

Policy
<< < ... 46 47 48 49 50  ... > >> 
Showing results 691 - 705 Page 47 of 52
Refine your search
Last Updated: July 21, 2022
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery