WarDocs- The Military Medicine Podcast’s Post

Fire, police, EMS, and military families endure many stressors unheard of in the ‘typical’ family. First responders deal with work stressors, wives struggle with absent husbands, and kids pick up on the stress of both parents. That is why it is so important that first responders have specialized heath care providers that understand the stress of the job, and can support your body and mind so you can focus on the people who matter most to you. FIREPROOF Wellness exists to give you more moments that count. We do that by optimizing your testosterone, supporting better sleep, being proactive about the exposures you face… So you can have more energy, more focus, more connection, and less risk. So you can Be FIREPROOF. Join us in this amazing journey of life lived well. https://lnkd.in/ey8ZaFHw #firefighter #firefighters  #fitfirefighters #firstresponder #firefighterhealth #Firefighterfamilies #firefighterdetox #fireproofwellness

Important update on TBI in the military: Lawmakers have expressed concerns that the Pentagon's current efforts to address traumatic brain injury (TBI) are inadequate. A government watchdog will be conducting a review of the Pentagon's TBI programs in response to these concerns. Lawmakers are advocating for more frequent testing of service members for TBI and for the establishment of clearer limits on blast exposure. TBI is a serious condition that has been linked to suicide among veterans, and it can be caused by even routine military activities. This review is a critical step towards ensuring that our service members receive the care they need for TBI. #veterans #militaryhealth #TBI

The Navy Wounded Warrior Program helps Sailors and Coast Guardsmen with serious, non-combat or combat-related injuries and physical or psychological illnesses. The program offers individualized and proactive guidance on non-medical care, including:  Pay and benefits Caregiver resources and respite care Bedside travel Job training Childcare Adaptive reconditioning The personalized Comprehensive Recovery Plan (CRP) is an essential part of the continuum of care and enables Sailors and Coast Guardsmen. Navy Wounded Warrior allows service members to focus on their recovery goals and well-being, encourages retention and return to duty, and supports a smooth transition to the Department of Veterans Affairs when a medical condition prohibits continued service. Eligibility for Navy Wounded Warrior is not limited to Sailors and Coast Guardsmen with combat-related wounds or injuries. It also encompasses those with serious non-combat related injuries on liberty or on duty, or serious physical or psychological illnesses such as cancer, MS, PTSD, and TBI. However, participation in Navy Wounded Warrior is voluntary and Sailors and Coast Guardsmen must be enrolled in order to take advantage of services provided. Referrals may be received from a variety of sources, including the Service Member's command, peers, medical staff, Fleet and Family Support Centers personnel, family members, or self-referrals. 

Excited to share the recent article: Operator Syndrome: Nursing care and consideration for military Special Operators by Rebecca Ann Ivory. Paper based on Dr. Chris Frueh work on Operator Syndrome. This is awesome!!! Everyone can take something truly important from this paper and all the research. "Operator syndrome is a common and predictable constellation of interrelated medical and psychiatric conditions and social and functional impairments experienced by special operations forces. Nurses in all settings should be aware of this emerging trend among veterans they encounter in practice so they may identify and intervene using evidence-based approaches and effect a positive outcome." https://lnkd.in/emGxeMYz #nursuing #operatorsyndrome #veterans #militarylife #mentalhealth

If you lead Sailors, you need to understand PFB. Recent discussions with Sailors and Leaders revealed many misunderstandings. A few key points: 1. PFB is a chronic, lifelong condition. 2. The only viable treatment is not shaving. 3. The new requirement is evaluating every 2 years. 4. There is no requirement to shave before the evaluation. 5. There is no longer a requirement to carry a “no shave” chit. 6. It’s not a “Black” thing (although dark skin and curly hair are more prone) 7. It hurts like hell to shave - and it causes scarring. 8. Having facial hair doesn’t make someone unprofessional or lazy. 9. Laser hair removal is not a reasonable solution. Be a compassionate leader. Know your people. You trust them to do their job; trust them to adhere to the appropriate grooming standards. More here. “in the U.S. military, PFB has been the justification for a “shaving waiver” (also known “shaving profile” in the Army and Air Force; “shaving chit” in the Navy and Marine Corps) that allows servicemen to deviate from grooming standards. Unfortunately, because some service members are unfamiliar with the condition, a stigma can result from the difference in grooming appearance amongst servicemen within a unit.” Read on!

As a retired Marine, combat veteran, and former VA VET Center counselor, I have been involved in an ongoing advocacy campaign to protect quality mental health care for veterans and the welfare of their counselors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which has been adversely impacted due to misguided and harmful clinical productivity policies that were implemented by VA officials. During this process, toxic and distressing retaliation tactics were used by VA management in attempts to silence me and other employees, which had a devastating impact on me and my colleagues. However, because of my efforts a federal GAO investigation validated my allegations, which resulted in the U.S. Congress passing legislation into law to hold the VA accountable to resolve this [H.R. 7776, Section 5126, Pages 819-825: Improvement of VET Centers at the Department of Veterans Affairs].  If you or anyone you know would like to see this injustice rectified, then please review and widely share this post and my website, www.VAbreakingpromises.com, which was created by Whistleblowers of America (WoA). The website provides more details regarding these issues and my book, BROKEN PROMISES, which chronicles this ordeal. Your assistance and support in spreading the word would be appreciated in order to help raise awareness and inspire corrective action, since the focus now is to ensure that the VA is compelled to comply with the legislation so our nation's veterans and those that serve them get the treatment they deserve. #MilitaryTimes #CNN #ABC #CBS #NBC #FoxNews #NewsNation #60Minutes

LEGISLATIVE NEWS | The Air Force Sergeants Association (AFSA) will attend the upcoming special House meeting, where vital issues impacting our service members will be discussed. This is a key opportunity for AFSA members to stay informed and engaged. Key topics include a legislative proposal focused on enhancing mental health resources for military personnel, particularly around perinatal and postpartum care. The plan involves a five-year program with a $25 million budget, allowing military officials to decide the number of sites and service members involved, guided by general rules. Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan highlighted the importance of this initiative, citing her personal experience as a mother in the Air Force and emphasizing the need for comprehensive mental health support for service members. A 2022 Government Accountability Office study underscores the urgency, revealing that one in three military mothers face maternal mental health conditions – a rate higher than the civilian average. Recent congressional efforts have improved postpartum care access in Military Treatment Facilities, including mental health assessments and various therapies. This new measure aims to expand these services even further, with Senate Armed Services Committee members Jeanne Shaheen and Deb Fischer introducing related Senate legislation. Additionally, the House Quality of life panel is set to propose a series of initiatives in early spring, aimed at supporting military families. These proposals will be considered for the annual defense authorization bill, a critical piece of legislation that has been passed for over sixty years, though typically not signed into law until late in the year. AFSA members are encouraged to follow these developments closely, as they have significant implications for the well-being and readiness of our service members and their families.

Whoops! You forgot the Coast Guard! One addition to the H.R.2670 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 is a policy change that allows military members to credit their active-duty service time toward the requisite 12-month employment in a federal agency needed to qualify for the Family Medical Leave Act. The Office of Personnel Management outlined the provisions of the change in an agency-wide directive on February 13, 2024. A welcome change, the new policy acknowledges the continuation of service from the armed forces to federal service and rewards service members for their previous tenure.   The policy has one major shortcoming though. HR2670, Sec. 1114 includes the following text:   SEC. 1114. “INCLUDING MILITARY SERVICE IN DETERMINING FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES. (a) Title 5.--Section 6381(1)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``(B) has completed at least 12 months of service-- ``(i) as an employee (as that term is defined in section 2105) of the Government of the United States, including service with the United States Postal Service, the Postal Regulatory Commission, and a nonappropriated fund instrumentality as described in section 2105(c); or ``(ii) which qualifies as honorable active service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, or Marine Corps of the United States;''.   The U.S. Coast Guard seems to have been forgotten in this specific section. Throughout the ’24 NDA, “Coast Guard” appears 47 times. In fact, “Covered Armed Forces” are defined multiple times throughout the document as, “Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, or Space Force.” The U.S. Code makes it abundantly clear that the Coast Guard is a military service branch. 14 USC 1 states unequivocally that, “The Coast Guard, established January 28, 1915, shall be a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times.” And throughout the USC, such as in section 10 USC 101, where entities are defined it is co-listed with the other branches of service. Considering all of the above, it seems remiss to have excluded the Coast Guard in this specific section.   Exclusion of the Coast Guard from this new benefit of service may simply be an unintentional oversight, but it’s already having an impact on at least one Coast Guard veteran who finds herself transitioned to federal service and unable to use FMLA to cover maternity leave. I urge legislators to correct this exclusion in a speedy enough manner, so that further service veterans will not be impacted.               OPM Directive https://lnkd.in/eSyUcajU National Defense Authorization Act 2024 https://lnkd.in/eSmGPA_t US Code https://lnkd.in/eb4PnPcd #uscg #uscoastguard #coastguard  

As a retired Marine, combat veteran, and former VA VET Center counselor, I have been involved in an ongoing advocacy campaign to protect quality mental health care for veterans and the welfare of their counselors at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which has been adversely impacted due to misguided and harmful clinical productivity policies that were implemented by VA officials. During this process, toxic and distressing retaliation tactics were used by VA management in attempts to silence me and other employees, which had a devastating impact on me and my colleagues. However, because of my efforts a federal GAO investigation validated my allegations, which resulted in the U.S. Congress passing legislation into law to hold the VA accountable to resolve this [H.R. 7776, Section 5126, Pages 819-825: Improvement of VET Centers at the Department of Veterans Affairs]. If you or anyone you know would like to see this injustice rectified, then please review and widely share this post and my website, www.VAbreakingpromises.com, which was created by Whistleblowers of America (WoA). The website provides more details regarding these issues and my book, BROKEN PROMISES, which chronicles this ordeal. Your assistance and support in spreading the word are essential in order to help raise awareness and inspire corrective action, since the focus now is to ensure that the VA is compelled to comply with the legislation so our nation's veterans and those that serve them get the treatment they deserve. #VAadvocacy #VeteranAdvocacy #VAcounselors #VeteransMentalHealth #mentalhealthcare #VeteransAffairs #VAaccountability #whistleblowers #veterans #VFW #DAV #VVA

Other than Firefighting school, where else are you required to wear an SCBA while on shore command? As long as sailors arent looking like a lumberjack or Gandalf, shouldn't they have the privilege to have their own professional look? Regulated haircuts are enforced due to tradition. Thats understandable. But if deployed commands allow their crew to show some stubble (not just for medical reasons but also for moral), shore duty sailors should be given the opportunity to have professional looking facial hair. What are your thoughts on this issue?