VOLUME 3, ISSUE 4 WWW.USUHS.MIL FEBRUARY 19, 2008 

USU Newsletter 

In This Issue 

New GSN Program.........................2 

Student Profile..................................2 

Pathological Gambling.................3 

Nurse commissioning Program..4 

Medical Illustrator............................5 

Calendar of Events..........................6 

USU Briefs...........................................7 
 

Carol R. Scheman 

Vice President for 

External Affairs and 

Managing Editor 

Tech. Sgt. 

André Nicholson 

Editor 

Mass Communications 

Specialist Third Class 

Jeffrey Hopkins 

Assistant Editor 

Mass Communications 

Specialist 

Seaman 

Raul Zamora 

Assistant Editor 

 

Marla Wright 

Webmaster 

Publishing 

USU Duplicating Office

Production: 

Editorial content is 

edited, prepared and 

provided by the USU 

Office of External Affairs unless otherwise 

indicated. The Newsletter staff may include 

or exclude articles 

based upon news 

value, impact on the 

university and space 

availability. 

Submissions: 

The USU Newsletter 

will be published biweekly on Mondays 

and deadline for submission is Friday at 4 

p.m. Submissions can 

be sent to usunewsletter@usuhs.mil or call 

301-295-3925. 

PAGE 2 

Cover illustration by 

ENS Michael Sracic

USU Newsletter 

Editorial Staff 

 As one set of students prepare to graduate 

from the Uniformed Services University of the 

Health Sciences (USU) in May another set will become the first to enroll in the Graduate School of 

Nursing’s (GSN) new Psychiatric Mental Health 

Nurse Practitioner program. 

 The director and associate professor of the new 

Master of Science program is MAJ Robert Arnold, 

AN, USA, a psychiatric clinical nurse specialist. He is 

responsible for establishing the two-year program 

and will be heading the department along with 

LCDR Pamela Herbig, USN, psychiatric clinical nurse 

specialist, and a psychiatric nurse practitioner, who 

is due to arrive at USU in May. 

 Arnold is one of the few nurse clinical specialists 

with prescription authority. He explained that the 

difference between a clinical nurse specialist and a 

nurse practitioner is that the practitioners have 

more comprehensive medical training as well as 

prescription authority. 

 He was asked to head the program due to his 

clinical and combat experience. He was deployed to 

Iraq for a year and became the officer in charge of a 

combat stress control fitness team after the psychiatrist on staff left within two weeks after he arrived. 

 “This program is necessary for several reasons,” 

Arnold said. “Mental health issues are at the forefront of the Military Health System due to change in 

types of cases we’re seeing from the current war 

such as traumatic brain injuries. The Federal Nursing Chiefs believe it is necessary to create a program 

that educates students within the military environment for which they will be working. Traditionally 

psychiatric nurses are educated at civilian universities.” 

 Sixty percent of the course content is derived 

from the core course within the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program and forty percent are from 

the specialty courses for psychiatry. The first year of 

the program will encompass several core courses 

from the FNP such as anatomy, and cell biology, as 

well as some clinical rotations. The second year involves a more in-depth psychiatric clinical rotation. 

Students will perform their clinical rotations at the 

National Naval Medical Center, Walter Reed Army 

Medical Center, and Washington D.C.’s Veterans 

Medical Center. 

 “Establishing the curriculum was not an easy 

task,” Arnold explained. “I’m working with COL 

Kathryn Gaylord, the Army psychiatric nurse practitioner consultant, and she was instrumental in putting the initial framework together before I even 

stepped on board. I’ve been mentored by Dr. Diane 

Seibert and received guidance from COL Linda 

Wanzer who stood up the Perioperative Clinical 

Nurse Specialist program a few years ago.” 

 One of the toughest challenges for Arnold was 

collecting information and researching the curriculum that will be offered. 

 “I visited with the University of Maryland’s graduate psychiatric nursing program director and I did 

extensive online research of several top ten nursing 

universities,” he said. “I spoke with program directors and looked at available course content. I 

needed to look at multiple programs and had to 

consider the credentialing and accrediting organizations to see what was required. The university (USU) 

has a curriculum committee that I will meet with 

periodically to make sure I’m meeting the curriculum requirements.” 

 The GSN Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners program will open its doors to the first five 

students in May 2008 and that first class is scheduled to graduate in 2010. 

GSN offers new Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist Program 

By Tech. Sgt. André Nicholson 

NCOIC, Office of External Affairs 

 Some students choose to attend the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) for the love of their country 

and some may apply to USU for 

the chance at a tuition-free medical education, while others feel a 

call to service and a connection 

with their branch so deep, it 

seems there’s no other alternative. 

 ENS Joshua Lebenson, USN, 

School of Medicine, Class of 2011, 

prescribes to the latter camp of 

thought. Born in Yokosuka, Japan, to a Navy deep-sea diver 

turned surgeon and a homemaker, Lebenson has been exposed to Navy culture his whole 

life, and says it greatly influenced 

his decision to attend the US Naval Academy and USU. 

 “I was born and raised Navy,” 

Lebenson said. “It’s a real pride 

thing for me; I love the people, 

the environment, everything. As a 

medical officer, I feel that I’m an 

officer first.” 

 Lebenson said he developed 

an interest in medicine at a young 

age, on the occasions when he 

would accompany his father on 

rounds, and interact with his patients. 

 “I think my interest budded 

when I was five or six,” he said. 

“My father was a medical officer, 

and he always shared his experiences with me. When he would 

take me on rounds, his patients 

would talk to me, and I had a 

chance to see what a compassionate person he was.” 

 Lebenson said he’d heard 

about USU his junior year at the 

Naval Academy, and when he 

received letters of acceptance 

from three other medical schools, 

he nixed 

them in 

favor of 

attending 

USU, citing 

a strong 

desire to 

take care of 

his fellow 

service 

members 

among his 

reasons. 

 “I signed 

up with the 

full intent and hope of deploying,” he said. “In my opinion, 

that’s the real reason to attend 

this university. The students that 

apply here should expect to deploy, and want to take care of the 

people who are fighting for and 

alongside us.” 

 Lebenson says a surgical speStudent Profile: ENS Joshua Lebenson, USN, SOM, Class of 2011 

By MC3 Jeff Hopkins 

Assistant Editor, VPE 

ENS Joshua Lebenson, USN, SOM 

Class of 2011 

See LEBENSON, page 5. 
PAGE 3 

 When the Florida Council on Problem Gambling (FCPG) 

needed a primary care physician’s perspective on pathological 

gambling, they turned to a faculty member at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) for help. 

 The FCPG contacted COL Brian Unwin, MC, USA, vice chair for 

education and assistant professor, Department of Family Medicine, after reviewing an article he had written in February 2000 

for the journal, American Family Physician. 

 “The FCPG contacted me about three years ago looking for a 

mainstream physician who had an interest in pathologic gambling to serve as a medical advisor,” Unwin said. “They were creating a toolbox of clinical tools that physicians, nurse practitioners 

and physician’s assistants could use in day to day practice to 

screen people for problem gambling behaviors. The idea is 

through screening patients, if we find they have a gambling problem or concern, we can direct them towards services that can help 

them.” 

 “The military sends out periodic world wide surveys of service 

members, and in one survey they questioned service members to 

see if they had problem gambling behaviors,” Unwin said. “About five percent of the military reported problem 

gambling issues. I had never realized 

the problem was that extensive. It’s a 

relatively big deal, in that the people 

who are predisposed often begin gambling in their teens, or college years.” 

 Unwin remarked that another troubling factor present in the survey was 

that people with gambling addictions 

are also likely to have other problems, 

such as substance abuse or depression. 

 “Primarily in the military, the substance is alcohol,” Unwin said. “So I started thinking ‘if I’m seeing 

someone with depression or substance abuse problems, they 

might have other problems like gambling.’” 

 “The problem has advanced a lot in the time since I wrote the 

article, in that now there are around 400 sites with internet gambling and poker,” Unwin said. “You just feed in your credit card 

and play the game; you don’t have to go to the casino, or even 

get dressed. You just play the game in the privacy of your own 

home.” 

 Unwin describes treating behavioral 

and emotional issues as ‘muddy medicine.’ 

 “It’s the hardest situation to address. It’s 

an addiction in every sense of the form, 

just like people could be addicted to tobacco or cocaine; it’s very difficult to 

treat,” Unwin said. 

 Unwin says pathological gambling is 

his “pet rock”; a subject he doesn’t claim 

to be an expert in, but a topic he keeps an 

eye out for in medical literature and journals. He said his interest in it stemmed 

from a patient he saw in 1999. 

 “A woman came to me in emotional 

distress because her husband was basically spending their retirement money 

gambling on the lottery, and had lost 

more than $20,000. He was getting depressed and 

irritable, they 

were fighting and she was becoming 

distraught,” Unwin said. “Their case 

made me realize how little I knew about 

pathological gambling. He also became 

my patient, and his wife and I staged an 

intervention of sorts. We had a very 

honest discussion, and got him involved 

with some of the counseling available 

for gamblers. That’s where my interest 

started, and where it has remained.” 

 The NCPG is holding its sixth annual 

Problem gambling Awareness Week, 

March 9—16. The campaign’s goal is to educate the general public 

and health care professionals about the warning signs of problem 

gambling, and to raise awareness about the help that is available. 

For more information on the campaign and scheduled events, 

visit www.npgaw.org. Unwin’s February 2000 article can be 

viewed at www.aafp.org/afp/20000201/741.html. 

A helpful interest in a distressing affliction: USU 

faculty member speaks on pathological gambling 

By MC3 Jeff Hopkins, 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

COL Brian Unwin, 

MC, USA, vice chair 

for education and 

assistant professor, 

Department of Family 

Medicine 

“It’s the hardest situation to 

address. It’s an addiction in 

every sense of the form, just 

like people could be addicted 

to tobacco or cocaine; it’s very 

difficult to treat.” 

 COL Brian Unwin 

African American History Month Celebration 

Guest Speaker: Dr. Carter G. Woodson

February 25 

Time: 10 a.m. 

USU Cafeteria 

“Learning the Care for Those in Harm’s Way”
PAGE 4 

Socc’in it to ‘em! USU’s soccer team, “USU United” 

USU United is USU’s coed soccer team, which brings together, staff, faculty and students from around the school to promote 

teamwork and camaraderie through sport. The team plays in Coed Division 3D. USU United put up a good fight against the team 

“FC DC” Jan. 31 at the Rockville Sports Complex, but unfortunately lost 9-5. From left to right, bottom row: Randall Merling, 

Mazen Makarem, Alexandra Perry, Stephanie Duffy, Travis Lundell and Rachael Thompson. Top row: Olga Simakova, Cynthia 

Macri, Alex Vasilenko, Roman Puliaev, Katie Mudd and Ed Mitre. Not pictured: Jacob Kabbah and Joseph Abbah.

 Officials at the Air Force Personnel Center will conduct the annual Nurse Enlisted 

Commissioning Program board May 13-14 

to select candidates for fall 2008 and spring 

2009 start dates. 

 The program offers active duty enlisted 

personnel the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in a high-need academic major. 

NECP students will complete their degree 

at a college or university with an Air Force 

Reserve Officer Training Corps detachment 

or a college or university with a "cross-town 

agreement". 

 To be considered by the board Airmen 

must: 

-- contact AFPC by Feb. 22 and state their 

intent to apply; 

-- send transcripts for an academic evaluation by March 31; and 

-- submit their application by May 2. Completed application packages should be sent 

to: 

HQ AFPC/DPAMN 

550 C. Street West Ste 25 

Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4727 

 Students will commission after passing 

the National Council Licensure Examination and then attend commissioned officer 

training and the nurse transition program. 

Students will be required to attend school 

year-round for up to 24 consecutive calendar months, including summer sessions. 

 At this time, Reserve and Air National 

Guard personnel are not eligible to apply. 

 Eligibility requirements are available for 

review at local base education offices or by 

calling DSN 665-2715 or commercial, (210) 

565-2715. 

Nurse commissioning program seeks enlisted applicants 

Photo by tom Balfour 
PAGE 5 

 Illustrating the human body is no easy task. One must know all 

of the body parts and how they work. Not many artists take on 

this particular task, it takes special skill and talent to make it happen, and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences 

(USU) student ENS Michael Sracic, USN, School of Medicine, Class 

of 2008 has the technique to make this a reality. 

 Sracic comes from Johnstown, Penn., and is one of three brothers. His father works for the H.F. Lenz Company, an engineering 

firm, and his mother works for Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals. 

 “I love my family,” Sracic said. “They always support me no matter what decisions I make.” 

 “I have drawn all my life,” he said. “My father was my greatest 

inspiration to begin illustrating; he was an artist himself. I learned 

a lot of my style and technique from him. A lot of other famous 

illustrators inspire me to create; unfortunately I did not get to see 

the Frank Netter exhibit last March because I was out of town on 

a rotation. I would have loved to have seen it.” 

 Sracic can create art with almost any medium. 

 “I can use any type of media,” he said. “It’s all experimental, 

anything from pencils to watercolor. However, my favorite mediums to use are pen, ink and watercolors.” 

 Sracic has also entered his art in several competitions and 

shows, starting as early as second grade, when he entered a contest to create a traffic safety poster. 

 While an undergraduate at Washington & Jefferson College, 

Sracic has had his work featured at several events and on a book 

cover. He is currently creating illustrations for medical texts while 

attending USU. 

 “The first medical illustrations I created for orthopedics papers 

will be published soon,” Sracic said. “I have illustrated an entire 

anesthesia text book for Walter Reed Army Medical Center 

(WRAMC) which will be finished in the next couple of months, as 

well as a few chapters for an ortho-spine text book.” 

 Sracic said a chance encounter with one of the Army Surgeon 

General’s consultants got him into professionally illustrating for 

medical text. 

 “I got really lucky,” he said. “I met COL Jack Chiles, one of the 

anesthesiology attending physicians at WRAMC when I was a 

third-year student, and one of our discussions turned to my art. He 

knew of a fellow staff member who was working on a book and 

was looking for an illustrator; he had me create some illustrations 

to show him. He liked them, so I got the job. Other people saw 

those illustrations and started calling me to create projects for 

them. The anesthesia book at WRAMC is called the ‘Military Advanced Regional Anesthesia and Analgesia Handbook’.” 

 Sracic’s 

work will 

soon be displayed as 

part of an 

upcoming 

exhibit in the 

Smithsonian 

National 

Museum of 

Natural History, an 

honor that 

some artists 

only dream 

of. 

 “I am very 

excited 

about the 

Smithsonian 

exhibit,” he 

said. “A classmate’s wife 

works with one of the anthropologists on the project and she 

mentioned me when they needed an illustrator. They had me 

send in some of my work, and were impressed with what they 

saw. The exhibit is called ‘Written in Bone,’ and is scheduled to 

open in February 2009. It will display some of my bone illustrations alongside specimens collected from Colonial America. The 

exhibit will involve a lot of anthropologists’ work and all different 

aspects of these types of illustrations, so it should be interesting.” 

 Sracic said he faced indecision when the choice of medical or 

art education came about, but in the end medicine won out. 

 “I had a hard time deciding whether I should go to art school 

or pursue medicine. In the end I entered the Navy to become a 

medical officer. I thought USU would provide the best opportunity 

to do that.” 

 After graduation Sracic will be going to the NNMC for an internship in orthopedics. 

 “We’ll see how things go,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be busy during 

my internship and residency. I may not have too much time to do 

a lot of illustrating, but I would love to continue; I hope to make 

this a part of my career in the Navy. I think it’s a lot of fun, and 

there is definitely a place for illustrators in the medical field. I have 

a unique position, in that I’m not just an illustrator or a doctor, but 

a combination of the two.” 

 Sracic says that illustrating has helped him study. 

 “Illustrating has been very beneficial for studying; it definitely 

helps me learn my anatomy.” 

The art of medicine: a USU student’s illustrative talent 

By MCSN Raul Zamora 

Assistant Editor, Office of External Affairs 

Photo by MCSN Raul Zamora 

ENS Michael Sracic, USN, SOM Class of 2008 sits 

with some illustrations of human anatomy he created with watercolor pen, ink and pencil. 

cialty would suit his personality, and that 

he’d like to possibly specialize in orthopedics or trauma. He added that he’d like to 

deploy with the US Marine Corps, with 

which he feels a deep link. 

 “That connection between the Marine 

and “doc,” which is more a Navy Corpsman 

thing, but also the Marine and Naval physician, is a real bond that isn’t shared anywhere else really,” Lebenson said. 

 Lebenson said he enjoys the camaraderie of USU, and the military aspects of medical education that can’t be found elsewhere. 

 “I think the people here really make this 

place as great as it is,” he said. “I love coming in and wearing the uniform everyday, 

learning about medicine, as well as the 

combat and deployment aspects of it, 

something you won’t find at George Washington or Chapel Hill. 

 Lebenson added that he enjoyed the 

hands-on learning USU provides. 

 “It’s get your hands dirty kind of stuff,” 

he said. “For example, I got stuck with 

seven IVs today. And we’re learning important things earlier in our education; the 

faculty realizes there’s a need for that, and 

they accommodate it.” 

 When Lebenson isn’t studying military 

medicine, he’s jumping out of planes. An 

avid skydiver, Lebenson holds a USPA “A” 

license, which authorizes him to jump without supervision, pack his own parachute, 

and perform group and water jumps. 

From LEBENSON, page 3. 
PAGE 6 

 A recent inquiry highlighted the need 

for in-depth understanding by travelers and 

admin assistants in the areas of foreign 

travel as well as the Defense Travel System. 

 Foreign travel is administratively managed in the USU Administrative Support 

Department (ASD) by Ms. Nikki Shird or Mr. 

Dwight Davidson. 

 Below is information that may help travelers and their admin staff determine the 

foreign travel requirements for Department 

of Defense civilian and military personnel, 

such as the requirement for a no fee 

(official) passport, country clearance, etc. 

 The Defense Attaché Office in the U.S. 

Embassy in a foreign country is a key player 

in determining such requirements, and 

those requirements may change as a result 

of conditions in the country. 

 Our travelers can get a quick understanding of the current requirements 

(during the planning stage of a trip, before 

any DTS action is initiated ) by going to the 

following website: www.fcg.pentagon.mil/

fcg.cfm This will lead to the DOD Electronic 

Foreign Country Guide which covers all 

countries. For example, for Mexico, it 

states the no fee passport is required, and 

also that country clearance is required. 

 A recent DTS action was returned several times for the following reasons: 

- traveler needed country clearance 

- traveler needed to take the required Anti 

terrorist training 

 The traveler 

also needed to 

have a no-fee 

(official) passport, but he 

wasn’t aware of 

the requirement, it resulted 

in a special expedited request 

for the passport, so it was available before 

the planned trip. 

 Clear knowledge of the requirements 

would enable travelers to initiate a request 

for a no fee (official) passport or country 

clearance long before beginning the DTS 

process. 

DOD requirements for foreign travel for DOD civilian and military personnel 

February 21: Noon– LRC- LRC Training: EndNote Basics, from 

noon. - 1p.m. in the : LRC Classroom. For further questions, please 

contact Jeffrey Prater at the LRC (301)319-4039. 

February 21: 4 p.m.– LRC- LRC Training: Pub Med Basics, from 

4p.m. - 5p.m. in the : LRC Classroom. For further questions, please 

contact Jeffrey Prater at the LRC (301)319-4039. 

February 28: Noon– LRC- LRC Training: EndNote Basics, from 

noon - 1p.m. in the : LRC Classroom. For further questions, please 

contact Jeffrey Prater at the LRC (301)319-4039. 

March 23-26: AMEDD Radiology Course: Current Concepts in Imaging. 

March 24: 28th USU Surgical Associates Day: The Joseph H. 

Baugh Residents' Award, the 25th Michael E. DeBakey International Military Surgeon's Award, the 25th Baron Dominique Jean 

Larrey International Military Surgeon's Award, the Andrew C. 

Ruoff, III, Travel Award, the 22nd Barry Goldwater Service Award, 

and the Charles A. Hufnagel Residents Research Award will be 

presented. The Reserve Components Surgical Day will be included 

in the 28th USU Surgical Associates Day. Registraiton Information. 

April 11-16: 20th Annual International Bethesda Spine Workshop: 

USU, WRAMC, NNMC, HJF Joint Sponsors. Registration Information. 

April 19-20: 7th Annual Comprehensive Regional Anesthesia 

Workshop: USU, WRAMC, HJF Joint Sponsors. Registration Information. 

April 29: 8 a.m.– Sanford Auditorium- Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress/Neuroscience Program: Amygdala, Stress and PTSD 

Conference, from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. in the Sanford Auditorium. 

Speakers include Robert Adamec, Memorial University; Michael 

Davis, Emory University; Ron Duman, Yale University; Anthony 

Grace, University of Pittsburgh; Arieh Shalev, Hadassah University 

Medical Center; Regina Sullivan, University of Oklahoma. Registration Information 

May 1: 7 a.m.- Lecture Room E: Practical Dermatology for Primary 

Care Providers Eighth Annual Course. This educational activity is 

designated for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, 

medical students, independent duty medical corpsmen, and dermatology nurses. No special prerequisites are required to attend 

this educational activity. The topics will be Structure and function 

of the skin; common bacterial, viral, and fungal infections of the 

skin; acne and rosacea; common rashes, eczemas, and dermatitis; 

benign growths and skin cancers; effects of sunlight; common 

cosmetic procedures; when to refer to a dermatologist. Preregistration is required. Attendance is limited to 140 applicants. 

Registration forms must be received by April 18. Cost: 

 $10 for medical students (military or civilian), nursing students, 

and enlisted attendees. 

 $35 for U.S, state, or local government employed (military or 

civilian) physicians, residents, nurses, NP's, and physician assistants. $100 for non-government civilian health care professionals. 

 Amenities: No charge for parking. Coffee provided at breaks. A 

box lunch is available at no extra cost, or lunch may be purchased 

at the USUHS Cafeteria in Building B. Questions may be directed 

to Katherine Hall, Dermatology Dept., USUHS, at (301) 295-9802 

or by e-mail at katherine.hall@usuhs.mil 

May 15: 8 a.m.– Board of Regents Room- Board of Regents Quarterly Meeting.

Committee of the Whole Meeting from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

May 17: 11 a.m.– DAR Constitution Hall- Class of 2008 Commencement Exercise: DAR Constitution Hall,18th & D. St. NW, 

Washington, DC. P.O.C. University Affairs 301-295-4796. 

June 30: 1st USU/HJF Symposium: Military and Civilian Medicine 

Joining Forces to Advance Research, from 7:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. at 

the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Bethesda, MD. For more information, call 301-294-1218. 

August 4-5: Board of Regents Quarterly Meeting.

Committee of the Whole Meeting from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Aug. 

4. Quarterly Meeting from 8:00 a.m. - noon. in the Board of Regents meeting room Aug. 5. 

Calendar of Events 
PAGE 7 

 

Congratulations Dr. Folio: Dr. Les Folio’s, (radiologist,) project, 

Chest Imaging Teaching Assistant for the MS4 Clerkship-FA89DF, 

has been approved for funding by the School of Medicine Research and Education Endowment Committee. This project will 

support development of an interactive teaching tool for radiological patterns of chest disease. 

New Brigade Routing Policy: The Brigade recently released the 

new routing matrix for administrative requests for active duty uniformed personnel. To access this memorandum, please go to the 

following link: 

http://www.usuhs.mil/bde/pdf/ROUTINGADMINREQUESTSADU

NIFORMEDPERSONNEL.pdf. 

Revised Leave and Liberty/Pass Policy: The Brigade recently revised the existing leave and liberty policy for military personnel at 

USU. To access this revision, please go to the following website: 

http://www.usuhs.mil/bde/pdf/USULEAVELIBERTYPOLICYFORMI

LITARYPERSONNEL.pdf. 

Good Tax Info: Tax season is once again upon us, and uniformed 

personnel can now access their military W-2s at www.dfas.mil. In 

addition to this resource, there is free H&R Block TaxCut Basic software available online at 

http://www.militaryonesource.com/skins/MOS/home.aspx. 

NNMC opened their VITA Tax Office on Feb 4 in the Press Room, 

4th floor, above the Main Street Café. The Tax Office phone number is (301) 295-4990. Hours of operation are 9 a.m.—2p.m., Monday through Friday. Services will be provided on an appointment 

basis only. Sign up appointments began on Jan. 31 at the Legal 

Office, 6th floor of the tower. Customers who have a tax return 

that require Form 1040 or Form 1040A will have to complete an 

intake sheet prior to their appointment. This will save significant 

time at the actual appointment. This form is available at the Legal 

Office or may also be returned electronically for your convenience. Customers who only require Form 1040EZ do not have to 

complete the intake sheet. For more info, contact LN2 

McDaniels, USN at (301) 295-2296. 

Soldier Readiness Processing: An important component of Army 

Force Health Protection is Soldier Readiness Processing (SRP). AR 

600-8-101 requires Soldiers to complete the SRP requirements 

each year. Walter Reed Army Medical Center will conduct the 

next SRP from March 3-7 from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Wagner Gym at 

WRAMC. This event is for all Soldiers at USU and AFRRI. Soldiers 

must bring their medical records, yellow shot record, blue/green 

medical card, CAC card, ID tags and SRP checklist. For further info, 

contact SSG Ward, USA (MPO) at (301) 295-9653 or SFC Harris, 

USA (MPO) at (301) 295-3087. 

PFT/PFA/APFT Notice: The Spring 2008 Physical Fitness Test dates 

for all services are: April 7, 9, 10, 14, 16, and 17, at 7 a.m. or noon. 

There will be one make up date, April 18 at 7 a.m. only. All military 

personnel are required to select the time and date that they will 

take their test immediately. There is more than ample time to prepare both mentally and physically for this mandatory testing. All 

Sailors must complete the Health Risk Assessment questionnaire 

and Physical Health Assessment annually, and Navy weigh-ins 

must be conducted between 10 days and 24 hours prior to the 

Physical Readiness Test. 

Antietam Road March: The annual Antietam Road March will take 

place on May 1 beginning at 7 a.m. This march is an important 

lesson in medical history that allows students, faculty and staff the 

opportunity to witness the medical practices of the Civil War. Military faculty, staff and students, are to adhere to their service specific uniform regulations for backpacks, and it is preferable that all 

who attend this function wear only black backpacks. Further 

guidance will be disseminated as the date draws near. 

2008 Field Exercises: Operations BUSHMASTER and KERKESNER 

will be conducted from July 10-25 at Fort Indiantown Gap, PA. 

These exercises are unique to our university and require the support of all university uniformed personnel. Only emergency leave 

will be granted during this time frame as there are over 135 uniformed personnel (not including evaluators) needed to support 

this mission. 

USU Briefs 

President’s Day 

By MCSN Raul Zamora and MC3 Jeff Hopkins
UNIFORMED SERVICES UNIVERSITY 

of the Health Sciences