Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, with support from the 386th Expeditionary Operation Group, expanded mental health services to Airmen at an undisclosed location supporting ongoing operations in Syria, Oct. 24 and 25.Mental health heads down range
                        
                        
                        Maj. Candee Berck, 386th Expeditionary Medical Group mental health officer in charge and licensed clinical social worker, deployed from Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., and Senior Airman Brittany Edwards, 386th EMDG noncommissioned officer in charge of mental health, deployed from the 96th Medical Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, Fla., pose for a photo while visiting Airmen stationed at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia, Oct. 25, 2017. The 386th EMDG, with support from the 386th Expeditionary Operation Group, expanded mental health services to Airmen at an undisclosed location supporting ongoing operations in Syria. (Courtesy photo)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Mental health expands services, reaches more AirmenPublished Nov. 9, 2017
                    
                    By Staff Sgt. William Banton
                    
                    
                    386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
            **SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNS) --**The 386th Expeditionary Medical Group, with support from the 386th Expeditionary Operation Group, expanded mental health services recently to Airmen at an undisclosed location supporting ongoing operations in Syria.
“This time of year, if there are going to be challenges with folks struggling it’s because they are away from home [during] Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s,” said Chief Master Sgt. Robert Johnson, 386th EOG superintendent. “Those are going to be the times when folks are most likely going to dip into dark places and need a mental health ‘belly button’ to reach out to and maybe just talk.”
For Johnson this “belly button” came in the form of Maj. Candee Berck, 386th EMDG mental health officer in charge and licensed clinical social worker, deployed from Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, and Senior Airman Brittany Edwards, noncommissioned officer in charge of mental health, deployed from the 96th Medical Operations Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida.
The project began in September when the mental health office reached out to 386th Air Expeditionary Wing leadership with the hope of increasing services to Airmen stationed in remote locations across the area of responsibility. Their goal was to educate service members on the effects of trauma and its symptoms, while breaking the stigmas surrounding mental health and resiliency in deployed environments.
“The key is to build [relationships] so they have some faces to names and people know that we are not out to kill careers,” Berck said. “Our job here in the AOR is to help get folks back into the mission, understanding that life still goes on back in the states. Life still happens, it doesn’t stop just because we come out here to the sandbox.”
According to www.ptsd.va.gov, about seven percent of the U.S. population, will havepost-traumatic stress at some point in their lives. For combat veterans, this number increases to between 11 and 20 percent, depending on the war or conflict they served in.
Symptoms of trauma manifest differently from person to person, but the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs cites increased irritability, being quick to anger, sleeplessness and increased or heavy drinking as possible warnings or signs of issues.
“We see a lot of isolation,” Edwards said. “You can definitely see a decrease in functioning, as far as work performance, but I would say that isolation would be the biggest [symptom] I have seen in my career. “
Berck said research shows quick assessment and treatment of traumatic events can decrease the amount of time it takes a person to recover.
Knowing the deployed location had limited access to certain resources, Edwards and Berck completed a site survey to determine the feasibility of installing a secure telecommunication system allowing video conferenced appointments. This system enables Airmen to walk into their on-site medical tent and request to speak to a mental health professional when they have issues.
Once established, the remotely located medical clinic would be able to contact the 386th Medical Group, who would then schedule a time for the video conference like a regular appointment.
“Clearly, in mental health we would prefer to see people face to face,” Berck said. “There’s a lot of things that we read nonverbally, so we do not just like to do something over the phone, in fact most of the time we will not do that. Too much of what we do relies on the full realm of communication.”
The implementation of this type of communication would not be possible without leadership’s support, said Berck.
“Anytime someone has an idea or suggestion that can allow us to better take care of our Airmen, enable our Airmen, increase the war fighting effort and focus our Airmen on the things that will keep them safe and most ready to execute, everyone is all for that,” Johnson said. “That’s a no-brainer, that’s a win-win.”Mental health 



medical 



Eglin Air Force Base 



Peterson Air Force Base 



386th Air Expeditionary Wing 



taking care of people 



combat medic 



386th EMDG 



96th Medical Operations Squadron 



386th AEW Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF, CSAF, CMSAF begin Indo-Pacific trip focused on ACE
                    
                    DAF leaders talk budget, reoptimizing the force
                    
                    DAF leaders speak at National Character and Leadership Symposium
                    
                    DAF members recognized during BEYA STEM awards
                    
                    DAF senior enlisted advisors discuss Airmen, Guardians in the fightInnovation
                F-16s arrive to be modified for autonomous testing
                    
                    AFWERX director discusses role of tech startups, quick innovation in Great Power Competition
                    
                    DAF delivers lethality at the speed of data during Project Convergence Capstone 4
                    
                    DAF welcomes industry partners to HQ development program
                    
                    DAF announces Spark Tank 2024 finalistsMAJCOM News
                Safety enterprise announces new mission, vision, goals in 2024 strategic plan
                    
                    Air Combat Command welcomes new commander
                    
                    USAFE-AFAFRICA commander discusses Integrated Air, Missile Defense during Munich Security Conference
                    
                    Flosi to AFMC family: Embrace change, make every day count
                    
                    AMC rises to increasing global tension
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil