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Obama: Improve mental health access, care for military, vets Press Release American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON
President Barack Obama signed an executive order, Aug. 31, that provides increased access to mental health services for service members, military families and veterans. The order, that was signed as he left Washington for a visit to Fort Bliss, Texas, directs the Defense Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other key federal departments to expand suicide-prevention strategies and to take new steps to meet the demand for mental health and substance abuse treatment services, White House officials said. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the new provisions underscore the U.S. government’s commitment to strengthening the health of the military force and providing additional support to combat’s “two unseen wounds” of the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The executive order: ■ Strengthens suicide-prevention efforts across the force and in the veteran community. ■ Enhances access to mental healthcare by building partnerships between the Department of Veterans Affairs and community providers. ■ Increases the number of VA mental health providers serving veterans. ■ Promotes mental health research and development of more effective ways to prevent, identify and treat PTSD, TBI and other related injuries. More than two million service members have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 11, 2001, serving tours of unprecedented duration and frequency, White House officials noted in announcing the new executive order. “Long deployments and intense combat conditions re-
Vol. 20, No. 36 Norfolk, VA | flagshipnews.com | 09.06.12
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NAVSTA Norfolk welcomes POTUS President Barack Obama reaches out to shake hands with a crowd as he arrives at Naval Station (NAVSTA) Norfolk, Sept. 4.
MC2 (SW/AW) William Jamieson
quire optimal support for the emotional and mental health needs of our service members and their families,” they said. The executive order builds on efforts already under way within the Defense Department, VA and other federal agencies to ensure veterans and active, Guard and reserve service members and their families get the support they deserve, officials noted. In terms of suicide prevention, the executive order directs VA to increase the capacity of its veteran crisis line by 50 percent by the year’s end. It also calls on VA to ensure that no veteran who reports
being in crisis should have to wait more than 24 hours to be connected to a mental health professional, or trained mental health worker. VA will also work with the Defense Department to establish a national, 12-month suicide prevention campaign focused on connecting veterans to mental health services, officials reported. To ensure veterans have access to these services, the executive order also calls on VA and the Department of Health and Human Services to establish at least 15 pilot sites where VA can partner with local mental health providers.
To: Enterprise, From: Enterprise
This initiative, officials said, will help ensure services are available in regions where VA has had trouble hiring or placing providers. The order also directs VA and HHS (Health and Human Services) to develop a plan to increase access to mental healthcare in rural communities. In addition, VA will hire 800 peer-to-peer support counselors to help veterans support each other and ensure that their mental health needs are met. That’s on top of VA’s ongoing effort to hire 1,600 new mental healthcare profession-
The president was also greeted by Vice Adm. Michelle Howard, Deputy Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Capt. David A. Culler, Jr., Commanding Officer, NAVSTA Norfolk.
als by June 2013. VA has hired more than 3,500 mental health professionals since 2009 and the new executive order includes recruiting incentives to build on that momentum. The new order rallies interagency support in confronting mental health and substance abuse support for veterans, service members and their families. It establishes an interagency task force to recommend new strategies, and calls on DoD, VA, Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education to devise a national plan to improve PTSD and TBI diagnosis and treatment.
ISAAC REMINDS IWO JIMA SAILORS OF KATRINA
By MCSN Gregory Pickett Enterprise Carrier Strike Group Public Affairs
USS ENTERPRISE, AT SEA
Members of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise’s Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions (CSADD) organization recently took some time out of their various operational commitments to answer a few pieces of mail. While underway on its 25th and final deployment, Enterprise received dozens of letters from the students of Enterprise Elementary School in Enterprise, Fla. These letters were then distributed to Sailors throughout the ship, including members of Big E’s CSADD and the First Class Petty Officers Association, who later took the time to write the students back during one of the organization’s meetings. The Enterprise to Enterprise connection was not lost on those answering the mail. “It felt like the history of this great warship reached all the way back to the states,” said Legalman 2nd Class Ashley D’Aunoy, a native of Mandeville, La. “It’s amazing that the story of the Enterprise name is so legendary, it is a part of our nation’s youth’s story.” The letters and cards were written by the Enterprise Elementary School’s 3rd, 4th and 5th graders as a part of the “Letters to Sailors” campaign, which was started a few years ago by Chris Folcik, president of the Navy League of the United States Daytona Beach Area Council. The initiative is similar to a pen pal program and gives students in the
» see MAIL CALL | A9
By Lt. Megan Shutka Amphibious Squadron 8 Public Affairs
USS IWO JIMA, AT SEA
James McDowell During one of the many repair projects on the runway at NALF Fentress in past years, Randy Hilton, former facility management specialist at Oceana Public Works, marks the broken and cracked concrete at the end of the carrier box on the runway.
Fentress set to reopen with major improvements By Cathy Heimer Jet Observer
VIRGINIA BEACH
When Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress reopens to military aircraft traffic in October, it will be a totally different airfield. Gone will be the old-style, inefficient lighting, and a runway with bumps, patches over patches, rough sections and long cracks – all too familiar to aviators and Fentress personne who man the facility 24 hours a day. Instead, what pilots will be landing on is basically a brand new runway with nearly 2,000 feet of smooth white concrete at each end, leveled with the new middle section of asphalt, two new landing signal officer (LSO) shacks, LED lighting along the runway, taxiway, in the carrier box and signs, as well as some additional training opportunities for helicopter pilots. “When you look down at the air-
FORMER MCPON CAMPA TRAINS, INSPIRES CHIEFS Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Joe Campa (ret.) visited USS Harry S.Truman, Aug. 28, to address the Chief’s Mess and chief selectees fromTruman, USS Mahan, USS Abraham Lincoln and USS George H.W. Bush.
» see A5
field, basically you’re not going to see anything old, you’re going to see everything brand new,” said Oceana Airfield Manager/Deputy Operations Officer James McDowell. Years of field carrier landing practice (FCLP) have taken their toll on the 8,000 foot runway. As the primary FCLP runway for 24 squadrons in Hampton Roads, including F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets, E-2’s and C-2’s, the runway sees an average of 46,000 “touch and go” landings annually by pilots honing their skills before heading out to any aircraft carrier. “It is an ideal location because of the lighting, or lack thereof,” explained Fentress Officer in Charge Lt. Jimmy Navarro. “It basically mirrors what they would see when they’re landing on an aircraft carrier, because there’s no lights around. It’s a tremendous challenge. That’s what Fentress does
» see FENTRESS | A9 HERITAGE MONTH The Navy joins the nation on Sept. 15 in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which will be observed through Oct. 15.
» see B5
The arrival of Hurricane Isaac on the Gulf Coast reminded deployed Sailors aboard the multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) of the devastation Hurricane Katrina caused seven years ago on Aug. 29, 2005. Iwo Jima served as the flagship for President George W. Bush shortly after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, La. Some Sailors who served aboard Iwo Jima during Hurricane Katrina are currently deployed on the ship now. Lt. Gwen Major, Iwo Jima’s training officer, witnessed the efforts of repair division when he was a lieutenant junior grade aboard Iwo Jima during Katrina relief efforts.
■ storm assistance Iwo Jima served as the flagship for President George W. Bush shortly after Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, La. Some Sailors who served aboard Iwo Jima during Hurricane Katrina are currently deployed on the ship now.
» see ISAAC | A9
MC1 John P. Curtis Nursing home residents that were evacuated from Louisiana during Hurricane Isaac, wait to return to their home while receiving shelter at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans.
INDIE FEST Norfolk Festevents will celebrate the emergence of the inaugural ETC (EmbraceThe Culture) – Norfolk’s Indie Music & Arts Festival – Sept. 8 atTown Point Park on the Downtown Norfolk waterfront. » see C1
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