Returning Home from Iraq and Afghanistan Assessment of Readjustment Needs of Veterans, Service Members, and Their Families (2013) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix E: Individual Ethnographic Assessments of Six Communities
Appendix E: Individual Ethnographic Assessments of Six Communities
Pages 643-772
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APPENDIX E INDIVIDUAL ETHNOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENTS OF SIX COMMUNITIES Westat conducted a series of ethnographic assessments for the Committee. The communities visited include: Jacksonville, North Carolina; El Paso, Texas; Watertown, New York; Lakewood and Lacey, Washington; Georgetown, South Carolina; and Little Falls, Minnesota.
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Understanding the Community Effects of Multiple Military Deployments Case Study Reports E-2
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Jacksonville, North Carolina Case Study Report E-3
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Recreation and Parks Department School Board and Transition GEOGRAPHIC ORIENTATION Counselors Social Services Department Community: Jacksonville, North Carolina United Way Jacksonville, North Carolina, lies on the eastern shore of the state in Onslow County and adjacent to the southern Outer Banks and is contiguous with both Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River. According to the 2010 Census, Jacksonville's population of 70,1451 represents an increase of about 5% over the 2000 population.
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[Social services representative] Many of the troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan from Camp Lejeune are infantrymen, and the base has suffered a high proportion of troop deaths compared with other military installations.
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One Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce member said that the "entire market is the base." According to the Camp Lejeune 2012 Base Guide, the base and surrounding community are home to an active duty, dependent, retiree, and civilian employee population of more than 180,000 people and the base contributes more than $3 billion each year to the local economy in payroll, contracts, construction, and other services. The economic and social effects are mixed: Positive effects of the military presence include Source of income and employment (e.g., as the leading employer in Onslow County, the Marine Corps Community Services employs more than 2,200 civilians at Camp Lejeune)
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. Pay and housing allowances to military families have spurred a construction boom in homes, apartments, retail stores (including major consumer goods such as furniture and cars)
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. [Social services representative]
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[Community member] Military families' economic situations may depend on their number of dependents, employability of the "at-home" spouse, and their skills in managing money.
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For employers, it is illegal to ask a potential employee if they are married to a Marine or if they are pregnant, so businesses are forced to be flexible to accommodate military families to meet their staffing needs: A girl that works for us, her husband was just injured, that's a major thing. For childcare, they are the only one at home [and we]
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[Social services representative] Thus, even though the overall unemployment situation in Jacksonville and Onslow County looks good, findings from the site visit suggest that multiple deployments have potentially exacerbated an already dynamic labor market by contributing to high staff turnover rates, increasing the need for employers to make periodic accommodations for military spouses, and leading to a high underemployment rate among extended members of military families.
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City officials and Police and Fire Department representatives, however, discussed their belief that the Census numbers are inaccurate because they do not count deployed military members as part of the local community. More specifically, the Census enumerates overseas soldiers as "deployed," not in the locations where they were last stationed4: The rules for Census counting impacted on us, because of the deployments .
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Counting family members/dependents, close to 70% to 80% of the population is affiliated with the military. Information and Communication Open Discussion of Deployment-Related Issues The military is very much on everyone's mind in Jacksonville, according to all interviewees, and that level of understanding is what makes Jacksonville feel like home for so many military families: You don't want to hang the yellow ribbon on the trees in your front yard if you are the only one in the neighborhood whose husband is deployed .
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Outside the base, military members and families obtain information about community resources through a variety of sources. For example, and as noted previously, Project CARE has been activated at times of high deployments to make a communitywide push to inform military families of the resources available to them.
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Community Health As discussed in more detail below, existing physical and behavioral health challenges have intensified since the OIF/OEF deployments began, and some new problems have emerged. Demand for mental health services has increased, according to Chamber of Commerce members, and city officials noted that they are seeing more homeless veterans.
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A social services representative added that military spouses are also showing high levels of addiction to prescription drugs: One of the biggest things we've seen, especially with military spouses, is prescription drug use.
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[Social Services representative] Suicide attempts: County EMS and police representatives both discussed the rise in suicide attempts, and a Health Department representative described an increase in gun accidents: We had two officer-assisted suicides where the people charged the officer with guns, and we've seen some other suicides.
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[Social services representative] Separation and divorce: A mental health provider told us she is now getting calls from more senior members of the military and officers: "They're tired and never thought they'd need counseling, but now their families are falling apart." Violent acts: The police representative told us of recent acts of violence conducted by Marines, including a man stabbing dogs in his house.
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Following deployments, the Health Department representative also sees many cases of sexually transmitted diseases among Marines at the county STD clinic, as well as cases of travel-related illnesses such as malaria and tuberculosis at their communicable disease clinic. Children's Issues Children of both military and civilian families are affected by the mental and physical health difficulties experienced by military families.
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In addition, the school system employs military transition counselors and school liaisons to help children with military-related stresses. The PEERS program is also available to military families and offers free drop-in child care, parenting classes, and an adolescent parenting program.
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Certain city and county programs have income eligibility requirements that place these services out of reach for military families whose wages are too high to qualify. In addition, partners who are not legally married cannot access base services and must rely on the county; this is a far-reaching issue according to many service providers.
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According to one pastor, "It is amazing what church can do for those families." He described the challenges faced by one active duty spouse with five children whose husband is on his seventh deployment. When this woman sought services on base, she was told by one program that the situation with her family was "too severe" and they would have to go to the command; she did not want the family's issues to bring her husband home and jeopardize his career.
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. it is difficult to be positive 100% of the time but I find a well of strength when I look to God." SUMMARY OF STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES Model Programs and Services Project CARE successfully maintained and strengthened the city of Jacksonville's population, even during deployments.
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Address Census issues to support emergency services and infrastructure development.* Improve employment and assimilation opportunities for spouses seeking work.
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El Paso, Texas Case Study Report E-25
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City Fort Bliss Garrison Command residents' "lawns" are similarly arid, with Fort Bliss MWR some sporting a thin layer of small, dark Military families brown rocks to create a more consistent El Paso Police Department appearance. Ethnographic observation El Paso and Juarez combined include more than 2 million people.
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Some counselors who work with soldiers with PTSD indicated they needed no additional training because they are already serving traumatized families from Juarez; at least one school faculty member directly compared the experiences of children in military families with those of some of the children fleeing Mexico, noting that the latter have often witnessed the death of a parent. Also, as discussed later in this 2 See http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48141.html.
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Although the installation was initially developed to maintain security along the southern border, by the early 20th century Fort Bliss had developed a more global focus. The area hosted more than 100,000 National Guard troops in the middle of the First World War, and by WWII Fort Bliss hosted the largest cavalry unit in the United States.
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As part of this investment, El Paso and Fort Bliss collaborated to build the world's largest inland desalinization plant, which is located on Fort Bliss property. The desalination plant afforded the post access to a brackish groundwater bolson that would have otherwise been unusable.
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Importantly, roughly 70% of the soldiers stationed at Fort Bliss live off post. Military families live throughout El Paso, but the largest concentration of military residences is directly west of the post, in the neighborhood called "the Northeast," and south of the post.
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Our understanding is that the area continues to be used for Army training, but that improved communications have prevented any additional problems from arising between soldiers and city residents. One of the few general complaints we heard from civilians, which came from a couple of interviewees, was that military families sometimes convey a sense of entitlement simply because of their army affiliation.
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Soldiers with families who actively engage in the community, they see a genuine, a sincere approach toward "You're part of our community and you're welcome here and we want to support you." The BRAC-prompted growth at Fort Bliss reportedly buffered El Paso from the recession, but accommodating the growth required substantive changes in El Paso's infrastructure, particularly in housing and transportation. Though bounded by New Mexico to the north and Juarez to the southwest, expansion went outward.
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Fort Bliss aims to be a net-zero installation in energy, waste, and water by 2018.1 8 The study team was told that the wait time to get into housing on post is at least 2 years. 9 American Community Survey, U.S.
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At the same time, community leaders recognize challenges associated with military culture. These leaders have made concerted efforts to build bridges with Fort Bliss, and Fort Bliss, in turn, has responded.
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This situation presented forecasting challenges and underscored the need for ongoing communication with Fort Bliss about deployments and their anticipated impact on public schools. All nine El Paso school districts participate in the Fort Bliss Process Action Team with military leadership and military parents.
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The relatively low crime rate and the fact that these events were tied to "the different type of soldier" suggest that these events do not happen regularly, but rather that a rare negative incident may take on heightened relevance in the public imagination. Health of Military Families Although the above behaviors by service members were hard for interviewees to link to multiple deployments, they were profoundly concerned about the toll these deployments are exacting on young families.
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Interviewees expressed significant concern about how the children of military families are faring. The family upheaval associated with the repeated deployment of one parent was problematic, but several individuals noted additional challenges faced by children from single parent households as well as households in which both parents were service members: With dual or single-soldier families, you have kids that don't even have their own room -- they go live with a relative or a friend .
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In sum, the El Paso community appears to be seeing an occasional "burst" of adverse effects from multiple deployments in the form of DWIs, bar violence, and so forth. But the bigger challenges are in the homes, where each family is struggling to cope with a set of issues that not only change with each deployment, but compound over time.
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Also, Fort Bliss is working with the University of Texas at El Paso to develop a curriculum to train teachers about working with students from military families so that teachers will be prepared to understand the ways in which deployments -- indeed, multiple deployments -- may adversely affect military students. Behavioral and Mental Health Services Interviewees described mental health services as the greatest need in the community.
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Grantees included mental health providers, food banks, and children's services. These grants have been important in building behavioral health capacity and expanding community resources for military families.
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She also gave us a list of the following observations of how multiple deployments are affecting military families that she sees: 1. Increased marriages between service members; increased marriages between service members and nonservice members with weak relational foundations; 2.
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attorneys who are not necessarily familiar with Texas family law, as well as by service members' attempts to avoid paying lawyers' fees by using LegalZoom to get the paperwork to file for divorce. We heard of at least two interventions in El Paso that are designed to mitigate these challenges: The HEROES Program (Help Establishing Responsive Orders and Ensuring Support for children in military families)
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. We also spoke with another church that was working with military families struggling with the effects of multiple deployments, but doing so on a case-by-case basis.
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As mentioned earlier, Emergence Health Network, one of the few behavioral health providers in the city, is establishing peer-to peer support groups for active duty service members and for female service members specifically. Not only are the support groups held off post, but they are not affiliated in any way with either Fort Bliss or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
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The church's minister, who was participating in the same discussion, indicated that although the discussion group we held was the first time he had met this woman in person, he does see her prayer requests and every week the group says a special prayer for her spouse. Although these and numerous other virtual connections may be unsatisfying to an older cohort, the young soldiers currently stationed at Fort Bliss are intricately familiar with online social networking and may be finding numerous sources of support there to cope with the stresses caused by multiple deployments.
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The relationship between post and city is reinforced by established communication mechanisms. Fort Bliss interacts with the city and Chamber of Commerce, the school districts, and community leadership.
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D," is an example of effective digital community building using Facebook. This online page, run by the garrison commander's office, is a bulletin board for community events, answers routine day-to day questions posted by military families, and also connects families in need with appropriate services.
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The rapid pace of redeployment, they said, ultimately disrupts all attempts the family is making to settle into the "old normal" life, and for some, the "new normal" is simply untenable. Community members identified underserved constituencies of military families for whom additional supports may be needed.
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Watertown, New York Case Study Report E-49
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military presence have included economic stimulus for the area and a large supply of health Community college care providers available to all residents. Regional partnership organizations Interviewees said, though, that multiple Social service organizations deployments have contributed to a tight housing Behavioral health organizations market, a shortage of mental health care services Hospitals (especially for children)
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The 10th Mountain Division was described by several interviewees as "the most deployed force" in the country. Two respondents separately commented, "they are either gone or training to go." The post is responsible for the mobilization and training of almost 80,000 troops annually, including Reserve and National Guard members.
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are deployed for shorter times. Deployments have included cavalry, light infantry, field artillery, signal and intelligence, and combat aviation.3 A 2007 article in the Army Times describes how 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade out of Fort Drum has served the most time on the battlefield since 2001 .
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Overall, the most visible positive effects of a large military presence in the Watertown and Jefferson County community are support for the economy and the increased availability of general and specialist medical care for entire community, which we heard about from a variety of interviewees. Nearly every interviewee also connected the continued mutual support among soldiers, military families, veterans, and the civilian community to multiple deployments.
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However, a few remarked that the ongoing shortage of available housing units is felt most sharply with large demobilizations, forcing people into hotels that are often booked to maximum capacity. Several interviewees told us that some military families relocating to the area are willing to rent or buy whatever is available.
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[Emergency services provider, civilian] Many family challenges related to deployment have been vetted through the docudrama In My Shoes, performed several times in Watertown area schools, on Fort Drum, and on a nearby E-55
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I thought everyone had a mom and dad always there.5 Information about the play has been published by local and national media sources and is currently in production for broadcast on local television. Information Sources for Military Families The post has extensive information about services available to military members and their families, including a downloadable welcome package.
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[Social services provider and spouse of active duty military member] Information Sources for Civilians The challenges related to multiple deployments and sacrifices made by military members and their families were mentioned very generally in a variety of community contexts, including the Armed Forces Day luncheon sponsored by the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce, the FDRHPO Annual Meeting, and during the course of several interviews.
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And so they get used to feeling no emotions. [Social services provider and spouse of active duty soldier]
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[Social services provider, spouse of active duty service member] Although suicide is a concern for the community of Watertown, it seems that most, if not all, military-related suicides are confined to the post.
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[Social services provider, spouse of active duty member] Another respondent echoed this sentiment, but acknowledged some improvements in deployment cycles during OEF/OIF that may reduce some of the stress experienced by military children: I think multiple deployments are hard.
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. we did see more military families needing services .
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The study team was assured in multiple interviews and informal conversations with health care providers that many challenges associated with multiple deployments have been met through the collaborative efforts of military and civilian providers in the region. Two major challenges in this community are an insufficient number of behavioral health care providers, particularly for children, a need that is clearly tied to multiple deployments, and the 70-mile distance for treatment through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
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JCC reportedly provides courses at Fort Drum, counselors who are knowledgeable about military benefits, a military lounge on campus in Watertown, an inexpensive child care facility, and flexibility in completing courses that are interrupted by deployment or associated stressors. 8 See http://www.ircsd.org/students.cfm?
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All behavioral health care for military families at Fort Drum is provided in the civilian community. One person expressed concerns about the lack of community preparedness for dealing with mental health issues that may result from multiple deployments: E-64
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[Medical services provider and spouse of active duty soldier] Social Services A wide variety of social services are available to military personnel and their families both on the post and in the greater Watertown community.
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In sum, there are multiple points at which people can be connected to formal services, and those who provide social services are familiar with a variety of what's available and can provide contact information. In addition, many individual members of this small community were reported to be informed and eager to help those in need find appropriate services.
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Interviewees said what makes this program unique is that every unit deployed from Fort Drum has had a sponsor, and it is not uncommon for organizations to hold events with soldiers before or after a deployment. Many interviewees also cited Operation Yellow Ribbon, a partnership between Fort Drum leaders and North Country communities, as an important informal support.
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The Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization connects civilian and military medical providers and records, as well as providing military families with information about local health care options. The locally written and performed play In My Shoes offers adolescents from both military and civilian families the opportunity to express and discuss their feelings about multiple deployments and initiate a series of community conversations about their experiences and needs.
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Suggestions from the Community Integrate medical records and benefits systems between DOD and VA.* Proactively provide more/visible information about potential mental health needs associated with deployments to help reduce the stigma in the community and help the community respond effectively to posttraumatic stress issues.*
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Lakewood and Lacey, Washington Case Study Report E-70
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In response, school district Kiwanis Club leaders are working closely with the command Armed Forces Day Events at to implement school-based programs to support JBLM military families and students. A major Ethnographic Observation identified need is for more behavioral health Lacey, Washington services for military families, both on base and City Government (Mayor and in the community.
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Lakewood borders the northern edge of JBLM, which includes the National Guard's Washington State headquarters at Camp Murray (Figure 1)
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City officials noted that although a high number of military families live in Lacey, it has not been stigmatized around the issue of PTSD the way Lakewood has been: Many of the families as well as the single service men have said that people "North of the River" do not welcome them into their community. They said that's not true of Lacey.
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In 2011, the South Sound Military and Communities Partnership (SSMCP) 5 conducted a "Community Needs Survey of Joint Base Lewis-McChord Personnel and Families" in collaboration with JBLM Garrison Command.6 The purpose of the study was to provide the SSMCP, JBLM, and local communities with a demographic profile of JBLM personnel and military families living in the area and to identify needs for services and supports.
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Every person interviewed by the study team either had personal experience in the military (often at JBLM) , or was directly related to or otherwise acquainted with someone stationed at JBLM.
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Social services * These items represent community domains with multiple-deployment-related effects identified both in the JBLM Growth Coordination Plan and during the site visit.
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off base. This was confirmed by the study team's personal observations while in town.
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The survey indicates that approximately 60% of active duty service members who live off base rent. Staff from Lakewood's Department of Economic Development reported that the decrease in home ownership has led to a decrease in the use of home-related services, such as lawn care, construction, and the like.
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Information and Communication Lakewood government officials and the school districts have good channels of communication with JBLM. Lacey community leaders receive military information more informally, as do local residents.
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In addition, the city's Department of Social Services facilitates the Lakewood Community Collaboration, a community organization that includes representatives from numerous social service agencies who meet quarterly. A military representative from Army Community Services (ACS)
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Yet except for the YMCA, which offers programs for military families, identifying or connecting with these programs during the site visit proved difficult. Armed Forces Day, held on base and open to the public, had virtually no community-based (off-base)
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The school systems have responded to their students' needs by making mental health supports more available and finding ways to honor military families through special events (see the Community Competence section)
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Two additional schools are located very close to the base and also have high numbers of military dependent children. In other elementary schools in this district, about 15% of the students are from military families.
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The North Thurston Public School (NTPS) district, which serves Lacey, also has programs in place to support the estimated 20% of the district's student population who are from military families.
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Discussions with staff from community programs such as the Boys and Girls Club, the Kiwanis Club, and the YMCA suggest that these and other local programs recognize the unique stressors that military families have been experiencing from the deployments. Physical and Mental Health Care Services By observation, the region appears to have numerous physical health providers available to serve active duty military, veterans, and their family members.
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Lakewood has had a military presence for more than a hundred years, and Lacey appears to have welcomed military families to join its community. Community programs in these cities, such as the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, and the Kiwanis Club, are among many that offer programs and activities for military families.
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It sponsors free retreats targeting military families who have experienced multiple deployments and are experiencing high stress personally and within their families, or both, including mental health concerns and PTSD. The program aims to "facilitate the re integration of veterans and active duty combat veterans back into their family and community environs." 14 Professional counseling is available at the retreat.
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But despite its efforts, the study team was not able to secure an interview with any of these groups to learn the specifics of their programs. And a discussion with a minister who runs a shelter in the county similarly revealed no specific details about any churches near JBLM that provide supports explicitly for service members and their families.
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Local law enforcement suggested that information about PTSD be integrated into police training so that officers can be better prepared to understand what actions might trigger a negative response in service members. Local law enforcement also suggested that service members should be briefed on local laws when they arrive at JBLM so that they are not surprised by the legal consequences of certain crimes (e.g., a DUI charge results in automatic arrest and their car being towed)
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School representatives said there is a need for mental health counseling for children in military families.
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Georgetown, South Carolina Case Study Report E-91
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Overall, the study team did not find that the two deployments by the local National Guard unit had any effects -- positive or negative -- on the local community as a whole. Data supporting this finding are presented in the pages that follow, including information obtained from interviewees about the local economy, school system, and the community at large.
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famous for his use of guerrilla tactics against the British. Revolutionary War markers can be found throughout town, and in homage to their fearless predecessor, the local National Guard unit is named the "Swamp Fox Unit." By the end of the war, the agricultural focus of the region had changed -- indigo had begun to be cultivated in other, easily accessed regions of the world, thus reducing the profitability of the crop.
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.3 As of May 2012, the unemployment rate throughout Georgetown County stood at 9.5%.4 These data support interviewees' assertions that the National Guard offers many local residents an important way to supplement their income through monthly drills, and bring in more household income while deployed. Military Installation: South Carolina National Guard Unit Georgetown Armory is the headquarters of the 1st Battalion 178th Field Artillery Unit of the South Carolina National Guard.
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Although the unit itself was deployed to combat twice in a 6-year period, some unit members continue to volunteer for "individual deployments," that is, signing up with another South Carolina unit that is set to deploy, in an effort to bolster the family's income. One individual interviewed by the study team, for example, was about to leave for his third deployment and said his sole objective in volunteering was to bring in additional money that could support him and his wife during their retirement.
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Relationship Between Community and National Guard The Georgetown community presented itself as very supportive of its National Guard unit. Everyone with whom the study team spoke knew there was a local unit, could direct the team to the armory's location, and knew that the unit had been deployed more than once.
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Interviewees reported no disruptions to any of the major businesses in the area, such as International Paper or the steel mill. One interviewee said, "Nobody shuts down because the Guard guys go, other than the armory." The idea of a "small number," however, is relative to the size of the business.
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feel comfortable. [Emergency services worker]
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Interviewees said that the potential for high earnings has led many members of the National Guard and the Individual Ready Reserve to either volunteer for additional deployments or take positions with military contractors, such as Blackwater. Blackwater positions were said to be particularly attractive for members of local law enforcement, who reportedly could earn as much as five times their annual salary for a year's service in Iraq or Afghanistan.
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get together and do a parade for them going out." [Guard member] In addition, the Family Readiness Groups (FRGs)
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[Guard member 1] Interviewees also described the FRG as having gone through some positive changes as a result of lessons learned: The Family Readiness Group .
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The National Guard is not responsible for alerting employers. Employers the team talked to said they did see these letters, but they would have liked some type of official announcement as early as possible so they could put plans in place.
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Communication About Available Resources As discussed in the next section, formal resources for National Guard members, their families, or other community members affected by multiple deployments appeared to be in relatively short supply. Interviewees described a mental health service delivery system that is lean, at best, and most Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
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Study team members did not make any observations that countered citizens' perspectives in this regard; for example, they did not see young service members in wheelchairs. Mental/Behavioral Health The study team asked numerous interviewees if they had concerns about National Guard members' returning home with PTSD, traumatic brain injury, or other mental health issues.
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The study team was told that drug-related crime is a significant problem within the city, but that officers did not see returning service members engaged in any of these activities. The team also spoke with representatives of two social services agencies devoted to family issues, and neither believed the deployments have had any effect on local domestic violence rates.
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, the team wondered how a community so lacking in behavioral health resources would have handled things had one or more National Guard members been killed in action. Interviewees from law enforcement, the fire department, and even the schools noted that they have critical incident response9 capabilities that can be put into place on a moment's notice; but services for dealing with the day-to-day stresses of deployments do not appear to be readily available to residents of Georgetown and the surrounding rural communities.
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SUMMARY In most respects, the study team found little indication that the multiple deployments of the local National Guard unit or of its members had any major adverse effects on the community. 10 The study team did hear one counter-example from a woman whose son had been deployed three times.
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The team's understanding is that about 200 local unit members deployed each time and suffered few physical casualties across the two deployments. Further, some observers might argue that because this was a National Guard unit rather than a regular active duty unit, it had not deployed to the worst of the combat theaters and the lack of community effects is consistent with a less severe level of combat experience.
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The study team surmises that Georgetown's sense of community may have served as a protective factor to both deployed National Guard members and their families alike. Any or all of these explanations may be valid; additional, longer term research would need to be conducted, however, to determine which factors are most relevant to the study team's finding of a negligible effect of multiple deployments on the community.
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significant behavioral health challenges. Consideration might be given to ways in which individuals with more pressing issues could receive the services they need closer to home.
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Little Falls, Minnesota Case Study Report E-111
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is difficult to pinpoint the impact of Community service organizations multiple deployments on Little Falls. Interviewees described challenges in the Behavioral and mental health community that include limited organizations economic opportunities, insufficient Hospital employees mental health resources for families Community members throughout the deployment cycle, and a Churches need for more timely mental health Local businesses screenings for National Guard members Camp Ripley command and key staff postdeployment.
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Substance abuse among teens, particularly heroin and methamphetamine, was also noted as a public concern by hospital sources. Military Installation Orientation: Minnesota National Guard Approximately 13,000 soldiers and airmen serve in the Minnesota National Guard, making it the fifth largest National Guard, even though Minnesota is the 26th most populous state.3 The National Guard's mission statement declares that under the "new normal" they have three separate missions: federal, state, and community.
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From page 756... ...
Relevant to the site visit study, the Minnesota National Guard has had multiple deployments under OIF and OEF -- as of 2011, approximately 8,000 soldiers have deployed to Iraq.5 The Minnesota National Guard has also contended with long deployments. Between 2005 and 2007, the Minnesota 34th Infantry based out of Camp Ripley was "extended indefinitely," ultimately to a 22-month deployment, the longest deployment of any infantry unit since World War II.6 Military Installation: Camp Ripley Camp Ripley's main entrance is 8 miles north of Little Falls.
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From page 757... ...
When completed, it will be a paved public trail for cyclists and motorized vehicles, part of a larger network of biking trails that extend the length of the Mississippi River.9 Roots between the community and Camp Ripley, which many intervieweess seemed to describe interchangably with the National Guard as a whole, are also personal. Participants explained that most families in Little Falls have some connection to Camp Ripley, either through a family member who works there or someone who is in the National Guard.
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From page 758... ...
Unlike in other communities in this study where active duty military relocate every few years, most National Guard members the study team spoke with had lived in Little Falls for many years, if not their whole lives. When they deployed, their families remained in the community.
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From page 759... ...
One felt there was a "breakdown in communication" between the command leadership and soldiers in making service members aware of the event. Another believed that many service members on base that day did not see the value of attending because they live in distant communities or were not in the job market at the time: "I live in Rochester, why would I go to a job fair in Little Falls?
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From page 760... ...
Community members stressed the importance of providing 12 News in Little Falls is provided by two local newspapers (the weekly Morrison County Record and the daily Brainerd Dispatch) , Little Falls Radio (KLTF AM 960, WYRQ FM 92.1, and KFML FM 94.1)
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From page 761... ...
Several interviewees said that another particular challenge was that National Guard members fail to report health problems, including mental health issues and back injuries, to maintain their deployment status. I see a lot of folks who their livelihood depends on their availability to stay in the Guard.
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From page 762... ...
They told us that if a couple gets married too quickly, weeks before being deployed, or, as one person described, via videocast, the relationship is more likely to fail. Behavioral Health Issues Many community members reported substance abuse and suicidal thoughts as problems among National Guard members, but it is difficult to link them specifically to deployments.
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From page 763... ...
National Guard suicides are evident in the press, but may not link directly to the community. When asked by the study team whether the suicides could be linked to mulitple deployments, interviewees said it was difficult to connect these instances to deployments.
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From page 764... ...
Moreover, team members were told about barriers to seeking services, including young National Guard members who do not report injuries in order to "remain deployable," a stigma related to National Guard members' seeking mental health assistance, resentful service members and spouses who want nothing to do with the military, and civilian unfamiliarity with the specific services available. Interviewees reported gaps in services for military families.
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From page 765... ...
[Hospital employee] Military and VA Supports The National Guard and VA reportedly provide the first line of support to activated National Guard members and their families through the FAC and other services at Camp Ripley, FRGs, the VA clinic in Brainerd, and the expanded VA campus in St.
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From page 766... ...
There was general agreement that many of the mental health issues the counselors see postdeployment with veterans and families present at or after a 1-year "honeymoon period." One National Guard member informally mentioned a new 1-year reintegration event, but this does not appear to be a statewide program. Both military-affiliated and civilian interiewees unanimously identified the FAC at Camp Ripley as a primary support for addressing stressors around the deployment cycle.
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From page 767... ...
TRICARE was mentioned as the only health insurance some National Guard members could obtain for their families. However, one provider said that "there have been huge issues around TRICARE and behavioral health reimbursement" and the paperwork is "a nightmare." But another provider was more positive, saying, "On the medical side, it doesn't take as long as it once did." Other County Services Several interviewees referred us to the Morrison County VSO, who helps those who were deployed to the OEF/OIF theaters to navigate the bureaucracy of the VA and access physical and mental health benefits after deployment.
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From page 768... ...
[City government employee] One downside of the reliance on informal supports, according to several interviewees, was that National Guard members and their families do not always ask for help when they need 17 See https://www.militaryfamilies.state.mn.us/about.php.
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From page 769... ...
One community member described the continuing late-night calls she receives to drive a drunk National Guard member home after return from deployment. She went on to say: Even though I've quit my job, I'm still doing it, kind of.
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From page 770... ...
Beyond the Yellow Ribbon: Though still in development in Little Falls, many community leaders believe this program holds promise for offering a one-stop shop to connect service members with community resources. Because it is a joint effort between the community and the National Guard, it has the potential to organize community capacity, thereby reducing burden on key liaisons and preventing burnout.
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From page 771... ...
If they do not report military-related injuries or health problems on a timely basis, they will not be eligible for VA disability claims later when their problems worsen and may affect their employability. Some mental health professionals interviewed by the study team indicated that postdeployment mental health screenings available to National Guard members are not as effective as they could be.
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From page 772... ...
Others said that, even though Camp Ripley publicized base events in the local newspaper, it was not always clear whether these events were for the public or military families only. Suggestions from the Community The community offered the following suggestions for possible improvements or next steps that may help address the needs associated with multiple deployments: The military should add a mental health screening beyond 90 days because mental health issues may surface later on.
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Key Terms
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