Chat Transcript - 5 April 2009

Monday, 06 April 2009 13:00

MG Oates says:    'There are some important issues currently being discussed by senior Army leaders and I would like some thoughts from you on any/all of these during our live session today:

- Sexual assaults on female soldiers are unbelievably high; what is going on?

- Suicide rates are higher despite increased emphasis on behavioral health attention and command emphasis on prevention - why are we still experiencing this high rate?

lou says:    mr oates i am civilian back here in the united states, maybe you don't want to hear from us, but at the same time, i think this is great for the troops

MG Oates says:    I enjoy hearing from the civilian and spouses of soldiers - different perspective

Wife says:    MG Oates- Are you concerned with the delays that keep coming up with people moving down to Basra?

MG Oates says:    for those of you on line - how is the war in Iraq being portrayed in US media these days?

MG Oates says:    the delays in moving to Basra are self-imposed. I don't want to squeeze too many soldier in there until we can support them

army15q says:    Good evening MG Oates......I understand that Germany ATC will be your support there very soon. Can you tell me what type of living arrangements are there for this BN?

MG Oates says:    the living arrangements in Basra will be CHUs for some and tents for many initially - we are moving rapidly to get to CHUs for all the soldiers - just takes time

Wife says:    The war in Iraq really isn't a highlighted point in the media back here since things with the economy and its corresponding trickle-down effects are more pressing on peoples lives

arbnmp says:    The war in Iraq appears to have been over shadowed by the war ongoing in Afghanistan.

MG Oates says:    I think it is important for you to know that the Soldiers are making a significant difference here with the Iraqis and things are headed in the right direction

army15q says:    I am also concerned about some stories I have heard about the Eagle card are you aware of this issue with money missing?

army15q says:    How should I prepare my troops for the deployment for money to use at the PX?

MG Oates says:    we currently do not have eagle card access at Basra but PX takes cash and credit card - we will get eagle card soon

arbnmp says:    I have heard rumors that the showers at Basra are on a rotational basis, with soldiers not being able to shower everyday due to a lack of facilities

army15q says:    outstanding....Thank you Sir

MG Oates says:    Basra fob is not to same standards as other more mature fobs - many of the services are still coming on line

annejohnson says:    Should we limit questions in relation to deployment only?

MG Oates says:    no restrictions on questions - send it

lou says:    thank you mr. oates, pretty good, not much on the news about the war, but people don't talked to much about it. i do . i feel that the army or all services have changed and for the good. i am a mother of an army solider and i am proud but at the same time scare, just like any mother would be. we do hear a lot about Afghanistan. mr. oates i wont take the time away from the troops, they have more important questions, just this, THANK YOU MR OATES.

army15q says:    Well Basra will have one of the highest speed ATC BN's in the Army........

MG Oates says:    we are very happy about the ATC BN coming

annejohnson says:    Why are soldiers and their families being heavily encouraged to purchase homes within certain ranks? We purchased a home upon "encouragement" in another location and were unable to sell and then heavily encouraged to do so at this post as well. We were lucky to get housing but this is a concern several of my friends have also expressed.

MG Oates says:    it is not army policy to encourage anyone to buy a home - always an individual decision. many soldiers are anxious about whether they can sell when they PCS and many see an 'opportunity' - every place is different. The congress has included financial assistance to soldiers who cannot sell their homes and we are awaiting implementing instructions on this to be published soon

Wife says:    MG Oates- Are you concerned about the limited time spent with pre-redeployment screening with mental welfare for soldiers returning home?

annejohnson says:    That was helpful. thank you.

MG Oates says:    behavioral health screening is a challenging process prior to and after deployment because it is heavily dependent upon the individual soldier volunteering any issues he/she are having. ast majority have no issues and the time is sufficient. the screening is designed to identify soldiers who may need extended review

MG Oates says:    how much time do you think is required for pre-deployment screening?

ts says:    I believe a lot of that responsibility lies with the first line supervisor - Know your Soldiers.

Wife says:    Obviously anyone can "fake" a behavior screening to be able to pass under the red flags. I think that taking the time to have a soldier explain what they did during deployment on a regular basis can help the screener get a more accurate picture as to any deeper behavioral issues that just a few questions would probably miss

MG Oates says:    i do agree that nco and officer supervisors can be the best assessors on soldiers - we also have many supervisors with their own issues and the higher in rank - the less willing they are to seek help

ts says:    While not a trained medical technician, first line leaders should be the first to identify potential problems and recommend further screening for those who require it.

lou says:    to wife, how long is the screening?

MG Oates says:    i think your recommendation has a lot of merit - the screeners are certified clinical people - but may not know soldiers as well if they have not served and can miss some key indicators. i will pass along that input

Wife says:    And I respectfully disagree with the idea of the supervisor knowing their people enough to know if there is something wrong with them. Many supervisors can't come to grips that their soldiers are incompetent with work projects let alone identifying serious mental issues.

Wife says:    My impression is that currently the screeners are only giving 10-15 minute screenings, which in my opinion is only enough time to gather someone’s name and job title.

MG Oates says:    for the record - the vast, vast majority of behavioral issues continue to be 'relationship issues' and 'finances'

arbnmp says:    how well do you think the Army mentoring system works? Sometimes subordinate Soldiers find it hard to seek mentoring when/where they may need it, especially from those senior to them in rank within their Chain of Command or unit. What are some other ideas to be able to seek professional development and dialogue?

Wife says:    MG Oates- thank you for considering a better method.

MG Oates says:    most young (first term)soldiers get their 'life advice' from other very young soldiers. sometimes, like high school - that can be blind leading the blind

arbnmp says:    As a follow-up, I've tried the AKO online mentoring program and wasn't that impressed.

arbnmp says:    lol, true. What about mid to senior level Soldiers that have been in for some time?

MG Oates says:    my personal opinion is that the only effective mentoring program is person to person. i don't think that can be done 'on line'

Wife says:    And as for the majority or behavioral issues being relationship or financial related, it's scary as a wife with a husband coming back while dealing with the economy in its current state. That just multiplies the chance of them coming home and going postal

MG Oates says:    most mid-career (NCOs) soldiers in my experience have adapted to army life and that is not a source of frustration. but - marital discord, finances and raising kids become the major issues. repeated deployments of a year or more make all of this harder on them

annejohnson says:    The Army is a TREASURE of resources if someone needs something. The issue I have run into is being able to trust someone (ACS, chain of command..) who is able to assist in locating those resources with dignity and confidentiality of the individual as well as the soldier.

Wife says:    I agree with the issue presented. Once you have voiced a problem and ask for assistance such as off-base civilian counseling, they outsource you to some crazy quack of a counselor

MG Oates says:    first obstacle to getting any kind of help is deciding that we need it - then acting. agree that there is a huge obstacle to asking about deeply personal issues like finances and marital issues - this remains a very difficult issue for all of us in the chain of command. we don't want to get into soldiers' personal issues but you have to push sometimes to find out the issues. when something bad happens - i am always amazed at how many 'friends' of the soldier knew that something was up.

lou says:    to wife, i hear you, and that position is very hard to deal with, you have been in charge for a [eriod of time and dealing with everything by yourself, you have to give back it is easier said then done. But try,

annejohnson says:    I love the programs offered such as The Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Program and the civilian hired counselors who rotate and are confidential and independent of the Army. I know these are out there is AMAZING to me how many people DO NOT know!

MG Oates says:    i directed over a year ago that all new soldiers into division get a financial screening so we can find out early if they are in bad debt situation - and get them some help

ts says:    The army has come a long way in removing the stigma for seeking treatment for behavioral health over the last 10 years or so. This is a positive trend.  But CG is right. 9 times out of 10 a friend, family member, or acquaintance usually sees the indicators long before any professional will.

Wife says:    Trust me, I'm still in charge even when my husband comes home. I'm not worried about my situation but for those who haven't come to terms with "manning up" and being honest about having issues and asking for help like the CG said

Wife says:    The worst part is when a friend or someone close just lets the situation pass by since they think that the person with an issue is smart enough to ask for help or can fix it on their own with a positive result

annejohnson says:    What truth is there to the ending of the stop loss?

MG Oates says:    stop loss will be significantly reduced for all future deployments. we will have some guidance out soon to units that deploy next.

MG Oates says:    thanks to all of you who joined today - i enjoyed your comments - have to go- God Bless - mlo

Wife says:    Just wanted to say thanks to all of you over there that make this chat room possible and to the CG for having the guts to actually take real questions and not blow them off to people who won't give direct answers. Bravo Zulu to you ya'll!

admin says:    Thank you all for joining today. Please check www.taskforcemountain.com for the next date/time of the chat session

Click here to read a complete transcript of the 5 APRIL "Lima Charlie" chat.