Calm in the Storm

With the opening of the Bagram Freedom Restoration Center at Bagram AB, Afghanistan, US service personnel now have their first rehabilitation center in that nation. Staffed 24/7 by Air Force and Army mental health and occupational therapy professionals, the center’s main goal is to give service members skills to cope with combat stress and the rigors of deployment, thereby allowing them to return to duty quickly. “We’re really pleased to have this center,” said Col. David Geyer, commander of Bagram’s Task Force Med. He continued, “We’re looking forward to the ability to provide the same kind of service that other service members have had the benefit of in the Iraqi theater.” The clinic hosts a three- to five-day structured program covering topics, including anger management, common task training, post-traumatic stress disorder awareness, and warrior resiliency. But it can also be tailored to the specific needs of individuals. Prior to the clinic’s opening, service personnel in Afghanistan had only two options to address mental health issues: a few days of rest and relaxation or traveling to Germany or the United States for additional care. (Bagram report Army Spc. Boris Shiloff)