WELCOME HOME, NELLIS WARRIORS! Nellis AFB, Nevada Reintegration Program 2004.
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Transcript of WELCOME HOME, NELLIS WARRIORS! Nellis AFB, Nevada Reintegration Program 2004.
WELCOME HOME,NELLIS WARRIORS!
Nellis AFB, NevadaReintegration Program
2004
What Next?
• Official Welcome Home
• Tips for Successful Reintegration– Family Support – Life Skills– HAWC– Chapel
• Table Talks
• Welcome Home Gift
RETURN READJUSTMENTREINTEGRATION
Family Support Center
2-3327
3 R’S of REUNION
What is Reintegration?
• The PROCESS is the returning of airmen and
civilians back into a stable and “normal”
environment
• PREPARE families for the changes to their
home life when the deployed airmen return.
• Remember upon your return you will achieve a
NEW normal
• Reintegration is a SLOW process
Singles and ReintegrationPractical tips:
• Put your house back in order• New roommate• New residence
Recognize changes in yourself and in others• Different living environment• Social circle
•Assess and re-enter relationships• Friends• Family
Married Military Members
• Expect to return home to a different spouse
• For the first few weeks you are a guest in someone else’s home—act like it
• Understand your children’s responses
• Be gentle with your lover
• Go slow
Single Parents and Reintegration
• Custodial parent
• Non-custodial parent
• Strategies
• Communication– Caregiver– Child
• Bottom Line: Go Slow
Getting Back to Work• Changes in work environment
– Change of work pace
– Mission/duty changes
• Resentment from co-workers– Added work load due to TDY
– Deployment war stories
– Not part of “real” mission
• Staff turnover
Conclusion• Redeployment / reintegration…sounds easy,
natural, normal
• NORMAL may be quite stressful!
• Be patient and go slow!
• If you need assistance, ask! (chapel, unit, friends, life skills, medical personnel, family support center, etc.)
Any deployment can be a building block or a stumbling block– it’s up to everyone involved
FAMILY REUNION POST DEPLOYMENT
LIFE SKILLS
3-3880
Life Skills Support Center
• Variety of Deployment Locations and Experiences– Life in Danger??– Bored out of your mind??– Significant Events on the Home Front??
• Hard to predict how persons will react to deployments
Signs of Reintegration Stress
• Behavioral
• Cognitive
• Emotional
Behavioral Signs • Changes in eating habits• Changes in sleeping patterns• Fatigue, lack of energy• Jumpiness• Frustrated, irritable angry• Crying spells• Avoidance of others• Increase in alcohol use• Disregard for rules, regulations,
social norms
Cognitive Signs• Poor concentration
• Difficulty making decisions
• Flashbacks
• Unwanted thoughts
• Nightmares
• Memory Problems
Emotional Signs
• Loss of purpose or direction
• Loss of trust/confidence in leaders
• Quick to anger, impatience
• Depression, sadness
• Frustration, irritability
• Worried, anxious, keyed up
• Guilt, shame
Significant Signs of Distress
• Post Traumatic Stress– Definition– Signs
• Bizarre or unusual behavior
• Domestic Violence
• Abuse of alcohol
• Thinking about suicide
Solutions
• Take care of yourself– Mentally– Physically– Emotionally
• Communicate• Develop or renew outside interests• Allow for space and time• Establish realistic expectations• Think positive thoughts• Seek help if needed
Resources
• Chain of Command / Supervisors
• Family / Friends
• Life Skills Support Center (Please call 653-3880)
Practicing Safe Stress
Health and Wellness Center
(HAWC)
3-3375
Thoughts and Stress
• ABC’s of Emotional, Behavioral and Physical Responses
• A—Activating event or stressor• B—Beliefs, self-talk, thoughts -- Expectation of self, others, world -- Predictions of what will happen -- Judgment/evaluation of how good/bad• C—Consequences/responses
Choose How To Spend Your Time And Energy
• Set priorities
• Create balance in your life
-- Meditative/sensual mode
• Take time out
-- Hobbies
Learn To Change Your Environment
• Replace passivity with assertiveness -- Saying yes, Saying no -- Keep to the point
• Talk things out
• Develop significant and supportive relationships
-- Seek out others with similar issues -- Support group or professional help
Learn To Think Helpful Thoughts
• Stop and think• Translate worry into action• Rehearse mentally in preparation for situations• Stop resisting reality
-- Learn to let go• Think positive
-- Seek the higher power of humor• Savor the little things
Learn To Relax At Will
• Take a simple 5 step approach
• Try progressive relaxation
• Do deep breathing exercises
• Try breathing to a count
• Use scanning relaxation
• Try imagery techniques
Build Your Strength And Endurance
• Nutrition
• Get plenty of exercise and physical activity
COMMUNICATIONROADBLOCKS & ENHANCERS
Chapel
2-2950
Roadblocks to Communication
• High Risk Responses – Diminish self esteem– Trigger defensiveness, resistance, resentment– Can lead to dependency, withdrawal, feelings of
defeat, or of inadequacy– Decrease likelihood that the other will find their
own solution to their own problem– Block feelings– Reduce likelihood the other will constructively
express their true feelings
Roadblocks to Communication
- Judging- Criticizing- Name-Calling- Diagnosing- Praising Evaluatively
Roadblocks to Communication
- Sending Solutions - Ordering- Threatening- Moralizing- Excessive Questioning (especially “Why?”)- Advising
Roadblocks to Communication
- Avoiding the Other's Concerns - Diverting- Logical Argument- Reassuring
- Roadblock #13: Telling other people they are sending roadblocks
Communication Enhancers
• LISTEN!!
• “I” MESSAGES
Help you achieve what you really want: a warmer, closer relationship with another human being
Questions?
In conclusion…
• Again, welcome back
• Thank you for your service to your country
• Table Talks follow – group near the end of your table
• See FSC to sign for gift before you leave
• Remember, helping agencies are only a phone call away