1. Behavioral Health Officer, 16th EN BDE
MAJ Jason DiGiannantoni
(614) 452-0164
jason.m.digiannantoni.mil@mail.mil
Psychological Health Coordinator
Barbara Herbst, LISW-S
(614) 336-8999
Mobile 614-623-2625
barbara.r.herbst.ctr@mail.mil
Director of Psychological Health, OHARNG
CPT David Kirker, Director of Psychological Health
614-336-7393
david.i.kirker.mil@mail.mil
Case manager, 16th EN BDE
Anitra Myer
(614) 336-6000 ext. 7923
anitra.l.myer.ctr@mail.mil
Family Readiness Support Assistant
Traci Butch-Debo
(614) 336-6352
traci.e.butch-debo.ctr@mail.mil
State Chaplain Office
Chaplain (COL) Andrew W. Aquino
(614) 336-7377
andrew.w.aquino.mil@mail.mil
Chaplain (MAJ) Nicholas Chou
(614) 336-4117
nicholas.a.chou.mil@mail.mil
Substance abuse/prevention
Shawna Sheaffer
(614) 753-1110
Shawna.sheaffer@accenturefederal.com
Quitting tobacco
www.ucanquit2.org
Department of Veterans Affairs
Ebenefits.va.gov
Myhealth.va.gov
Directory of Veterans Service Organizations:
www1.va.gov/vso
Behavioral Health
&
Wellness Throughout the
Deployment Cycle

2. Be Flexible: Schedules Shift
The dates of departure may shift before your deployment. These
changes may cause feelings of frustration to arise between you
and your loved ones. Maintaining continuous communication and
understanding will help relieve these frustrations.
Be Open: Value Growth
Families will grow and develop during long periods of time. Expect
family routines, daily activities and social dynamics to develop and
change during deployment. Anticipating and adjusting to positive
change and being open to these transitions will ease reintegration
upon arriving home.
Be Healthy: Take Care of Yourself
Preparing your body for military deployment will help you endure
the stress of combat and military operations. Prior to deployment:
 Limit alcohol
 Drink plenty of fluids
 Eat well-balanced meals
 Develop a routine sleep schedule getting at least seven to
eight hours of sleep per night
 Maintain personal hygiene
 Keep active
Adequately preparing yourself before leaving for deployment will
allow you to focus on your mission as a service member.
(Source: realwarriors.net)
Individual Preventive Actions to Combat Stress
 try to stay calm and in control
 focus on the mission
 follow SOPs
 focus on success
 breathe deeply and relax
 know COSRs are normal
 keep open communication with your team
 gather facts
 avoid rumors
 avoid alcohol
 drink plenty of fluids
 eat well balanced meals
 maintain personal hygiene
 practice quick relaxation techniques
 sleep at least 7-8 hours in each 24 hours,
if possible
 debrief after unusually stressful events
 share grief with a friend, a leader, or a chaplain
 keep active
 welcome new team members
 stay physically fit
 know and practice self aid/battle buddy aid
 support each other
 set the example of an ethical, moral soldier
What to do for your battle buddies
 Know the members of your team and welcome
newcomers when they arrive—help them learn
skills they need;
 Be on the lookout for sudden changes in how your
battle buddies act – if you see such a change, ask
them about it;
 Include your battle buddies and newcomers in
opportunities to relax;
 Offer encouragement and recognition when your
battle buddies do something well;
 If you’re concerned for your battle buddies, talk to
them about how they’re doing;
 If you think that your battle buddy may be having a
really hard time and won’t talk to you, contact your
supervisor and let them know about your concern.
(Source: Guide to Coping with Deployment and Combat Stress, U.S. Army
Public Health Command)
 Readjusting to civilian life takes time — don’t worry
that you’re experiencing some challenges. Find solu-
tions to these problems. Don’t avoid.
 Take your time adding responsibilities and activities
back into your life.
 Reconnect with your social supports. This may be
the last thing you feel like doing, but do it anyway.
Social support is critical to successful reintegration.
 Realize that you need to talk about the experiences
you had during deployment. If you can’t talk to family
or friends, be sure to talk to a chaplain or counselor.
 Try to re-establish a normal sleep routine as quickly
as possible. Go to bed and get up at the same time
every day. Do not drink to help yourself sleep. You
might try learning some relaxation techniques, such
as deep breathing, yoga, or meditation.
 Sometimes it can be difficult to know if your drinking
is actually a problem. Warning signs of an alcohol
problem include:
 Frequent excessive drinking
 Having thoughts that you should cut down
 Feeling guilty or bad about your drinking
 Others becoming annoyed with you or criticizing
how much you drink
 Drinking in the morning to calm your nerves
(Source: Returning from the War Zone, a guide for military personnel2010)
RESOURCES
Resiliency & Performance
Facebook.com/OHARNGBehavioralHealth
Facebook.com/PerformanceTriad
Facebook.com/ARNGHealth
Facebook.com/T2Health
Facebook.com/ArmyCSF2
Need to talk?
Vets 4 Warriors: (855) 838-8255 for 24/7 peer support
Military One Source: (800) 342-9647 peer support
DCoE Outreach Center: (866) 966-1020 or realwarriors.net/
live chat for 24/7 support
Give an Hour: www.giveanhour.org
Tricare: visit www.hnfs.com to find a provider in your area
STAR Behavioral Health Providers: starproviders.org
Family Support
National Guard Family Program
www.jointservicessupport.org
Military Kids Connect
www.militarykidsconnect.dcoe.mil
RESOURCES
Medical & Behavioral Health
Dept. of Veterans Affairs: oefoif.va.gov
Behavioral Health & Counseling
Vet Centers: www.vetcenter.va.gov
Columbus (614) 257-5550
Cincinnati (513) 763-3500
Cleveland (216) 845-5023
Cleveland Heights (216) 932-8471
Dayton (937) 461-9150
Toledo (419) 213-7533
Combat Call Center: (800) 877-927-8387, 24/7 support
Web-based Support
Afterdeployment.dcoe.mil
Realwarriors.net
A Roadmap for Warrior Resilience
Like a physical skill, psychological resilience is a skill you can
learn. Warriors can use the following 10 tactics as a roadmap
for improving resilience:
1. Make personal connections
Strengthen relationships, communicate openly, and accept
support from close family members and friends.
2. Avoid seeing crises as insurmountable problems
You can’t change the fact that highly stressful events happen,
but you can change how you respond and look towards the
future.
3. Accept that change is a part of living
Accepting the things you can’t change can help you focus on
the things you can change.
4. Move toward your goals
Instead of focusing on tasks that seem unachievable, ask your-
self, “What’s one thing I can accomplish today that helps me
move in the direction I want to go?”
5. Take positive, decisive actions
Act on adverse situations as much as you can, rather than
detaching from problems and just wishing they would go away.
6. Look for opportunities for self-discovery
Warriors often find that they eventually grow in some respect
as a result of their experience with a traumatic event or loss.
7. Nurture a positive view of yourself
Develop confidence in your ability to solve problems and trust
your instincts.
8. Keep things in perspective
Even when facing very painful events, focus on their broader
context and keep a long-term perspective.
9. Maintain a hopeful outlook
Expect that good things will happen in your life. Visualize what
you want, rather than focusing on what you fear.
10. Take care of yourself
Engage in activities that you enjoy and find relaxing. Take care
of both your body and your mind.
Start by attempting at least one of the 10 tactics identified
above—bolstering one resilience factor usually boosts other
resilience factors, too.
(Source: realwarriors.net)
STEADY STATE BEFORE DURING AFTER