Warrior Adventure Quest: Armor for the Mind Date Posted: 11/5/2008
By Rob McIlvaine
FMWRC Public Affairs
The slowly changing attitudes about PTSD, known as battle fatigue since WWII and post traumatic stress syndrome since Vietnam, are now getting a much needed shot in the arm with the combination of Leader Training, Warrior Adventure Quest (WAQ) and Battlemind-After Action Review (B-AAR).
More importantly, the boring “debriefing” of long ago is fast becoming the reality of a high adventure recreation activity to help Soldiers transition to “New Normal” and reduce the potential for high risk behaviors that are counter-productive to unit training requirements.
Bungee jumping proves group fun during Warrior Adventure Quest pilot program at Fort Lewis, WA - Video produced by Song M. Jordan with editorial assistance by Emilio R. Hernandez, both of DFMWR Marketing, Fort Lewis, WA
“In the past,” said John O’Sullivan, Outdoor Recreation Program Manager at Family and MWR Command, “Soldiers did not talk about their experiences during war. Consequently, the new guys didn’t gain much knowledge about what to expect because of this stoicism. The idea behind WAQ is to break down these communication barriers.”
The Army, through a partnership between the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command and the Office of the Surgeon General, has tested WAQ with three pilot programs held this September. Units participating in the pilot include the 1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne) in Vicenza, Italy; the Virginia National Guard Soldiers of C Company, 3rd Battalion, 11th Brigade Combat Team from Manassas and Leesburg, Va; and Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team at Fort Lewis, Wash.
“Ultimately, the Army will be offering this one-day program for all returning Soldiers,” said O’Sullivan. The target group is Soldiers in RESET—a period from 40 to 90 days after returning.” Normally, Soldiers returning from combat are reunited with their platoon (about 30 Soldiers) after seven to 10 days of decompression time and 30 days of block leave.
In Vicenza, Italy, paratroopers from the 173rd ABCT recently returned from block leave following a 15-month tour in Afghanistan.
“Instead of hearing the same briefs over and over again, falling asleep and getting in trouble, this was perfect,” said Spc. Mathew Cannon, a 20-year-old 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company Soldier from Sapulpa, Okla. “Some people might learn from a class, but everyone learns from getting out of the classroom and doing it.”
Activities held during the first day centered on white-water rafting in the Noce River, as “First Rock” Soldiers navigated extreme waves, experienced defensive and aggressive swimming, and completed group river crossings.
On the second day, Cannon and his platoon mates enjoyed a paintball outing on Woodsball Field located near Padova, Italy. Small teams competed against each other on a course designed with trees and plywood obstacles. Activities included instruction on state-of-the-art paintball equipment, playing techniques, team communication, cover-and-fire, and team movement.
“This was a well-planned, well-organized event that really motivated the Soldiers,” said Sgt. 1st Class James Knight, platoon sergeant for Bravo Company’s 2nd Platoon. “A lot of Soldiers got on the bus not knowing what to expect, but they came away with a new perspective. The Soldiers really enjoyed themselves and I had a blast,” said Knight, 26, from Monroeville, Ala.
On the final day, they began their morning with roughly 30 miles of mountain biking on nearby hills and roads.
“We got a chance to do something fun together as a platoon – versus other deployments when there was nothing out there for us when we returned,” said Staff Sgt. Dabian E. Harris, 29, from Bravo Company’s 1st Platoon. “Mountain biking is a great way to see Vicenza, and I am definitely going to do it again,” added the native of La Quinta, Calif.
Ultimately, this is the point of WAQ. Incorporate team building with skills learned or reinforced and come away with an enhanced lifetime of leisure for a better quality of life.
“After the Soldiers learn these high adrenalin-producing skills with their platoon buddies in a safe environment,” noted O’Sullivan, “they’ll want to continue doing them whenever they get the chance. This should reduce the amount of high-risk behavior activities Soldiers are currently using to get an ‘adrenalin fix’.”
The second WAQ pilot began when a company of Virginia National Guard Soldiers were bussed to Pennsylvania’s Youghiogheny River and changed out of their Army Combat Uniforms and into their Physical Fitness Uniforms. After a safety briefing, they stepped into their rafts and moments later, thanks to the raging whitewaters of the Yough, many were tossed from the rafts into the rapids.
Teamwork immediately took over as Soldiers paddled their way over to the ejected crewmembers and recovered them from the rough waters with ease.
“The teamwork was so strong,” said Spc. James Anderson, 1st Platoon, “that Soldiers from other boats were recovering capsized buddies from other teams.”
After many adrenaline boosting hours of fun, the Soldiers returned to their base of operations to conduct a Battlemind-AAR (After Actions Review) in accordance with the WAQ guidelines. Battlemind-AAR is a debriefing session designed to assist in mitigating the cumulative effects of sustained operations while mentally preparing the team to reintegrate and begin focused training for the next requirement.
The concept was developed by behavioral health professionals in the Army’s Battlemind program based on recommendations from an Integrated Process Team that included health professionals in the offices of the Surgeon General, and officials from the Combat Readiness & Safety Center, the Army National Guard, the Morale Welfare and Recreation Command, the Installation Management Command and the Army Reserve component.
During the Battlemind-AAR after rafting, Soldiers were asked to discuss the day’s events and point out the connections between the activities and the everyday missions of being deployed in a combat environment.
All agreed that the main thing they observed during the trip was the amount of teamwork involved, just as it would be in combat. “There were numerous times I almost fell out of the raft,” said Staff Sgt. Bennie Jost, platoon sergeant of 1st Platoon, “but my buddy reached out and grabbed me. Not only was he focused on the mission, but he was focused on my well being.”
As a testament to the unit’s strong sense of teamwork, Pfc. James Self said, “We flipped our boat in the first five minutes, but we never flipped it again because we built a good team quickly and learned from our mistakes.”
This event provided the Soldiers with an opportunity to identify both strengths on which they could capitalize and shortcomings they could minimize in not only their selves, but in each other, as well. Recognizing that those skills were useful outside of combat will enhance their team-building in a calmer, safer garrison environment.
“We want our Soldiers looking out for each other, on and off the battlefield,” O’Sullivan said.
The final pilot took place at Fort Lewis, Wash. where Brigadier General John Johnson, who provided initial leadership with WAQ as the Deputy Commander of Family and MWR, is now the Deputy Commanding General for Operations.
The day began at 6 a.m. on Sept. 22 with Sgt. Maj. Tammy Coon, senior enlisted advisor of FMWRC’s Soldier Programs and Community Recreation introducing the WAQ program to the Soldiers. Major Ed Brusher from the Office of the Surgeon General, who recently returned from a 15-month deployment to Iraq, also briefed the Soldiers of the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Stryker Brigade Combat Team, who also recently returned back in the U.S. from a 14-month deployment to Iraq. Brusher described how Battlemind ties into Warrior Adventure Quest.
While WAQ provides the “hook” to capture the Soldier’s interest, Battlemind-AAR is the Army’s newly developed “Armor for the Mind.” It helps Soldiers recognize and respond to fear during combat, mitigates the cumulative effects of a sustained combat environment, and assists them to become mentally prepared to reintegrate during the redeployment, post- deployment and reset portions of the deployment cycle.
One of the main activities for the first morning at Fort Lewis was Battlemind training for Soldiers, staff sergeant and above. After learning how to lead an After Action Review, two were selected from each platoon to perform the AAR after the group activities.
As 8 a.m. approached and the anticipation level rose, it was up in the air for 27 Soldiers who had the opportunity to tandem skydive into a perfect blue sky near Seattle, while another group went down to the river for white water rafting in the majestic, sparkling waters.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, both groups travelled out through the emerald green forest at the base of Mount St. Helens for more white water rafting and bungee jumping from a 20-story-high bridge, the highest bungee jumping bridge in the country.
All involved with the three pilot programs in Vicenza, Italy; Leesburg, Va; and Fort Lewis, Wash. agreed the program was a resounding success, both from the perspectives of those who helped develop WAQ and from the Soldiers who were the first to give their feedback on the program.
Officials will use survey and assessment tools to evaluate the program's effectiveness, including statistics from the Combat Readiness/Safety Center, the Reintegration Unit Risk Inventory, the Unit Behavioral Health Needs Assessment, and a new online survey, the Warrior Adventure Quest User Survey.
WAQ is centrally funded through the Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command, with oversight from the Installation Management Command and regional MWR recreation managers.
Planning is under way to bring WAQ to an additional 24 Army garrisons over the next year, and the long-term goal is to have every BCT participate in WAQ within 90 days of their redeployment from a combat environment.
Training and Doctrine Command officials said it costs the Army $54,700 to train a basic combat arms Soldier, and as much as $67,000 for other military occupational specialties, depending on the length of their advanced individual training.
Since there's no way to put a dollar value on a Soldier's life, determining a return on investment for this project is difficult. However, the average cost per person to participate in WAQ is only $86 – less than it costs to fill the fuel tank of a Humvee.
The Army plans to cycle nearly 80,000 Soldiers through WAQ over the next year, at a cost of just under $7 million. If it cuts the fatality rate in half, it will have paid for itself, officials said, and if it saves just one Soldier's life, it will be worth the effort.
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