Fort Lewis sees growth, change

By Christian Hill | The Olympian • Published March 16, 2008

The Army took action in the wake of the scandal to improve care, including replacing medical-hold companies with Warrior Transition Units. Wounded soldiers are held in the WTU until they either can return to their unit or are medically discharged.

Madigan Army Medical Center stood up its Warrior Transition Battalion last summer. Nearly 700 soldiers are assigned to the unit.

Army leaders say the battalion is a much better system for treating soldiers' physical and emotional wounds while maintaining their well-being and morale because it is commanded by a senior officer and brings more personnel and case managers to the table. "These soldiers now are not going in alone," Maj. Michael Lawrence, the battalion's executive officer said.

U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., was among the politicians who have toured the renovated barracks the wounded soldiers have moved into and said he's impressed with improvements. "Giving a lot more help and assistance to these soldiers, some of which are very seriously injured, I think is outstanding," he said. "We've got to keep working to make the transition between the Army and (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) seamless. That still needs work. They're doing a lot better."

The Army has improved procedures to screen soldiers for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury from combat. Madigan and Fort Lewis have taken the screening a step further with the Soldier Wellness Assessment Pilot Program. They've added a fourth screening

three to six months before a deployment

an expanded wellness survey and ensure every soldier screened also sees a psychologist. The Army requires three screenings 30 days before and after a deployment and three to six months after a deployment.

Dr. Quigg Davis, the program's chief, said soldiers are on an "emotional high" when they return home and can either ignore problems or not recognize them until they adjust to life back home. "Sometimes some of the problems they're going to have aren't there yet," Davis said. "It's a good feeling to get off the plane."

The toll of war is shared equally by the families worrying constantly about their loved ones and taking on the daily struggle of being a single parent during the deployment. Fort Lewis has substantially increased the number of programs to help them through the stress, including free child care and family activities, Lori Parker, volunteer coordinator at Fort Lewis, said.

They will be deployed

Maj. Gen. Robert Allardice, a former McChord wing commander now in charge of developing Iraq's air force, said in the face of all this change, one constant has emerged over the past several years. "What I think we see now is a generation of airmen and soldiers who have come into the Air Force and the Army knowing that they're going to be engaged in this expeditionary world where they will deploy overseas and be part of something bigger than themselves," he said.

Christian Hill covers the city of Lacey and military for The Olympian. He can be reached at 360-754-5427 or at chill@theolympian.com.