journal 091715

Vol. 27 No. 36 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ September 17, 2015

By Andrew DamstedtNSAB Public Affairs

staff writer

A few people carried flags,some pushed strollers whileothers walked and someran the entire course of thethird annual Freedom 5K on-board Naval Support ActivityBethesda (NSAB) and put onby base Morale, Welfare andRecreation (MWR) to com-memorate the 14th anniver-sary of the 9/11 tragedy.

“[The run is] to help peopleremember the day and paytribute to those who lost theirlife,” said NSAB MWR FitnessCenter Director Jerry Cataldo.

“Remember the day, so we nev-er forget what happened.”

Before the race and laterat the USO Warrior and Fam-ily Center at Bethesda, Com-manding Officer Capt. MarvinL. Jones gave remarks remind-ing those in attendance to re-member the tragic events andthose who lost their lives.

“On that day, a terrible andtragic series of events occurredwhich shook our nation,” Jonessaid. “Almost 3,000 people losttheir lives in cowardly attackswhich hurt us. Grandparents,parents, siblings, children,friends and fellow service mem-bers and co-workers perishedor were forever affected by the

events of that day, even today.”Army Sgt. Trinity Eubanks

sang the National Anthem andCommand Chaplain Chris-tilene Whalen offered the in-vocation before the race. Dif-ferent this year, Cataldo saidpeople had the option to choosered, white or blue t-shirts for apatriotic theme.

The race has been held onSept. 11 for the past threeyears – and this year’s racewas open to anyone with baseaccess. Participants includedservice members, WoundedWarriors, family members andemployees, among others.

NSAB’s Freedom 5K Honors 9/11 Victims

Photos by MC3 Hank Gettys

Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) Morale, Welfare and Recreation held its third annual Freedom 5K Sept. 11 to commemoratethe 14th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy. [The run is] to help people remember the day and pay tribute to those who lost their life,” saidNSAB MWR Fitness Center Director Jerry Cataldo. “Remember the day, so we never forget what happened.”

See RUN page 10

2 Thursday, September 17, 2015 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, aprivate firm in no way con-nected with the U.S. Navy,under exclusive written con-tract with Naval Support ActivityBethesda, Md. This commercialenterprise newspaper is an autho-rized publication for members of themilitary services. Contents of The Journalare not necessarily the official views of, norendorsed by, the U.S. Government, the De-partment of Defense, or the Department ofthe Navy. The appearance of advertising inthis publication, including inserts or supple-ments, does not constitute endorsement bythe Department of Defense or Comprint,Inc., of the products or services advertised.Everything advertised in this publicationshall be made available for purchase, useor patronage without regard to race, color,

religion, sex, national origin,age, marital status, physicalhandicap, political affiliationor any other non-merit fac-tor of the purchaser, user,or patron. Editorial contentis edited, prepared and pro-vided by the Public AffairsOffice, Naval Support Activ-

ity Bethesda, Md. News copyshould be submitted to the Pub-

lic Affairs Office, Building 17, first floor,across from PSD, by noon one week pre-ceding the desired publication date. Newsitems are welcomed from all installationsources. Inquiries about news copy will beanswered by calling 301-295-1803. Com-mercial advertising should be placed withthe publisher by calling 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed bycalling 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. Marvin L. JonesPublic Affairs Officer: Ronald D. InmanPublic Affairs Office: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffManaging Editor MC3 Hank GettysWRNMMC Editor Bernard Little

Staff Writers MC1 Christopher KruckeAndrew DamstedtSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorJoseph Nieves

NSABethesdaFleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087

Walter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

NSAB Emergency Information Line 301-295-6246

NSAB OmbudsmanMichelle Herrera 240-370-5421

NSAB Chaplain’s Office 301-319-4443/4706

Sexual Assault ResponseCoordinator Hotline 301-442-2053

The Journal Archive Online: http://www.dcmilitary.com/section/newspaperArchiveJournal

Visit us on Facebook:Naval Support Activity Bethesda page:https://www.facebook.com/NSABethesda

Walter Reed National Medical Center page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Walter-Reed-National-Military-Medical-Center/295857217111107

Uniformed Services University of the HealthSciences page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Uniformed-Services-University-of-the-Health-Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Suicide Prevention WalkR e s i l i e n c y a n d

Psycholog ica l Heal thService’s annual “I Walkto Remember” SuicidePrevention Walk is sched-uled for Sept. 30 at noonbeginning at the HealingPlaza in front of the AmericaBuilding. For more informa-tion, call 301-400-1974.

Healing Arts ExhibitThe Healing Arts Exhibit

(previously known as theBreast Cancer Art Show)at Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Centerwill be Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. inthe Pavilion between theAmerica Garage and Building19. Artwork submissions willbe accepted until Oct. 2. Formore information regardingsubmissions, contact JessicaShipman at 301-319-2896 orCapt. Moira G. McGuire at301-319-8755.

Emergency PreparednessDayTours and demonstrations

of state of the are EmergencyManagement Capabilitiesand Contingency Resourceswill be held Sept. 24 from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside ofthe Bldg. 1 Tower. The eventincludes static displays, ca-pabilities demonstrations,information tables and inter-active stations.

Bethesda Notebook

As we reflect uponyesterday’s Chief PettyOfficer pinning cer-emony, we should thinkabout what it takes toget promoted in today’sNavy. Scoring high ona test which assessesprofessional and mili-tary knowledge? Dem-onstrating good leader-ship potential? Workinghard, treating otherswith respect, and receiv-ing fair and well-doc-umented performanceevaluations? Avoidimggetting into trouble bypracticing good decisionmaking on and off-duty?Support of loved onesso that the member candedicate their best totheir work? A little luck?Exceptional timing? Perhaps it is a balancedcombination of ALL those things.

Unfortunately many of us have seen excep-tionally qualified people leave the service be-cause they were lacking something from theabove list, and were not promoted in time. Itis more heartbreaking when the only thingthey were missing was luck or timing, andthey had to leave without choice.

Two years ago in the Memorial Auditoriuma young Sailor asked the Master Chief Pet-ty Officer of the Navy Mike Stephens whatadvice he could give to someone aspiring tobecome MCPON. He told her to work hardregardless of what the assignment, stay outof trouble by doing the right thing, and be agood and decent person to everyone in her cir-cles and to herself….sage advice from some-one who has reached the highest enlisted po-sition in the Navy. And I don’t think MCPON,or any experienced mentor, has ever started

giving their careeradvice with “pro-motion is all aboutluck and timing”.The stakes are toohigh for not gettingit right. We MUSThelp promote thosewho are fully ready,and the best andfully qualified. Thiswill happen if wefollow instructions,guidance, selectionboard precepts, andgenuinely help men-tor those around usat all levels.

I urge all leadersto try harder to getit right in helpingto promote the bestand fully qualified

personnel, and neverto allow their people’s careers be left to fate,chance, luck, or timing. Our predecessorshelped prepare us, and now it is our turnevery day to help prepare our replacementsevery single day for the challenges of the fu-ture. Our newest Chief Petty Officers willstart doing exactly that today, as we beginCPO 365 Phase 1 training sessions again.They will help pass on skills, knowledge, andother tools they have gained throughout theircareers to First Class Petty Officers in orderto develop their replacements. Chiefs willalso continue to help with the developmentof Junior Officers, to help them develop thewise judgment they will need when they be-come our COs and XOs. It is comforting toknow that the cycle will continue, and we willcontinue to give it our all to make our Navyready for its mission, to help defend democ-racy, our freedom, and our way of life.

NMPDC CMC’s Column

HMCM Peter R. RonaNMPDC CMC

The Journal Thursday, September 17, 2015 3

By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Hoping to continue to attract thebest and brightest to serve in militarymedicine, Graduate Medical Education(GME) leaders and Army recruitersrecently hosted medical advisors fromsome of the nation’s top universities atWalter Reed National Military MedicalCenter (WRNMMC) to explain opportu-nities available to students who pursuemedical careers in uniform.

Advisors from the University ofVirginia, Rutgers University, GeorgeWashington University, GeorgetownUniversity, the University of Delaware,Dickinson College, Drexel University,Villanova University, and the Philadel-phia College of Osteopathic Medicineattended the day-long program, whichalso included a tour of the National In-trepid Center of Excellence (NICoE),Military Advanced Training Center(MATC) and John P. Murtha CancerCenter (MCC) at WRNMMC. NICoEworks to advance the clinical care, di-agnosis, research and education of mili-tary service members with traumaticbrain injuries (TBI) and psychologicalhealth (PH) conditions. The MATC of-fers rehabilitating beneficiaries the lat-est in cutting-edge equipment to helpwith their recovery. The MCC is theDepartment of Defense’s only Center ofExcellence for cancer care.

“I have worn the uniform for 31years,” said Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Jeffrey B.Clark, WRNMMC director, welcomingthe advisors to WRNMMC. “The Armycreated an opportunity for me, and I’veloved every minute of it. We who wearthe uniform have the privilege of serv-ing two professions -- we serve the pro-fession of medicine and we serve theprofession of arms. We consider it aprivilege to be able to do both.”

The general explained he attendedEast Carolina School of Medicine as

part of the Health Professions Schol-arship Program (HPSP), which offersprospective military health-care pro-fessionals a paid medical education inexchange for service as a commissionedmedical department officer.

“It’s important we get the messageout to everybody what great servicesand great opportunities we have inmilitary medicine,” said Col. (Dr.) BrianBelson, director for Education, Trainingand Research at WRNMMC.

“Our responsibility is to recruit thenext generation of health-care profes-sionals to care for our service members,their families and whatever contingen-cies our nation may call upon us to re-spond to,” said Lt. Col. Tracy Michael,commander for the U.S. Army 1st Medi-cal Recruiting Battalion. “It gives ourSoldiers a tremendous amount of com-fort knowing that when they go intoharm’s way, we have top quality, world-class physicians as well as treatmentfacilities to be able to care for them ifthey are wounded, ill or injured. It’san awesome responsibility and one wetake very seriously. There is no otherorganization in the Army like ours. Ifwe don’t meet our mission, the cavalryis not coming over the hill.” He addedthe health of the force impacts militaryreadiness.

Michael added the Army MedicalDepartment is “about 155,000 strong,”and its members can be found on fivecontinents. “We operate the fifth largesthealth-care system in the world; and wehave a multi-billion dollar budget.”

“There’s a lot to know about Armymedicine,” said Col. (Dr.) Michael R.Nelson, director of the Medical Educa-tion Directorate in the U.S. Army Officeof the Surgeon General. He provided astrategic overview of Army GME andits global health engagement. He saidthere are “unparalleled opportunitiesfor medical training and patient care.

Military Medicine Seeks Best, BrightestGME Leaders Look to Attract Top Students to Serve Nation

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Maj. Gen. (Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clark, Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC) director, welcomes medical advisorsfrom some of the nation’s top universities to WRNMMC for a day-long program to discuss opportunities available to students whopursue medical careers in uniform.

See MEDICINE page 10

1051582


By Sharon Renee Taylor withMC1 (AW) Chris KruckeWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Three Walter Reed National Mili-tary Medical Center (WRNMMC) staff-ers earned the DAISY Award for excep-tional nursing this summer. PamelaQuinn, Army 2nd Lt. Lauren Graham,and Claudia Chavez received the prizefor the months of June, July and Au-gust, respectively.

The DAISY Award is a way to honorthe exceptional care delivered by nurs-es across the nation in nearly 2,000health-care facilities. DAISY standsfor “Disease Attacking the ImmuneSystem,” and the award was created bythe family of James Patrick Barnes in1999 as a way to show appreciation ofthe nursing care they received duringhis hospitalization. Barnes survivedHodgkins Disease twice, and was laterdiagnosed with Idiopathic Thrombo-cytopenia Purpura (ITP). He passedaway at 33 in 1999.

Quinn, a clinical nurse at the Na-tional Intrepid Center of Excellence(NICoE), is a second-generation nurseand recipient of the June DAISYAward. She was nominated for the

award by a fellow NICoE colleague,Clinical Social Worker Krista Argiolas.

“She routinely goes above and be-yond normal position requirements toensure that her patients receive excel-lent care,” Argiolas said. The clinicalsocial worker considers Quinn a role

model and valued colleague who, “em-bodies the concepts of patient-centeredcare and best practice.”

A nurse on 4-East, Graham earnedthe July DAISY Award as a “person[who] epitomizes what it means to bea nurse, and caring and devoted toher patients,” read the nomination forthe Soldier. The nominating patientpraised Graham’s effort to help, citingthe determination, support and atten-tion she received from the lieutenant.

“This nurse went to great lengthsto help get my pain under control. Shecalled doctors at all hours of the dayand stayed with me through the hard-est time. She continually made me feelthat someone did care when I was verydepressed,” wrote the patient.

A graduate of Grand Canyon Uni-versity College of Nursing in Arizona,WRNMMC is Graham’s first duty sta-tion as a military nurse. Her fatheris a colonel, serving as a fighter pilotin the Air Force; her mother, grand-mother and great grandmother wereall nurses.

The patient who nominated Chavezas the August DAISY Award winnerspent four days in the Labor and De-livery unit for the birth of her firstchild. As a pediatric hematologist/on-cologist and palliative care physicianat the National Institutes of Health,the patient explained she held a highstandard of care providers.

“This nurse did not simply meet myhopes for a bedside nurse, but actu-ally exceeded my personal and pro-fessional expectations,” the nomina-tion read. She explained the reasonswhy she nominated Chavez for theDAISY award— her compassion, advo-

cacy, professionalism, contribution as ateam player and mentor, commitment,and exceptional care. “My birth experi-ence was blessed by her presence andcare. I hope my new daughter growsup to serve others in a way which isconsistent with this nurse’s beautifulexample,” the patient wrote.

Summer 2015 DAISY Award Winners

Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Christopher Krucke

Pamela Quinn, a clinical nurse at the National Intrepid Center ofExcellence (NICoE), earned the June DAISY Award at Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center (WRNMMC).

Photo by Sharon Renee Taylor

Army 2nd Lt. Lauren Graham, anurse on 4-East at Walter ReedNational Military Medical Cen-ter (WRNMMC), earned the JulyDAISY Award at WRNMMC.

See AWARD page 10

Courtesy photo

Army Col. Ray Antoine, direc-tor of nursing services at WalterReed National Military MedicalCenter, awards Claudia Chavezthe August DAISY Awardfor extraordinary nursing atWRNMMC.


By Sharon Renee TaylorWRNMMC Public Affairs

staff writer

Walter Reed National Military Med-ical Center will celebrate HispanicHeritage Month with a celebration onSept. 24, at 11:30a.m., in the AmericaBuilding (Bldg. 19) lobby, first floor,near the piano.

Each year, the president issues aproclamation designating Sept. 15through Oct. 15 as “National HispanicHeritage Month.” The term Hispanicor Latino refers to Mexican, PuertoRican, South or Central American andother Spanish cultures of origin, re-gardless of race.

During the month-long observance,the achievements and contributionsof Hispanic Americans are celebrated.The countries of Costa Rica, El Salva-dor, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua,Mexico, Chile and Belize all celebratetheir independence days during His-panic Heritage Month. The theme forthis year’s celebration is, “Honoringour Heritage. Building our Future.”

1.2 million Hispanics or Latinos18 and older are veterans of the U.S.armed forces, according to the U.S.Census Bureau, 2012 American Com-munity Survey. The contributions ofHispanics in the military can be tracedto as early as the War of Independenceand Col. Don Bernardo de Galvez,namesake of Galveston, Texas.

Galvez, a member of the Spanishmilitia, supported U.S. forces fightingfor independence from Great Britainin 1776. Loreta Janeta Velàzquez, aCuban-born woman dressed as a man,enlisted in the Confederate Army in1861. Velàzquez fought at Bull Run,Ball’s Bluff and Fort Donelson. Shewas discovered and discharged, reen-listed and fought again, this time atShiloh.

Captain Maximiliano Luna andGeorge Armijo served in the 1st U.S.Volunteer Cavalry, known as the‘Rough Riders’ under then Lt. Col.

Theodore Roosevelt in 1898 duringthe Spanish-American War, accordingto historian, genealogist, and lecturer,John Schmal.

A Hispanic Soldier named Pvt.Marcelino Serna captured 24 GermanSoldiers in France in 1918; that sameyear, Pvt. David Barkley risked his lifeto locate the enemy’s position, crawl-ing 400 yards behind enemy lines.Both Serna and Barkley received theMedal of Honor posthumously.

A New Mexico National Guard unit,the 200th Coast Artillery, became thefirst to fire in the Pacific theater. TheSpanish-speaking unit sent to thePhilippines during World War II sur-rendered on April 9, 1941 and beganthe 85-mile Bataan Death March to aJapanese prison came where they re-mained prisoners of war for three anda half years.

In 1951, Gen. Richard E. Cavazosbecame the Army’s first Hispanic four-star general, serving as a commanderin both the Korean War and VietnamWar. Adm. Horicio Rivero became thefirst Hispanic four-star admiral in1964 as a graduate of the Naval Acad-emy in 1931. President Carter appoint-ed the Honorable Edward Hidalgo asSecretary of the Navy in 1979. Thefirst Hispanic to serve in the office,Hidalgo served as an air combat intel-ligence officer during World War II.

In 1981, Lilia Ramires, CarmenGilliand, Trinoria Pinto, and Ina Go-mez became the first female HispanicAmericans to graduate from the NavalAcademy. Air Force Brig. Gen. Carmel-ita Vigil-Schimmenti became the firstHispanic female to attain the rank ofgeneral, and the first female generalfrom New Mexico in 1985. She firstserved as a hospital nurse during theVietnam War. The Honorable LouisCaldera became the 17th Secretary ofthe Army in 1998, the first Hispanic tohold the position. Caldera was commis-sioned in 1978 in the Military Police

Hispanic Heritage Month: Sept. 15 – Oct. 15

Courtesy photo

President Obama awards the Medal of Honor to Sgt. 1st Class Le-roy Arthur Petry, of Hispanic descent from Sante Fe, N.M., in 2011for his acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life inPaktia Province, Afghanistan.

See HERITAGE page 9 1080010


By Sgt. 1st Class Jon CuppWarrior Transition Brigade-National

Capital Region Public Affairs

Wounded, ill and injured warriors seeking to treatmany of the unseen symptoms of stress have an in-ternship at their disposal designed to help them facethose challenges through interaction with a few ea-ger canine companions.

The Walter Reed Wounded Warrior Service DogTraining Program (WWSDTP) internship providestherapy while allowing military service members onNSAB and Fort Belvoir, Va. to train dogs which willlater be given to other disabled warriors.

“What’s unique about the service dog training pro-gram is that we work with clinicians here from oc-cupational therapists to recreational therapists andsocial workers to set goals with the service members.The goals will help them, as they train the servicedogs, to eventually transition back to the civilianworld,” said Carolyn Ford, a service dog training in-structor for the program, who hails from Lawrence,Massachusetts. “Some of the specific goals that wehelp them with include socialization, emotional reg-ulation and reduction of isolation, because a lot oftimes {Wounded Warriors} will go to appointmentsand then go back to their rooms, isolating them-selves, so we want to get them out and get them ac-tive.”

“The program can help people who have trauma,depression, anxiety and stress {among other condi-tions},” said Portsmouth, New Hampshire native,Col. Matthew St. Laurent, chief of occupationaltherapy/department of rehabilitation for the WalterReed National Military Medical Center who overseesthe program. “We all know that through the human-animal bond there is an endocrine hormonal produc-tion going on called oxytocin which is a “feel good”hormone. So training a service dog can help someonewho may be going through PTSD or depression. Weknow that it relaxes them and calms their nerves.”

Military service members are recommended forthe program by people on their care team to includenurse case managers, primary care managers, occu-pational therapists, recreational therapists or social

workers among others.Once they are accepted into the program, the ser-

vice member goes to work with service dog trainersduring train-the-trainer sessions. For the first ses-sions, the service members spend time developing abond with the dogs they’re training.

Over the course of the program, participants learnhow to groom the animals, brush their teeth, cliptheir nails, check for any possible health issues,train the dogs to ignore distractions and teach thedogs various tasks that will allow them to assist vet-erans who have physical disabilities.

Service dogs learn as many as 90 tasks during thetraining to include picking up dropped keys, retriev-ing things from the refrigerator, helping people un-dress, opening doors and turning off light switches,among a host of other duties.

One of the biggest aspects of therapy with regardto training the dogs on commands involves emotion-al regulation, a complex process which includes theability to regulate one’s state or behavior, accordingto Emily Mittelman, a clinical service dog instructorfor the program.

“There’s more to the program than just the so-cialization piece, the participant in the program canlearn emotional regulation by being able to shifttheir voice to do the correct tones for commands orpraise,” said Mittelman. “They are essentially re-training the way they think about talking to peopleand dogs.”

The emotional regulation, which can help easestress and depression through mood adjustment, hasbeen compared to giving commands to the dogs in thestrong intonation of someone like Arnold Schwar-zenegger but then giving praise in a lighter, happysounding intonation like that of Mickey Mouse.

The program utilizes a positive tone as the dog’sreward which instructors say keeps the dogs en-gaged to continue training.

“We want to make sure that whatever task we aretraining the dog to do that we’re giving positive re-inforcement so we are rewarding the dog for goodbehavior,” said Mittelman. “Which means the dog isgoing to want to do it over and over again.”

“The dog in training may not respond to you if youdisplay a depressive tone,” added St. Laurent. “A dogattends to affection and loves when you cheer it on.”

Service dogs trained in the program are mainlymobility dogs—those trained to help people whohave some form of physical disability such as anamputation.

According to St. Laurent, with many service mem-bers suffering from survivor’s guilt, making it backfrom combat when others didn’t, the program offersa way for them to give back to fellow veterans.

“A lot of service members leave the battlefieldwith a feeling of so much guilt that they may de-velop post-traumatic stress reactions,” St. Laurentexplained. “I can tell them that I can’t erase theirpast experiences, but maybe I can provide themsome tools for living by inviting them to train a dogfor a fellow vet.”

The dogs used for the WWSDTP are loaned to theprogram by a local non-profit organization whichbreeds the dogs specifically to be service animals.The program receives Golden Retrievers or LabradorRetrievers from the organization when the dogs areabout 16 weeks old.

Once the dogs complete the program at about theage of two years old, they are returned to the non-profit organization and partake in a graduation cer-emony where they are placed with a wounded, ill orinjured veteran.

For Brooklyn, New York native, Spc. StephoneCarmichael, an infantryman who is now a patientassigned to the Warrior Transition Brigade-NationalCapital Region (WTB-NCR), the program was a wayto help him deal with a traumatic brain injury (TBI)suffered after being injured in an improvised explo-sive device blast in July 2014 in Afghanistan.

“It definitely helps me in terms of my TBI as ithelps me to recall things better, especially when giv-ing and reciting commands to the service dogs,” saidCarmichael. “It’s also a pretty relaxing atmosphereand I like working with the animals.”

“I’ve definitely benefitted from the program. It

Warriors Receive Therapy Through Service Dog Training Program

Photos by Sgt. 1st Class Jon Cupp

Army Staff Sgt. Steven Betancourt, a patient and Soldier in transition for the WarriorTransition Brigade-National Capital Region, gives praise to James, a service dog in train-ing, for retrieving a bottle of water from a refrigerator during an Aug. 25 session of theWounded Warrior Service Dog Training Program at Naval Support Activity Bethesda.

See DOG page 71051558


Prior to grooming the animal, Spc. Stephone Carmichael, a patientand Soldier in transition with the Warrior Transition Brigade-Na-tional Capital Region, checks service-dog-in-training Annie for anylumps or other potential health concerns during an Aug. 25 trainingsession of the Wounded Warrior Service Dog Training Program atNaval Support Activity Bethesda.

Carolyn Ford, a service dog training instructor, gives directions toa Soldier on how to properly give commands to James, a servicedog, Aug. 25 during a session of the Warrior Service Dog TrainingProgram at Naval Support Activity Bethesda.

gives me a sense of accomplishmentthat I’m helping someone else whilealso helping myself with my TBI,” headded.

When Queens, New York native,Staff Sgt. Steven Betancourt, a logis-tics specialist now assigned as a pa-tient with the WTB-NCR, was severelyinjured in an accident at Kandahar,Afghanistan in early 2014, he sufferedthrough the stress of a nearly debili-tating spine injury which left him withhip problems and other major issues.

“Learning how to adapt when you’rehealing is a whole complicated pro-cess, dealing with changes and how togo on with your future. It’s not easybut whenever I get [stressed], I set uptimes to work with the dogs,” said Be-tancourt. “When I leave [after workingwith the dogs], I’m happy, smiling and

I have a great time. When you cometo work with the dogs your frame ofmind changes and everything becomesvery calm.”

Having a mobility issue himself,said Betancourt, has allowed him to beuniquely qualified to assist in traininga mobility service dog.

“I’m not able to walk like the aver-age person anymore because I have alimp, and due to the spine injury, I’mlimited and will never run again,” saidBetancourt. “So when I come here, Ihave the dog walk at my pace, whichis not the average person’s pace. Thedog has to learn how to adjust to me.”

“So once I leave, this dog will nowbe able to help someone else with mycondition because he’s programmed towalk at a certain pace. It’s great to beable to help a Wounded Warrior in thatway.”

Currently, there are about 12 dogsbeing trained in the WWSDTP bywounded, ill or injured warriors atboth NSAB and Fort Belvoir, Va.

DOGContinued from pg. 6

1051592


By Paul BelloNational Museum of Health

and Medicine

The history of prosthetic eye-making and the delicate process in-volved with this procedure headlinesthe National Museum of Health andMedicine’s (NMHM) upcoming Medi-cal Museum Science Café, which willtake place Tuesday, Sept. 22 from 6– 7 p.m.

The presentation, “Making ThemWhole: Ocular Prosthetics,” will be ledby Louis Gilbert, anaplastologist atWalter Reed National Military Medi-cal Center (WRNMMC).

Gilbert, who previously served 20years in the U.S. Navy, is also a dentaltechnician for the Department of De-fense. He received training in maxillo-facial prosthetics while attending theNavy’s Postgraduate Dental School on-board Naval Support Activity Bethes-da, Md. It was there he developed afondness for making prosthetic eyes.His talent for creating something outof nothing began long before that.

“I’ve always had a passion for art.Ever since I was a kid, whether it wasdrawing comics, or commercial art,such as still life, self-portraits or watercolors,” Gilbert said. “I’m still doing art30 years later. It’s been personally re-

warding. I wouldn’t want it any otherway.”

As an anaplastologist, Gilbert be-lieves it’s important to be mindful of

the expectations patients have. Ofcourse, he added, it’s equally impor-tant for patients to know his expecta-tions on the outcome, as well.

Typically the process for making asingle prosthetic eye takes about eighthours from start to finish, accordingto Gilbert. Three hours of the patientsitting in a chair, with the other fivehours dedicated to sculpting, polish-ing and finishing the eye. During thisstage he also focuses on eye color, aswell as making sure it’s a good fit tothe patient.

Even with trauma cases, Gilbert ad-mits he can get a pretty good productthat will restore a patient’s natural ap-pearance. He plans on including sever-al recent examples of his work duringhis presentation at NMHM.

“People often ask about movement.Prosthetic eyes only move 65-75 per-cent of the time. Though, in some cas-es, there’s no movement at all,” Gilbertsaid. “I don’t believe the public knowsmuch about the process that’s involvedwith eye-making, so I’m really look-ing forward to a discussion like this. Ithink it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

NMHM’s Medical Museum ScienceCafés are a regular series of informaltalks that connect the mission of theDepartment of Defense museum withthe public. NMHM was founded as theArmy Medical Museum in 1862 andmoved to its new location in SilverSpring, Md. in 2012. For more informa-tion, visit www.medicalmuseum.mil.

WRNMMC Prosthetic Eye-Maker to Speak at NMHM Event

Photo by Beverli Alford, WRNMMC Strategic Communications/Marketing

Louis Gilbert, an anaplastologist at Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center (WRNMMC), will lead a presentation entitled,“Making Them Whole: Ocular Prosthetics,” during the NationalMuseum of Health and Medicine’s monthly Medical Museum Sci-ence Café, which takes place Tuesday, Sept. 22 at the museum’shome in Silver Spring, Maryland.

By Department of Pharmacy

A new law going into effect Oct. 1requires most TRICARE beneficiariesto obtain brand name maintenancemedications from TRICARE PharmacyHome Delivery or a military pharma-cy. If beneficiaries keep using a retailpharmacy for these medications, theywill have to pay the full cost. Activeduty service members are exempt fromthe law’s requirement.

Maintenance medications are thosetaken regularly for a long time, suchas drugs to control blood pressure orcholesterol. The law doesn’t apply tomedications taken for a short time,like antibiotics, or generic drugs. Thelaw also doesn’t apply to beneficiariesliving overseas, or who have anotherinsurance plan with prescription drugcoverage.

“A military pharmacy is a great wayto fill maintenance medications, be-cause you receive up to a 90-day sup-ply, and there’s no cost for TRICAREbeneficiaries,” said Army Col. StephenFord, director of the Department ofPharmacy at Walter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Center. Patients maycontact Pharmacy Call Center staff at

301-295-2123 to see if your prescrip-tion is available.

Beneficiaries affected by the changewill soon get letters from ExpressScripts, Inc., the TRICARE pharmacycontractor. These letters will tell ben-eficiaries they are taking an affecteddrug, and explain their options. Ben-eficiaries can also call Express Scriptsat 1-877-363-1303 to see if they are af-fected.

After Oct. 1, Express Scripts willsend another letter to beneficiarieswho continue using a retail pharmacyfor affected medications. After that,beneficiaries have one more chanceto fill these prescriptions at a retailpharmacy before they have to pay 100percent of the cost of their medication.

TRICARE Pharmacy Home Deliveryis a safe, convenient and low cost op-tion to get maintenance medications.Beneficiaries can receive up to a 90-day supply, as opposed to a 30-day sup-ply from a retail pharmacy, and offersa $176 savings per year on your copay-ments for every brand name medica-tion you switch to Home Delivery.

For more information about thischange to TRICARE’s pharmacy bene-fit, visit www.tricare.mil/RxNewRules.

Changes Coming toTRICARE Pharmacy Benefit

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By Travis CombestWRNMMC Exercise

Physiologist, OutpatientNutrition Services

Many people have busyschedules, but it’s importantto include physical activity aspart of your day to help pre-vent diseases and increase yourquality of life.

The Office of Disease Pre-vention and Health Promotionin the United States Depart-ment of Health and HumanServices developed of physicalactivity in people’s lives guide-lines in 2008, which stress theimportance of physical activity.

These physical activityguidelines for adults includeengaging in moderate-intensityaerobic physical activity for atleast 150 minutes per week, orin vigorous-intensity aerobicphysical activity for at least 75minutes per week. If neither ispossible, the guidelines suggestadults engage in an equivalentcombination of moderate andvigorous intensity aerobic ac-

tivity weekly, as well as physi-cal activities specifically de-signed to strengthen musclesat least two times per week

It’s important to set goals toincorporate both aerobic andmuscle strengthening activitiesinto our exercise schedules.

Aerobic Conditioning: Take

small walking or exercisebreaks during the day.

It is important for us not tosit for extended periods of time.You can break up physical activ-ity during the day. For example,walk 15 minutes in the morningand in the afternoon, or take anevening ride on a stationary bike

for about 15 minutes. The mini-mum amount of time for physi-cal activity recommended bythe American College of SportsMedicine is around 10 minutesat a time.

Muscular Strengthening: Per-form body weight exercises ortake a class.

You can perform body weightexercises such as pushups, sit-ups or squats during your day,and gradually increase theamount that you do every fewweeks. For example, start withtwo sets of 20 repetitions of push-ups, sit-ups, squats and jumpingjacks performed on Tuesday andThursday. After one month, in-crease to three sets of each exer-cise with 20 repetitions. The keyis to gradually increase eitherthe sets or repetitions, doing soevery few weeks. Also, considerjoining a group strengtheningclass or meeting with a personaltrainer at a fitness center.

To see an exercise physiologistor dietitian, or for more informa-tion, contact Outpatient Nutri-tion Services at 301- 295-4065.

Time to Get Moving!Corps before earning both alaw degree and MBA fromHarvard in 1987.

Hospitalman Appren-tice Luis E. Fonseca, Jr. re-ceived the Navy Cross forheroism while serving withthe Marines during the bat-tle of An Nasiriyah, Iraq, inMarch 2003. In July 2006,Joe Campa became the firstHispanic Master Chief Pet-ty Officer of the Navy, theservice’s top-ranking enlist-ed person.

Navy Commander YvetteMarie Davids became thefirst female Hispanic Amer-ican to skipper a surfacecombatant. She took com-mand of the guided missilefrigate Curts (FFG 39) in2010, and selected to therank of captain in 2011.

For more informationabout the WRNMMC cel-ebration of Hispanic Heri-tage Month, contact HM2Travis Silvey, president ofthe Multicultural Commit-tee, at 301-295-4263.

HERITAGEContinued from pg. 5

Courtesy photo

Travis Combest, an exercise physiologist at WalterReed National Military Medical Center, demonstratesthe proper technique for various exercises. He en-courages people to particpate in physical activity fora healthy lifestyle.

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“We like to keep (the race) on 9/11to keep it special,” said NSAB FitnessCenter Manager Amanda Kozay.

There were 217 participants in thisyear’s run, she said, noting that “ev-eryone said they enjoyed it and it wasa great run.”

She said it was a non-competitiverace so there were both runners andwalkers.

The runners were led by motorcy-clists, the Patriot Guard, around thecourse which started and ended at theMWR Sports Complex. The partici-

pants also went past the USO Warriorand Family Center, and around theFisher Houses and Uniformed Servic-es University of the Health Sciences.

Back at the MWR Sports Complex,there were light refreshments and lo-cal rock band ROADDOG performed.Food also was collected as part of theFeds Feed Families campaign, which isan ongoing food drive until Oct. 5.

“As you run today, run for remem-brance,” Jones said.

MWR is hosting its next race, aBreast Cancer Awareness 5K, Sat-urday, Oct. 3. For more informationor to register, go to www.nsabthink-pink2015.eventbrite.com.

RUNContinued from pg. 1

The patient is at the center of all thatwe do. We are honored to take care ofthis nation’s heroes [who] include notonly service members, but their familymembers and retirees.”

In addition to caring for a diversepopulation, Nelson said those withinthe military health care system havethe opportunity to do cutting-edge re-search, support humanitarian anddiplomatic missions, and develop asleaders. “We want to expose our medi-cal officers to different jobs in militarymedicine.” He added it’s important formilitary medical officers to maintain

their clinical skills throughout theircareers.

Col. (Dr.) Clifton Yu, GME director atWRNMMC, said military medicine al-lows people a variety of career oppor-tunities and the ability to go back andforth between clinicals and academics.He called WRNMMC the “center ofgravity” for military health care, serv-ing as home for not only the NICoE,MATC and MCC, but also home of theCenter for Prostate Disease ResearchCenter, advanced robotic surgery andworld-class simulation center.

“This is really a special place avail-able to GME trainees and undergradu-ate medical students when they comehere,” Yu added. “We have a long legacyof GME training [at WRNMMC].”

MEDICINEContinued from pg. 3

Chavez shed tears as Army Col. RayAntoine, director of nursing services atWRNMMC, read the nomination. Sherecalled the patient.

After she received the award,

Chavez explained that English is hersecond language. She recalled thatwhen she was in first grade she haddifficulty communicating with the oth-er students and teachers, making herexperiences tough.

When she learned English, Chavezsaid she realized she could do any-thing, and she decided to become anurse to help others.

AWARDContinued from pg. 4

1120026

Veterans, come join the VA!

Currently hiring for the following positions:

• Registered Nurse• Medical Officer• Practical Nurse• Nursing Assistant• Pharmacist• Veterans Claims Examiner/

Veterans Service Representative• Medical Technologist• Diagnostic Radiological Technician• Medical Records Technician• Human Resources Specialist• Contract Specialist

The Veteran EmploymentServices Office (VESO) focuses

on recruiting, retaining andsupporting Veteran employees

at the VA and across thefederal government.

Contact VESO at:855-824-8387

Visit VESO’s VA for Vetswebsite: www.vaforvets.va.gov


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