By Jon Stock Air Force Surgeon General Public Affairs 3/6/2012 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force and other military services will expand their drug testing to include testing for commonly abused prescription drugs beginning May 1, 2012. On Jan. 31, 2012, the Secretary of Defense gave a 90-day advance notice of the drug testing expansion which aims to counter the nation's … [Read more...]
New Underpants Offer Better “Below the Belt” Protection For Soldiers
February 22, 2012 By C. Todd Lopez WASHINGTON -- For dismounted Soldiers patrolling Afghanistan roads, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) can be even more devastating than for those in armored vehicles, but a new line of protection may help. "A few years ago, in certain areas of Afghanistan, we started to notice the dismounted improvised explosive device (known as IED) … [Read more...]
How Writing Helps Veterans Heal
February 21, 2012 By Ms. Jacqueline Hames, Soldiers Magazine WASHINGTON -- "You can tell the extroverted writers; they are the ones that stare at your shoes while they are talking to you, while the introverted writers stare at their own shoes," Ron Capps, founder of and instructor with the Veterans Writing Project, joked during a weekend seminar. The borrowed classroom on … [Read more...]
Marines Offer Free Workshop to Help Servicemembers to Overcome Phobias
February 15,2012 By Lance Cpl. Derrick Irions The fear of public speaking frequently tops the average phobia in various surveys taken around the world. Camp Pendleton's Marine Corps Family Team Building offers a free workshop for service members and their families to learn and improve the basic techniques of public speaking through practical application. The Speaking With … [Read more...]
Valentine’s Day in Afghanistan
By Staff Sgt. Christine Jones Afghanistan (Feb. 14, 2012) -- A Soldier gets a care package in the mail. The package is from his wife. As she insisted, he waits until Valentine's Day to open it. Inside there is a heart, he presses it, and he hears his wife's voice. "I love you and I miss you. I can't wait for you to be home and I'm thinking about you always. Love you babe," … [Read more...]