Directorate of Prevention, Resilience and Readiness: Articles

Military Housing Renovations Reshaping Fort Knox Landscape

10/30/2023
Knox Hills, Kentucky, continues to set its sights on improving the quality of life of on-post residents. Armed with the solid backing of Garrison leaders and officials from the Fort Knox Housing Division, Knox Hills officials say they are committed to improving housing in several ways, such as installing new siding, windows, doors and floors throughout homes, as well as providing new appliances, upgraded kitchen countertops and cabinets, and HVAC and water heater replacements as needed.

Humphreys Community Raises Awareness for Domestic Violence Through Resource Fair

10/27/2023
The Army Community Service Family Advocacy Program at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys, South Korea, hosted the annual resource fair, Purple Pumpkins for a Purpose, to raise awareness about domestic violence and share community services available for Soldiers and Families.

Department of Defense Releases Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: Calendar Year 2022

10/26/2023
The Defense Department released the DOD Annual Report on Suicide in the Military: Calendar Year 2022, providing annual suicide data for service members and their dependents and outlining the department's prevention efforts.

New Local Behavioral Health Program Helps Female Military Sexual Assault Victims Across the Nation

10/25/2023
One month after the start of a new program for female Soldiers who are recovering from sexual assault, Lincoln Trail Behavioral Health System officials say they are seeing positive results. The mental health and substance misuse treatment provider is now poised to help sexual assault survivors across the globe.

Purple Pumpkin’ Event Raises Community Awareness of Domestic Violence

10/25/2023
Army Community Service’s Purple Pumpkin event brought out Families for an afternoon of painting faces and gourds and distributing Halloween candy in observance of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

DOD Substance Misuse Education Campaigns Offer Resources, Support to Service Members

10/25/2023
In February 2007, the Defense Department launched the YouCanQuit2 campaign, now aligned with the Defense Health Agency (DHA), to help service members and their loved ones quit smoking. The DOD, the DHA and other military service components have since added a campaign to encourage service members to drink responsibly, Own Your Limits, and another, Too Much to Lose, to discourage the use of illicit drugs and promote the responsible use of prescription drugs. The three campaigns work in concert as a resource for service members and their Families, health prevention professionals and health care providers.

Fort Sill USO Receives $30,000 Donation From Paycom, Enriching Programs for Military Families

10/24/2023
The United Service Organizations at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, received a gift of $30,000 from Paycom Software, a gesture that promises to significantly enhance the support programs available to U.S. military service members and their Families.

How to Break the Stigma of Spoken Finances

10/24/2023
If you’re struggling to make ends meet, guess what? Your neighbor is living paycheck to paycheck, your colleague can’t afford childcare, your sibling was just laid off, and your friend is on unemployment. This may come as a surprise, but no one talks about their finances openly. Let’s try to change that.

Observing 2023 Red Ribbon Week at Fort McCoy

10/23/2023
Red Ribbon Week, the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program, is celebrated annually from Oct. 23 to Oct. 31. This year’s theme is “Be Kind to Your Mind. Live Drug Free.”

Fort Drum FAP Shares Recipe for Building Healthy Relationships

10/23/2023
The Fort Drum Family Advocacy Program staff shared recipes during the Cook With Your Mate class at the Enrichment Center, with the aim of bringing Army Families together for a fun, stress-free event.

Housing Mayors Sought to Represent Communities, Enhance Quality of Life

10/23/2023
The Housing Office at Camp Zama, Japan, is seeking volunteers to join its mayoral program to improve the quality of life for on-base residents. Mayors serve a one-year term and can be reelected or reinstated. Spouses are encouraged to take on this essential role, but Soldiers and Defense Department Civilians are also welcome.

Breaking the Cycle: Understanding Domestic Violence and Intergenerational Trauma

10/23/2023
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to raising awareness about a complex issue that affects millions of people worldwide and has far-reaching consequences that extend beyond immediate victims of domestic violence.

Survivor Outreach Services Plays a Vital Role in Supporting Survivors

10/23/2023
Survivor Outreach Services is an official Army program that provides long-term support to surviving Families of fallen Soldiers. This program was designed and developed by survivors.

A Soldier’s Life: Maintaining a High Quality of Living

10/23/2023
The Army’s top priority is Soldiers’ well-being. That’s why four years ago the secretary and chief of staff of the Army directed the creation of the Quality of Life Task Force.

It Takes an Army Village to Support Military Kids

10/23/2023
It is paramount that kids of all ages get the social and emotional support they need to thrive during all life stages in the atypical environment of a military base.

Soldiers Sharpen Performance Skills at Operation Raider Blast

10/23/2023
The 3rd Squadron, 4th U.S. Cavalry Raiders collaborated with performance experts Fernando Llamoca and Eliza Marks from the Schofield Barracks Ready and Resilient Performance Center at the Pōhakuloa Training Area in Hawaii to enhance the group’s readiness and lethality.

Building Resiliency for a Better Tomorrow

10/20/2023
Brittany Hawthorne, a master resilience trainer performance expert at the Ready and Resilient Performance Center, teaches a class on effective team communication at the R2 center at Fort Carson, Colorado.

Helping Soldiers Train Their Brains and Bodies to Improve Endurance

10/20/2023
It is common knowledge that a disciplined regimen of physical exercise can improve Soldiers’ strength. But the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command’s Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is now exploring ways to complement workouts with brain exercise that could help service members enhance their performance under heavy stress and fatigue.

USAG Rheinland-Pfalz Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Baumholder Family Housing

10/19/2023
U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz hosted a groundbreaking ceremony marking the beginning construction of 64 new residential units for the Baumholder military community at Wetzel Kaserne, Germany.

A Community United: Fort Liberty Joins Cumberland County to Pay Tribute to Victims of Domestic Violence

10/18/2023
Fort Liberty Garrison Command team, Col. John Wilcox and Command Sgt. Maj. Greg Seymour joined Cumberland County and Fayetteville, North Carolina, officials in a ceremony recognizing victims of domestic violence.

Fort Sill Commits to Fostering Creativity for Military Wellness

10/17/2023
Col. Jim Peay, Fort Sill Garrison commander, shared heartfelt reflections on how the arts fostered resilience and self-expression in his life. Peay underscored the holistic wellness the arts offer. Highlighting the military’s focus on suicide prevention, Peay advocated for arts as a therapeutic and preventive recourse.

Wiesbaden DFMWR Managers Join Together to Brainstorm, Enhance Soldier and Family Support

10/17/2023
During the FY24 First Quarter Managers Working Group, Wiesbaden Family and MWR managers shared challenges, success stories and professional development strategies to improve services and processes for service members and their Families.

MILITARY STAR Cardmembers Boost Financial Support of Military Quality-of-Life Programs

10/16/2023
MILITARY STAR cardmembers know about the exclusive savings, discounts and benefits they receive, but they can also give back to military communities around the world. Nearly $21 million was saved at Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores, which reinvest all earnings to strengthen vital military quality-of-life support.

Advocating for Soldiers

10/13/2023
Since joining the Army, Sgt. 1st Class Shane McCarty has dedicated his service to Soldiers. He does this by working with the SHARP program, advocating for victims of sexual trauma. McCarty also makes sure that those who want to be SHARP professionals are well-suited to the job and have completed the course so they are best able to support victims.

In-Service Training Enables Resilience in Child and Youth Services Staff

10/13/2023
Staff from U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz Child and Youth Programs gathered for a child and youth services in-service training day at the Landstuhl Youth Center to gain comprehensive training experience and learn how to build resiliency.

Army FCC Program Offers Flexible Options for Parents, Providers

10/12/2023
For parents seeking the right childcare that works for their Family and schedule—and for on-base residents looking to earn an income and build a resume—the Army’s Family Child Care program offers many flexible options, according to Ellie Johnson, the FCC director at Fort Leonard Wood.

Army Leaders Talk Quality-of-Life Concerns

10/12/2023
Hundreds of Soldiers and Family members participated in a Family forum on quality-of-life concerns with Army senior leaders during the last day of the 2023 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition in Washington, D.C.

AUSA Brings Senior Leaders, Soldiers, Civilians Together

10/11/2023
Through their decisions and actions, Army senior leaders strengthen the service by sharing their knowledge and experience and by mentoring future leaders. At this year’s Association of the U.S. Army exposition, Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians gained insights and guidance from some of the service’s highest-ranking commissioned officers.

New Parent Support Program Is Helping Families Thrive

10/11/2023
Through its registered nurses and social workers, the New Parent Support Program at Fort Wainwright provides home visits to new parents, classes on different aspects of parenting, and play groups for parents and young children.

Army Chief of Staff Outlines Service Priorities at AUSA

10/10/2023
Simplifying the way the Army trains and builds teams and continuously transforming the force are among the focus areas of the new chief of staff, Gen. Randy George.

Grand Opening of Culinary Kiosk and Kitchenettes Give Fort Story Soldiers Quality of Life Upgrade

10/06/2023
Rep. Jen Kiggans, community members and Defense Department representatives gathered at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Fort Story to celebrate the grand opening of the Fort Story Culinary Outpost kiosk and kitchenettes. This is the Army’s 12th culinary kiosk and the latest example of the service’s efforts to expand nutritious food options for Soldiers.

Fort Drum Families Discover Space Adventures at Journey to the Stars

10/06/2023
Fort Drum Family Advocacy Program educators teamed up with Cornell Cooperative Extension representatives to transform the Child and Youth Services Sports and Fitness Center gymnasium into an intergalactic adventure for Families.

Proclamation Signed Supporting Domestic Violence Victims

10/04/2023
At the Morning Calm Conference Center in Camp Humphreys, South Korea, members of the Camp Humphreys command team joined Eighth Army leaders in support of victims of domestic violence by signing a proclamation that started a campaign highlighting Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The proclamation was also symbolic of the community’s position against domestic violence.

Fort Leonard Wood Hosts Survivor Family Recognition Event

10/04/2023
Fort Leonard Wood’s Survivor Outreach Services hosted a Family recognition event for 10 Families of fallen service members Saturday at the USO. Survivors had the opportunity to meet people who’ve experienced loss, share stories and have a meal.

Son of Picatinny Arsenal’s Sexual Assault Response Coordinator Enlists in the US Army

10/03/2023
Nycholas Cole, 24, was administered the Oath of Enlistment by Brig. Gen. John Reim, joint program executive officer armaments and ammunition and commanding general of Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. Cole is the son of retired Sgt. 1st Class Alberta Cole, currently the installation’s sexual assault response coordinator.

US Army Garrison Japan Hosts Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Announces Multiple Events

10/03/2023
U.S. Army Garrison Japan hosted a Domestic Violence Awareness Month ceremony to send a clear message to the community: Those experiencing abuse in a relationship do not have to face it alone. There will also be multiple events during the month, such as a couples’ game night, bowling event and a pin decorating event, along with outreach at various housing area businesses.

Fort Buchanan Conducts Suicide Prevention Training

10/02/2023
Amid frequent news of citizens taking their lives at Fort Buchanan in Puerto Rico, military personnel, DA Civilians and dependents of Fort Buchanan participated in a testimonial-driven educational workshop on suicide prevention.