Air Date: April 25, 2012

Leaders set the norms and expectations regarding psychological health for those under their command.

NARRATOR:

This is Real Warriors—Real Advice.

Warriors are trained to drive on through difficult situations, even in the face of mounting obstacles, in order to complete their mission. Yet, every warrior also knows that many injuries or wounds require special attention before the individual can or should drive on. That’s true of physical wounds as well as psychological or ‘invisible wounds’ caused by combat stress. Unfortunately, many service members may resist seeking care for invisible wounds because of a perceived stigma.

According to Army Col. Kevin Brown, one important way to eliminate stigma and encourage warriors to seek needed care is for leaders at every level to make it clear to the men and women under their command that their psychological health is important, and that reaching out for needed support is a sign of strength and essential to maintaining mission readiness. Leaders set the expectations for their warriors and have the ability to make everyone’s psychological health a top priority.

COL. KEVIN BROWN:

Soldiers are our most precious resource. Our leaders at the highest levels of our Army and all the way through fully understand that we can’t just say that, “Soldiers are our most precious resource,” and not put our money where our mouth is. And, so, for me, a Real Warrior is a leader who will show genuine compassion, care and concern for his soldiers. That’s how you defeat stigma.

NARRATOR:

Find out more about the ways leaders can help reduce stigma, learn about invisible wounds, and discover how you or someone you know can get needed support, by accessing information and resources 24/7 at realwarriors.net or by calling 866-966-1020.