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Department of the Air Force to review discharges of veterans with mental health conditions, experiences of sexual trauma
September 28, 2023 — The Department of the Air Force, or DAF, has agreed to review the discharges of thousands of veterans affected by post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, or other mental health conditions, or who experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment. The DAF will also implement administrative reforms for individuals who apply to have their discharge statuses upgraded in the future... MORE

Air Force secretary talks PTSD, mental health with medical leaders
June 30, 2022 — Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall met with Air Force Medical Service leaders to discuss the Department of the Air Force’s approach to prioritizing post-traumatic stress disorder care and support June 24... MORE

Invisible Wounds Initiative helps build a supportive culture for Airmen, Guardians, and families through focused leadership
January 27, 2022 — The Command Team Campaign is a communications effort to increase knowledge and enable command teams to build connectedness, trust, and openness to tough conversations about cognitive, emotional, or behavioral conditions associated with trauma or adverse life events... MORE

An invisible wound is a cognitive, emotional, or behavioral condition that can be associated with trauma or serious adverse life events.

Tough Conversations: Dealing with the effects of PTSD
July 1, 2021 — Brig. Gen. Caroline Miller, 502d Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, and Command Chief Master Sgt. Wendell Snider hosted their “Tough Conversation” forum on the topic of PTSD June 29 at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in recognition of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month... MORE

Brig. Gen. Caroline Miller and Command Chief Master Sgt. Wendell Snider listen as a participant shares their experiences dealing with PTSD.

Living with PTSD: Family Style
June 30, 2021 — Many people have heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, and associate it with a tragic car wreck, military combat or sexual assault. Although those events can cause PTSD, there are hundreds... MORE

Master Sgt. (ret) Jonathan Session stands with his wife, Shevina Session. Jonathan, an Air Force Wounded Warrior Ambassador, witnessed many tragic moments throughout his military career and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2018. Learning, coping and living with PTSD is hard on the person diagnosed and their family, but with the right resources and tools, conversations and understanding it can still be an amazing life. Remember to reach out when help is needed, to take a step back and never forget that you are loved and cherished. (Courtesy Photo)

Brooke Army Medical Center Soldier ready to run to raise suicide awareness
May 21, 2020 — Sgt. 1st Class Maité Bengoa, the enlisted advisor to the deputy commander of health readiness at Brooke Army Medical Center, is prepared to run for a good cause... MORE

Sgt. 1st Class Maité Bengoa (kneeling in blue running shoes), the enlisted advisor to the deputy commander of health readiness at Brooke Army Medical Center, and the members of her team, called “Don’t Get in a Van with Strangers,” pose before a practice run.

5th Medical Recruiting Battalion hosts PTSD lecture in New Orleans for physician residents
August 30, 2019 — The 5th Medical Recruiting Battalion at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston partnered with residency programs throughout the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas to conduct didactic lectures on post-traumatic stress disorder Aug. 9... MORE

Dr. (Lt. Col.) Christian Schrader, Army psychiatrist and program director of Carl R. Darnell Army Medical Center’s Psychiatry Residency at Fort Hood, Texas, conducted a didactics lecture Aug. 9 on post-traumatic stress disorder for medical residents affiliated with Louisiana State University Health Science Center School of Medicine at Ochsner Medical Center, Kenner, Louisiana.

Service dog rescues veteran from despair of PTSD
June 29, 2018 — After battling night terrors and the pain and anxiety of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for decades, an Air Force veteran found his lifeline at the end of a dog leash. (Editor's Note: This is part 2 of Ryan Kaono's story about living with PTSD.) ... MORE

Ryan Kaono's work area at the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center clearly shows his cube mate and service dog Romeo belongs there too.

Living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; a veteran's story
June 22, 2018 — Post-Traumatic stress disorder carries him into the depths of fear and pain; reliving images of death and destruction. Closing his eyes to night terrors at sundown and fighting through daily anxiety attacks eventually pushed him to the brink of suicide so he could put an end to the never-ending cycle. It wasn’t until his second suicide attempt that Air Force veteran and Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center support agreement manager Ryan Kaono took steps to face his invisible scars and reach out for help... MORE

Ryan Kaono, a support agreement manager with the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, shares a laugh with a videographer during an interview while his service dog Romeo keeps a steady eye on the photographer. Romeo helps Kaono quickly recover from bouts of anxiety and night terrors related to enemy attacks while he was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

A peek behind the curtain: PTSD barriers and stigmas
June 21, 2018 — Effective treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder is possible, but many Airmen falsely think seeking medical help for PTSD will hurt their career and will not help them get better... MORE

Those that suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are consistently trying to regain some sense of the normalcy they had before events that caused pieces of themselves to go missing. Misconceptions and stigmas surrounding PTSD get in the way of successful recovery and the ability to return to duty.

Former undercover detective to speak about resiliency
November 21, 2016 — Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, expert and motivational speaker, Bob Delaney is scheduled to speak to Soldiers assigned to Joint Base San Antonio at the Fort Sam Houston Theater Dec. 2... MORE