journal_041813

Vol. 25 No. 15 www.cnic.navy.mil/bethesda/ April 18, 2013

Photo by Sarah Marshall

Wounded warriors toss the ball, working on their technique and learning adaptive lacrosse, during a Lacrosse Clinic April 11 at WalterReed Bethesda. The clinic was hosted by the Military Adaptive Sports Program, which provides various recreational sports and activitiesyear-round for wounded, ill and injured service members at Walter Reed Bethesda. See page 5 for full story.

WoundedWarriors

Participate inAdaptive

Sports Clinic

2 Thursday, April 18, 2013 The Journal

Published by offset every Thurs-day by Comprint Military Publi-cations, 9030 Comprint Court,Gaithersburg, Md. 20877, a pri-vate firm in no way connectedwith the U.S. Navy, under ex-clusive written contract with theWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center, Bethesda, Md.This commercial enterprise news-paper is an authorized publication formembers of the military services. Contentsof The Journal are not necessarily the of-ficial views of, nor endorsed by, the U.S.Government, the Department of Defense,or the Department of Navy. The appearanceof advertising in this publication, includinginserts or supplements, does not constituteendorsement by the Department of De-fense or Comprint, Inc., of the products orservices advertised. Everything advertisedin this publication shall be made availablefor purchase, use or patronage without re-

gard to race, color, religion, sex,national origin, age, maritalstatus, physical handicap,political affiliation, or anyother non-merit factor of thepurchaser, user, or patron.Editorial content is edited,prepared and provided bythe Public Affairs Office, Naval

Support Activity Bethesda, Md.News copy should be submitted to

the Public Affairs Office, Building 11, lowerlevel, Room 41, 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 telephoning 301-921-2800.Publisher’s advertising offices are locatedat 9030 Comprint Court, Gaithersburg, Md.20877. Classified ads can be placed by call-ing 301-670-1700.

Naval Support Activity (NSA) BethesdaCommanding Officer: Capt. Frederick (Fritz) Kass

Public Affairs Officer NSAB: Joseph MacriPublic Affairs Office NSAB: 301-295-1803

Journal StaffStaff Writers MC2 John Hamilton

MASNApril BeazerSarah MarshallSharon Renee TaylorCat DeBinderDavid A. DickinsonJeremy JohnsonMCSN Brandon Williams-Church

Managing Editor MC2 Nathan PardeNSAB Editor MC2 John HamiltonWRNMMC Editor Bernard LittleWalter Reed National Military Medical CenterOffice of Media Relations 301-295-5727

Fleet And Family Support Center 301-319-4087WRNMMC OmbudsmanJulie Bondar 443-854-5167

NSAB OmbudsmanJojo Lim Hector 703-901-6730

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 Health Sci-ences page:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Uni-formed-Services-University-of-the-Health-Sciences/96338890888?fref=ts

Café 8901 Express OpensCafé 8901 Express is now open in Building 9 be-

neath the twin escalators near the outpatient phar-macy. The facility serves breakfast, lunch and din-ner, and is open with late night meal service from6:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. Café 8901 in front of the Tow-er (Building 1) is open for breakfast from 6 to 10a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner from4 to 6:30 p.m. Cash and credit cards are accepted.For more information, contact Maj. Ronna Trent at301-295-6568 or [email protected].

Research and Innovation WeekResearch and Innovation Week is underway at

Walter Reed Bethesda. Today, there’s a poster exhibitand competition from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Building9 (near The Wedge); tomorrow, there will be a sym-posium from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Clark Auditorium(Building 10); and Monday, a collaborate and connectsummit will be from 8 a.m. to noon in Clark Audi-torium. All events are open to everyone. For moreinformation, call Deb Murphy at 301-295-8231, oremail [email protected].

Chapel Community LuncheonThere will be a Chapel Community Luncheon Sun-

day at 11 a.m. in the America Building ConferenceRooms on the second floor. All the Chapel communi-ties, including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish,Islam and Hindu, are invited to attend. For more in-formation, contact Chaplain (Capt.) Sergio I. Daza at301-295-1433 or at [email protected].

Volunteer Opportunities for Earth WeekNaval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) will

be observing environmental events from April 22-26 during Earth Week. Staff members are encour-aged to clean out their desks and place unwantedpapers in recycling bins to participate in “Clean OutYour Files Week.” There will be a box to turn in usedtoner cartridges in the cage area in Building 9. ABase Cleanup event is scheduled to meet Tuesdayat the Building 10 flagpole (outside the Walter ReedBethesda Quarterdeck) at 10 a.m. Gloves and trashbags will be provided. Montgomery County and En-vironmental Education Booths will be on display inBuilding 9’s Main Street and Building 62 WoundedWarrior Outpatient Lodging from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Thursday. Make a difference by participating in anyof these events! For more information, call NSABEnvironmental Programs Division at 301-295-3289or email [email protected].

Bethesda Notebook

Safe. When I initiallystarted to think of the im-portance of this word, Ithought of baseball. Safe onbase means you have arrivedand play ceases. It is OK totake a rest. Regardless ofhow well or poorly the ballwas hit, once you are safe,you are safe. You can take adeep breath, exhale slowly,shake it out and relax for amoment.

I believe chaplains, justlike baseball officials, havethe power to declare a person safe -safe to sit a spell and tell a story.

During the Easter season, one of thetraditional Christian parables sharedis the woman at the well. As the ac-count goes, Jesus met a woman collect-ing water in the heat of the day. Carry-ing water is heavy work. Most womendid this in the early morning or lateevening. This woman was there in themiddle of the day because her lifestyle(she had been married five times) didnot allow her to feel safe in the com-pany of the other women of the vil-lage. She was prepared to be ridiculedby Jesus, but instead he asked her tohelp him get a drink of water.

Jesus was able to create a safeplace for this woman to tell her story.She was so excited by this novel con-cept that she went and told all of herfriends, “Come see this prophet whoknows everything about me,” ... and isstill safe, accepting and understand-ing.

Now, when I think of safe, I some-times picture warriors meeting theirobjective: the enemy defeated and allteam members accounted for and safe.Later, under the watchful oversight ofarmed comrades, these warriors usu-ally sleep very well.

How does a true combat veteran du-plicate that feeling when thousands ofmiles and a lifetime separated fromthe field of combat? It is especially dif-ficult if we have left comrades, or ourown health and wholeness on the fieldof battle. Will we ever feel safe again?

Can we ever sleep well? Isthere any rest for the war-rior? Why can’t we rest?

War for some can be“addictive.” There is anadrenaline rush generatedin combat that cannot beduplicated. Some of ouryoung warriors may getinvolved in risky behaviorin an attempt to duplicatethis rush. Fast company,cars and motorcycles gen-erate adrenaline, but somecan never recreate the ex-

perience of combat. You just can’t gofast enough - but some of us are will-ing to self destruct trying.Addiction tothe rush is not the only problem thatwarriors face.War leaves wounds, vis-ible and invisible. Wounds cause pain.Pain can separate us from our lovedones. Pain can rob us of our sleep, ourpeace and our safety.

Every wound, every pain, everyrush addiction comes with a story. Theproblem is, like the woman at the well,the stories are sometimes difficult,even ugly.We do not want to tell themto our spouses, our children, our par-ents. We are fearful they will deepenthe divide between us and our commu-nity.Why should we be concerned withthese stories? Who do we tell them?

Through the telling of these stories,we process past experiences. We com-municate values and conflicts thatarise from these experiences. Some-times we change a value or a percep-tion of the experience in a way thathelps us to better accept what hashappened. Perhaps, if we discover asafe place to tell these stories, we canfeel safe having lived them.Your chap-lain, priest, or clergy person is a safeplace to tell the story. Life is a story.We all need a safe place to tell it.

Robert PowersChaplain (Colonel),United States ArmyDepartment Chief, Pastoral CareWalter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center

Chaplain’s Corner

By MassCommunication

Specialist 2nd ClassNathan Parde

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

The Navy introduceda new campaign thismonth called “KeepWhat You’ve Earned” inhonor of National Alco-hol Awareness Month.Dorice Favorite, di-

rector of the Navy Al-cohol and Drug AbusePrevention (NADAP)program, said Sailorsface many causes ofstress during their mili-tary service and mayturn to alcohol to dealwith that stress.“From boot camp, to

advancement exams,job training and deploy-ments, the ‘Keep WhatYou’ve Earned’ cam-paign recognizes thesechallenges and encour-ages Sailors to drinkresponsibly to maintaintheir successful ca-reers,” said Favorite.Another effort to in-

crease alcohol aware-ness, the Navy’s “Right

Spirit” campaign wasstarted in 1996 to im-prove the quality of lifefor Sailors and theirfamilies and ensurea safe and productivework environment. Itintroduced an alcoholabuse prevention pro-gram, the ‘0-0-1-3 Pro-gram,’ to discouragebinge drinking and pro-mote responsible alco-hol use. The “KeepWhatYou Have Earned” cam-paign is an extension ofthat program.0-0-1-3 stands for:

0 underage drinkingoffenses, 0 drinkingand driving incidents(DUI’s), 1 drink perhour, and 3 drinks perevening, said Master-At-Arms 1st ClassChristopher Varga, Na-val Support ActivityBethesda’s (NSAB) drugand alcohol program ad-visor (DAPA).“Drink only what you

can handle,” said Varga.“That’s part of being re-sponsible. If you knowthat only one or twodrinks affect you more,you may need to stick tothat. Allow time in be-tween drinks, and don’t

binge drink.”To ensure that people

come into work ready towork and do so safely,the Navy and NSABare currently introduc-ing alcohol detectiondevices to the fleet, saidVarga.“Basically, this de-

vice is to deter peoplefrom alcohol abuse,” hesaid. “It is a compact de-vice that comes with amouthpiece. The Sailor

will blow into the deviceutilizing the mouth-piece and the device willdetect if the person hasan amount of alcohol intheir system, but notnecessarily the blood al-cohol content.”Standard operating

procedures have al-ready been establishedand distributed with the

device, which is expect-ed to be introduced onthe installation startingApril 18, said Varga.“It will be randomly

administered, similarto the current urinaly-sis program,” he added.“The details of the pro-gram were left open forcommand interpreta-tion and are still being

worked out.”For any service mem-

ber who has an alcoholdependency, there aremany resources avail-able to them.“There are numerous

places that offer help,”said Varga. “You cantalk with the chaplain,or your medical physi-cian. One of the greatesttools and assets that youhave is the commandDAPA. Walter Reed Na-tional Medical Centeralso has a commandDAPA, as well as thetenant commands andUSU (The UniformedServices University ofthe Health Sciences).Any one of these peoplecan be a great help andget you pointed in theright direction. It’s bet-ter to go that route thanto have an incident hap-pen and be forced to go.”For information on

the “Keep What You’veEarned” campaign andthe alcohol detection de-vices, visit the NADAPwebsite at www.nadap.navy.mil.

The Journal Thursday, April 18, 2013 3

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Julie Matyascik

Charlie Ross, Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program counselor,and Jennifer Dolehite, U.S. Fleet Forces Alcohol and Drug ControlOfficer, demonstrate how to use the alcohol detection device dur-ing a Drug and Alcohol Program Advisor/Urinalysis Program Coor-dinator forum at Naval Station Norfolk.

Navy’s ‘Keep What You’ve Earned’ Campaign Promotes Responsible Drinking

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By Bernard S. LittleWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Senior leadership at Walter ReedBethesda reached out to staff dur-ing town hall meetings on April 9,informing employees of resourcesavailable to assist them during timesof stress and crisis. Additional townhalls are scheduled for today at 7:30p.m., and Tuesday at noon and 7:30p.m. in Memorial Auditorium.With potential civilian furloughs

looming, the recent integration, andparking challenges, Walter ReedBethesda leaders encouraged staffto seek safe and effective ways tohandle situations that can causeanxiety.“We’re all in this together …

taking care of patients and takingcare of each other,” said Rear Adm.(Dr.) Alton L. Stocks, Walter ReedNational Military Medical Center

(WRNMMC) commander. “We’vebeen given a really big job,” he add-ed, explaining the integration of theformer Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter and National Naval Medi-cal Center to form WRNMMC, thenation’s largest military medicalcenter. “We’re all here now, and thatchange in itself and what we’ve beenasked to do, is massive and has beendone very well, but we would be fool-ish not to recognize the stress, evenwith the successes, that [this] placeson us.”The admiral encouraged staff to

seek healthy outlets for their stress,and solicited ideas for coping withstress management.Lt. Col. (Dr.) Scott Moran, an

Army psychiatrist and assistantdeputy commander for behavioralhealth at WRNMMC said despitethe frustrations people may be ex-

Photo by Bernard S. Little

Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Brett Schneider, head of behavioral health atWalter Reed Bethesda, discusses strategies for resiliency and suicideprevention while his words are translated into sign language, includ-ing that from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “con-nectedness,” which supports healthy interpersonal relationships andencourages communities to care about their members.

Leaders Urge Staff to Seek Support During Stressful TimesWRNMMC Town Hall Focuses onResiliency/Suicide Awareness

See STRESS page 10

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By Sarah MarshallWRNMMC Journal

staff writer

Several Walter ReedBethesda woundedwarriors suited upwith pads, helmets andgloves, as they learnedthe ins and outs ofadaptive lacrosse dur-ing a clinic April 11.

The newly estab-lished adaptive lacrosseclinic, is one of manyadaptive sports clin-ics recently organizedby the Military Adap-tive Sports Program(MASP) at Walter ReedNational Military Medi-cal Center (WRNMMC).

Engaging wounded,ill and injured servicemembers, MASP offersvarious recreational ac-tivities year-round tohelp improve physicaland mental quality oflife, explained AmandaKelly, Adaptive SportsSite Coordinator.

“Mentally and emo-

tionally, service mem-bers benefit from thecamaraderie and sup-port of a team environ-ment and participationallows them to focus oncontributing to a team’ssuccess,” Kelly said.

Under the Office ofthe Secretary of De-fense, MASP is gearedtoward service mem-bers who are fartheralong in their treat-ment, and/or in transi-tion out of treatment,she explained. MASPis open to all wounded,ill and injured servicemembers who havebeen medically clearedto participate, as wellas their family mem-bers. MASP offers vari-ous adaptive sportsclinics, such as rowing,cycling, running andswimming, in addi-tion to training servicemembers for triathlonsand the annual WarriorGames.

Kelly noted the ben-efits of adaptive sports,

such as lower bloodpressure, weight man-agement and enhancingthe rehabilitative pro-cess. The recreationalactivities can also miti-gate negative behav-iors, she said, such aspoor dietary habits,drinking alcohol in ex-cess or abusing drugs.

“Participation in ath-

letic reconditioning ac-tivities can help curtailthese potential pitfalls,”Kelly said.

Retired Navy gun-ners mate Paul Hurley,who participated in arecent MASP indoorrowing clinic, said theadaptive sports pro-gram provides opportu-nities to participate in

cardiovascular activi-ties while having fun.

During the rowingclinic, on April 3, sev-eral indoor rowing ma-chines lined the insideof Building 226, locatedin the north east cor-ner of the base near theBlood Bank. As energiz-ing music played in thebackground, attendeeswere taught the propertechniques of rowing.Volunteers with yearsof rowing experienceassisted the group, in-cluding Esther Lofgren,who won gold in rowingat the 2012 OlympicGames.

Indoor rowing is afirst for Hurley, thoughthe former petty officersaid he enjoyed the to-tal body workout.

Hurley retired fromthe Navy in 2009 af-ter he was injured ona mobile security mis-sion in Bahrain. A hit-and-run accident lefthim in a coma for ninedays, and without his

right leg. Up until hisinjury, he was trainingfor a 50-mile race, andenjoyed swimming longdistances.

“I was missing that.I was looking for somesort of cardio, some-thing that gave me thatsame enjoyment,” Hur-ley said.

Adaptive sports arefilling that gap for him,while aiding in his re-covery, he added.

“It’s a good stress re-liever, and it just helpsyou find your bearings.I always feel a lot bet-ter after working out.Plus, the people who goare all generally goodpeople. They’re reallyfun to hang out with,”he said. “It makes youfeel better about your-self.”

Army Sgt. SeanKarpf expressed simi-lar sentiments. Hewas among the manywounded warriors at


Photos by Sarah Marshall

Wounded warriors gather around RyanBaker, founder of an adaptive wheelchair la-crosse organization, as he demonstrates theadaptive sport during a Lacrosse Clinic April11 at Walter Reed Bethesda.

Adaptive Sports Boost Wounded Warriors’ Confidence

See SPORTS page 9

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staff writer

Medical LaboratoryProfessionals Week be-gins Monday, and thisyear’s theme is “Labo-ratory ProfessionalsGet Results.” At WalterReed National Mili-tary Medical Center(WRNMMC), the Na-tion’s Medical Center,those results includemore than 3,000,000reportable tests per-formed by lab profes-sionals annually, ac-cording to Navy Capt.Larry R. Ciolorito, labo-ratory manager.Navy Lt. Ephraim

Escobar, laboratory offi-cer, credits the behind-the-scenes work of themore than 350-memberlaboratory and pathol-ogy staff with gettingthose results and help-ingWRNMMC continueto be recognized as oneof the top medical cen-ters in the world for pa-tient care, research andeducation. The staff in-cludes nearly 200 civil-ians, more than 50 of-ficers and roughly 120enlisted members of theArmy and Navy.The labs have “stellar

performers,” accordingto Escobar, and MedicalLaboratory Profession-als Week “recognizes[them] and celebrates[their] hard work anddedication.”Some of the work lab-

oratory professionals atWRNMMC perform in-cludes complete bloodcount, urinalysis, coag-ulation, cultures, flowcytometry (identifyingleukemia/ lymphomacells), semen analysis,chemistry, serology,blood bank, transfusionservices, and more.WRNMMC lab pro-

fessionals, such as Spc.Rachel A. Neitzke, LeeEvans, Ethny Obas, Na-kita Glorioso and Trac-ey Johnson agree themost rewarding aspectof their jobs is knowingwhat they do can helpsave lives.Johnson, as a health

technician in Client

Services, is responsiblefor receiving, organiz-ing and maintainingand processing of clini-cal specimens for mul-tiple labs. “She is the‘face of the lab,’” Es-cobar said. “She takespart in many roles, fromdrawing patient blood,

receiving samples fromover 40 outlying clinicsand shipping samplesto over 10 referencelaboratories. She’s anintegral part of the lab-oratory that has a fastpace environment.”Johnson explained

team work, planning,

consistency and effi-ciency are necessaryto providing qualitypatient care, and those

qualities are found inthe lab staff. “They areexcellent team playerswho possess friendly

and pleasant attitudes,”she said.Hospital Corpsman

2nd Class Justin Har-ris, a certified medicallaboratory technician,explained that beingable to treat wound-ed warriors and theirfamilies motivates himdaily. “After being de-ployed to Afghanistanand working in a com-bat hospital, I was ableto see the fruits of mylabor. I left my deploy-ment with a new pro-spective on life.”Medical Laboratory

Professionals Weekoriginated in 1975 asNational Medical Labo-ratory Week under theauspices of the Ameri-can Society for MedicalTechnology, now calledthe American Societyfor Clinical LaboratoryScience. In the fall of2005, National Medi-cal Laboratory Weekwas changed to Na-tional Medical Labo-ratory ProfessionalsWeek to emphasize theperson whose expertiseis needed in the per-formance of laboratorytesting.There are approxi-

mately 300,000 prac-titioners of clinicallaboratory science inthe United States, ac-cording to the Ameri-can Society for Clini-cal Laboratory Science.Since the developmentof this career group inthe 1920s, ASCLS of-ficials say the clinicallaboratory professionalhas played an increas-ingly vital role in thediagnosis and preven-tion of disease and hasbecome a key memberof the health care team.


Photos by Bernard S. Little

Ethny Obas performs blood chemistry test-ing, measuring the level of substances in theblood (such as electrolytes). It serves as anaid to the physician about the general healthcondition of the patients, help look for cer-tain problems, and finds out whether treat-ment for a specific problem is working.

Lab staff membersperform manual dif-ferential. The blooddifferential test mea-sures the percentageof each type of whitecells in the blood, andalso reveals if thereare any abnormal orimmature cells.

Hospitalman Recruit Nicholas Ramos drawsblood specimens for the lab at Walter ReedBethesda.

Laboratory Professionals Get Results

By MassCommunication

Specialist 2nd ClassJohn K. Hamilton

NSAB Public Affairsstaff writer

Naval Support Activ-ity Bethesda’s (NSAB)Morale, Welfare andRecreation (MWR) ispulling out all the stopsthis year to offer aspring sports programcomplete with: a slowpitch softball league,racquetball tourna-ment, kick ball, badmit-ting, indoor soccer, wal-leyball tournament anda dodge ball tournamentdesigned for everyoneattached to the instal-lation.“The purpose of the

NSAB MWR Recre-ation Division SportsPrograms is to promotecamaraderie through-out the military mem-

bers, civilians, familymembers and retireesassigned to or attachedto NSAB,” said DwightJackson, intramuralsports coordinator atNSAB MWR.Personnel interested

in the spring sports pro-grams, can use it as anopportunity to relieve abit of stress from theirhectic work week.“One of the benefits

of participating, in notjust the Spring SportsProgram but all of ourprograms in general, isto allow our members torelease all of the worriesof jobs, family, or justlife in general for a fewmoments,” said Jack-son. “Our programs, al-though fun, are compet-itive and well-designedwith them in mind. Ourprograms are just likethe lotto ‘you have toplay to win.’”Slow pitch softball

begins the season withsign ups that startedMarch 31 to continueuntil May 10. Softball isslated to begin May 16.All games are playedTuesdays and Thurs-days starting at 5:30p.m. The field of playwill be Forrest Glen An-nex.Signing up to be on

a team for the springsports season is easy.Allyou have to do is contactthe MWR sports officeand one of the coordina-tors will point you in theright direction.“Any unit assigned to

or attached to NSAB orWalter Reed NationalMilitary Medical Centercan contact the sportsoffice via phone or emailfor all the ins and outsof putting a team in ourleagues.Any individual can

also contact us andwe will place them on

a team for our leagueplay,” said Jackson.“When you notify yoursports team: Tim Da-vis, sports manager;Brenda Hardaway, var-sity sport coordinator orJack Jackson, intramu-ral sports coordinator,we give you the currentLOI (letter of instruc-tions) of the sport, whenit starts, local rules,team limitations, etc.Basically, your sportsare our business! Be-tween the three of usyou have over a total of57 years of sports expe-rience.”Travis Keefer, a team

captain of one of thespring softball teams,said he loves the springsports season. “What Ilike most is that we ac-tually get to play,” saidKeefer. “It’s a fun crowdand everyone seems to

By David A.Dickinson

WRNMMC Journalstaff writer

Patients and staffhustle between clinicsat Walter Reed Bethes-da, going to and com-ing from appointments.Now, there’s a wall inthe medical center of-fering a brief history ofthe facility.The Walter Reed

Bethesda Logo Wall,located in Building 9’swest waiting area nearthe GastroenterologyClinic, illustrates theevolution of WalterReed National Mili-tary Medical Center(WRNMMC), from itstwo historic predeces-sors, the former Wal-ter Reed Army Medi-cal Center (WRAMC)and former NationalNaval Medical Center(NNMC).The symbols used on

the logo represent war,peace and medicine.Those logos, three

each from WRAMCand NNMC, can be

found on the logo wallat WRNMMC, andwere used as start-ing points for plannersin designing the newWRNMMC logo, whichbears a purple crossand the edifice of theU.S. Capitol building.The new WRNMMClogo has the prominentplace on the wall, in thecenter of the historicallogos fromWRAMC andNNMC.“The idea for the wall

came from the historycommittee,” said DawnMarvin, the depart-ment chief of StrategicCommunications “Wewanted to capture theuniting of two world-class medical centersinto one,” she explained.Retired Air Force

Master Sgt. VernonRhodes noticed thewall, a tribute to mili-tary medicine, whilewaiting on his wife dur-ing an appointment inthe medical center. “Ithought it was fasci-nating how there’s theArmy on the one sideand the Navy on theother to create the syn-

ergies in the middle tobecome Walter ReedBethesda,” Rhodes said.“The significance of

that wall is that wesaw ourselves captur-ing the history thatstarted once the twofacilities came together

fall of 2011,” Marvinadded. She explainedthe Strategic Commu-nications Departmentbegan formulating thedesign for the wall witha step back in time, re-searching old issuesof NNMC’s newspa-

per, The Journal, andWRAMC’s newspaper,Stripe, to find the medi-cal center’s logos.The symbols in the

logos show missionsimilarities, as wellas differences, Marvinexplained. The Army

symbolism includesthe helmet of Minerva(the Roman goddess ofarts, trade and the artof war) along with theArmy Medical Depart-ment colors of maroonand white. The Navy’ssymbols include boththe anchor and themooring line to signifyit’s seafaring history.“We started looking

at the older logos fromboth medical centersand saw that the coreof values was compa-rable,” said Marvin.“A shield is often

used to symbolize pro-tection of our nation byour armed forces,” Mar-vin said.She added staff, pa-

tients and their familiescan identify with thelogo of the place wherethey worked, served orreceived care. She saidthe wall’s symbols andicons will stand as signof pride and commit-ment to country, as wellas the health of our na-tion’s uniformed forceand their families.



The Walter Reed Bethesda Logo Wall, located in Building 9’s westwaiting area near the Gastroenterology Clinic, illustrates the evo-lution of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, from itstwo historic predecessors, the former Walter Reed Army MedicalCenter and former National Naval Medical Center.

Logo Wall Builds Bridge From Past to FutureCourtesy photo

MWR Bethesda Begins Spring Sports Season

See MWR page 10



staff writer

Nine candidates vyingto become the next civilianrepresentative to the Wal-ter Reed Bethesda Board ofDeputy Commanders (BOD),introduced themselves andstated their agenda during aMeet the Candidates forumon April 10 in the LaurelClark Memorial Auditorium.

The civilian representa-tive to the BOD provides thecivilian perspective to seniorleadership represented atthe board level, as well ascoordinating the civilian ofthe quarter and the civilianof the year awards process.Most importantly, the civil-ian representative to theBOD ensures issues affectingcivilians are brought beforethe board and addressed, ac-cording to Cat DeBinder, thecurrent civilian representa-tive to the BOD.

Those contending for officeinclude: Sara Berschet, Caro-lyn Craig, Sam Dimmerling,

Dr. John Moore, David Oliver,Rose Marie Pola, Robert Rob-inson, Jr., David Rohrbaughand John Wohlever.

During the forum, the can-didates stated their intentand provided a brief historyof past work assignmentsthey feel have prepared themfor their candidacy.

Candidates are currentlycampaigning for the office,with voting beginning tomor-row and continuing throughMay 2. The winner is sched-uled to be announced May 9.Civilian staff members canvote online for the candidatethey want to serve as thenext civilian representativeto the BOD at https://nnmc-webapps.capmed.mil/civrep/.

“I hope [civilian employ-ees] realize how important[they] are to the mission ofthis historical, state-of-the-art institution,” DeBindersaid. “[Civilians] are thecontinuity, corporate knowl-edge, and the only constant[entity] in this ever-changingenvironment.”

She said the civilian rep-resentative to the BOD is

“an extremely importantposition. [The person] is thevoice of all the civilians tothe Board of Deputy Com-

manders, and also the voiceof the board to the civilians.”

DeBinder said it’s been anhonor to serve in the posi-

tion, and encouraged staff tosupport the next civilian rep-resentative to the BOD thesame as they supported her.


The nine candidates vying to become the next civilian representative to the Wal-ter Reed Bethesda Board of Deputy Commanders, introduce themselves andstate their agenda during a “Meet the Candidates” forum on April 10 in the Lau-rel Clark Memorial Auditorium.

Candidates Vie To Represent Civilians on Board of Deputies

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the recent lacrosse clin-ic.

“This is fun,” he said.“To get out here anddo this, you use a lot ofcore [muscles]. I like todo the adaptive sportsbecause each one ofthem has somethingelse it works on [physi-cally].”

Karpf also regularlyparticipates in adap-tive sled hockey and iscurrently training for atriathlon. The sergeant,who lost his left leg inJune 2012 after step-ping on an improvisedexplosive device, saidhe encourages others toparticipate in the adap-tive sports program be-cause it has helped inhis recovery, both phys-ically and mentally.

During the adaptivesports clinics, servicemembers also havethe opportunity tolearn from experiencedsports professionals,who often volunteer to

help teach the servicemembers. Professionallacrosse player Ray Me-gill, who plays for theOhio Machine, as wellas Brooks Singer, a la-crosse coach at CatholicUniversity, in D.C., andRyan Baker, founder ofan adaptive wheelchairlacrosse organization,were among the volun-teers leading the recentlacrosse clinic.

Paralyzed from thewaist down, Bakersaid it was a privi-lege to work with thewounded warriors - afirst for him. He said,“It’s something else tobe able to share [our

knowledge] with thisgroup, considering ev-erything they’ve beenthrough, what they’vedone for our country,for us.”

This month, severalclinics will be held,including a cyclingclinic April 23, a run-ning clinic April 24,and a swimming clinicApril 25. In May, MASPhopes to plan anotherlacrosse clinic, as wellas a self defense clinic.For more informationabout the program,contact Amanda Kellyat [email protected], or visit war-riorcare.dodlive.mil.

SPORTSContinued from 5

Photo by Sarah Marshall

Wounded warriors, staff and volunteers par-ticipate in a recent indoor rowing clinic.

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periencing, staff mem-bers should feel goodabout what they do ev-ery day at the Nation’sMedical Center — sav-ing lives daily, deliver-ing world-class care tothe nation’s heroes andtheir families, and sup-porting those missions.

Army Spc. CoreyGarmon, injured by animprovised explosivedevice (IED) in Af-ghanistan in July 2012,personally thanked theWalter Reed Bethesdastaff for the care he re-ceived here followinghis injury. In a videoshowed at the townhalls, Garmon, who lostboth of his legs and suf-fered other life-threat-ening injuries in theIED attack, said, “Thecare I got was incredi-ble. I was priority [and]I felt like that.

“[The staff] fought[for me]. It was prettyintense.They helped me

with everyday things.”Garmon, who is now

back to driving again,added, “I would liketo thank the staff atWalter Reed Bethesdafor helping me in everyway, for getting me towhere I am and whereI’m going to go.”

Helping to save andheal wounded warriorssuch as Garmon, is whystaff members come toWRNMMC every day,added Army Lt. Col.(Dr.) Brett Schneider,head of behavioralhealth at Walter ReedBethesda. He also saidmounting frustrations,either on the job orat home, without theproper means for re-lease, can pose danger.

“The CDC [Centersfor Disease Controland Prevention] hasacknowledged suicideas one of the leadingpublic health crisis inAmerica,” Schneidersaid, adding there are38,000 suicides a year,and a half million vis-its to U.S. hospitalemergency depart-ments for self-inflicted

injuries.Schneider explained

the CDC’s strategy totackle suicide involves“connectedness,” whichsupports healthy inter-personal relationshipsand encourages com-munities to care abouttheir members. On thejob, Schneider said thismeans staff membersknowing each other,managers knowingtheir employees, andcaring for one another.

Chaplain (Col.) Rob-ert Powers, WRNMMCcommand chaplain,agreed community, aswell as faith, art, na-ture and meaningfulwork, are important inhandling stress.

“I see miracles in thisplace every day,” Pow-ers said of WRNMMC.“We do meaningfulwork,” and every staffmember contributesto that work, said thechaplain. “You’re a partof the team that hasthe power to changelives.”

Powers said there’salso a “robust” teamof chaplains at

WRNMMC for peopleto tell their stories,share their frustra-tions, and confide in24 hours a day, sevendays a week. They canbe reached at 301-295-1510 during the nor-mal duty day, and afterhours or on weekendsand holidays, throughthe Command Duty Of-ficer desk at 301-295-4611 (option 3).

“It ’s a sign ofstrength to ask forhelp,” Powers said.

Col. Ramona Fiorey,WRNMMC chief of staff,went on to remind staffwhat they do matters.“The leadership caresabout you,” she added.“There’s no way we canaccomplish our missionwithout all of us.”

Showing support forstaff, a burn-out pre-vention presentationis scheduled for April24 from noon to 1 p.m.in the Heroes Zone ofBuilding 5, third floor,in rooms 3007/3008.Seating is limited to30 people on a first-come-first-serve basis.WRNMMC’s Resiliency

Service is presentingthe program, and thoseunable to attend canrequest a group pre-sentation by contactingMichael C. Marquetteat [email protected] or fallon.m . m i t c h e l l . m i l @health.mil, or calling301-400-1972 or 301-400-1965.

The Employee Assis-tance Program (EAP)is also available forstaff, offering confi-dential problem iden-tification/assessmentservices for civilianemployees and theirfamilies. For more in-formation about EAP,contact Amanda Ma-her at 301-400-0077 [email protected].

Town hall attendeeswere also provided in-formation about the24/7 National SuicidePrevention Lifeline,which can be reachedat 1-800-273-8255(TALK). Pressing 1from the number willconnect the caller withthe Military CrisisLine.

STRESSContinued from 4

have a great time.“A lot of facilities don’t

have such programsor they’ve been tossedaside in favor of budgetcuts or lack of interest,he added. “Luckily westill have ours here andit’s not only enjoyed, it’salso integral in buildingmorale and working onthat cohesive founda-tion in the workplace.Our team originatesin the Ophthalmol-ogy Clinic, but we’ve gotplayers from all over thehospital [including] doc-tors, residents, corps-men, technicians, ITpeople, etc. Basically, ifyou want to play you’rewelcome to come out!Plus it’s great exercise.

For more informationor for how to sign up forthe spring sports sea-son, contact the MWRsports office at 301-295-0031.

MWRContinued from 7

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