Imagine being a psychologist sitting across from your patient.

Now imagine that patient is actually hundreds of miles away.

The first-ever live Introduction to Telemental Health Delivery Workshop at the National Center for Telehealth and Technology's (T2) headquarters on Joint Base Lewis-McChord last week offered guidance to providers on offering mental health services from a distance - in this case, using videoconferencing technology.

"The (Department of Defense) is pushing for this form of care because it's a way to reach a lot of people who otherwise wouldn't get care," T2 clinical health psychologist Dr. Greg Kramer said.

Kramer was one of the all-day workshop's presenters. About 25 health care professionals from every military branch attended the training, some coming from as far away as Japan. The idea was to build a knowledge base so that clinicians can provide care even when their patient is too far to get to.

The session included information on the history of teletechnology in health care, addressed legal concerns and gave them the chance to practice videoconferencing with each other.

"It allows them to get comfortable with the technology," Kramer said.

In fact, the use of remote technology in mental health care is relatively new. Efforts to incorporate it into DOD policies and procedures increased in the late 2000s.

Since then emphasis on these programs has increased, in hopes to better serve those who live in areas where there are shortages of mental health care providers. An estimated 87 million Americans live in places where care is scarce, and up to 25 percent of servicemembers screen positive for mental health concerns, according to T2's Introduction to Telemental Health.

"This allows us to provide things like telepsychiatric appointments especially in rural and high needs areas," T2 clinical telehealth division chief Dr. Jamie Adler said.

The technology can be used in a variety of ways, from treating post-traumatic stress disorder and depression to wellness and resiliency interventions.

Of course, the new medium for care comes with some specific quirks. Participants at the workshop got a taste of technical difficulties when T2's network went down briefly during the training. Other issues had to do with clinical practice - for instance, if a patient appears to be avoiding eye contact, it's more likely that they're looking at the face on the computer screen instead of the video camera.

Many of the attendees had already begun using teletechnology to provide services to patients at off-site locations, but the rare in-person training (as opposed to online sessions) gave providers the chance to learn about and discuss technical, legal and clinical elements of providing telemental health care.

"I took some notes that I think are valid points for implementing this," Dr. Agnes Babkirk, a psychologist from U.S. Naval Hospital in Okinawa, Japan, said.

She's bringing that information back to her colleagues, who currently use teletechnology to interact with patients three or four times a week.

Dr. Daniel Christensen, the chief of Madigan's Soldier Readiness Service, had a similar experience. The service has been using teletechnology for post-deployment behavioral health screenings since March of this year. He said the training validated the practices they already had in place.

In the future, psychologists at T2 hope to offer more trainings, and expand them to reach providers at different levels (for instance, separate sessions for those considering using teletechnology, beginners and experienced clinicians).

For more information, including a Telemental Health Planning and Implementation Guide, visit t2health.org/programs-telehealth.html.

Mount Rainier National Park - Looking east on any clear Washington day from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Mount Rainier dominates the horizon.

The mountain's snow cap and jagged peaks, often enveloped in clouds, make it an imposing part of the landscape that some see as symbolic of triumph arising out of struggle.

War veterans might have a special connection to the mountain and its poetic symbolism; wounded warriors, an even stronger bond.

Camp Patriot recognized that connection in 2007, between Rainier and combat veterans who honored the nation's values by fighting for them overseas under the most trying circumstances. They welcome the challenge to overcome the odds, to prove the skeptics wrong, and to prove to themselves they still have what it takes to make it to the top of the world.

Camp Patriot is a nonprofit organization with the mission to give something back to those servicemembers who have paid for Americans' freedoms with pain and sacrifice. The camp provides veterans therapy via outdoor recreation, including fishing trips, big-game hunting, 500-mile motorcycle rides and mountain climbing excursions. Its vision is to facilitate the transition from veterans' past to their futures and expand their views of life.

Four years ago Camp Patriot sponsored the first of what has become an annual climb to Mount Rainier's 14,411-foot summit. Only 50 percent of all who attempt the climb reach the summit, laying the groundwork of the challenge for wounded warriors.

On July 9, a team of wounded warriors, Sgt. Derrick Ford, medically retired Staff Sgt. Eric Cowin and retired Master Sgt. Gil "Mag" Magallanes Jr., joined Camp Patriot to meet the challenge at the foot of Mount Rainier.

"It's critical in their rehabilitation," said Micah Clark, founder and executive director of Camp Patriot. "The idea is to stretch the imagination, to get them out there, and create that hope and light at the end of the tunnel."

Reality shifts

Eric Cowin's uphill climb began on a 130-degree day in Baghdad, June 9, 2009, with 2nd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. Fifty meters from the convoy's mission completion that day, Cowin's vehicle was attacked with an explosively formed penetrator.

"I couldn't feel my legs," he said. "I couldn't feel my whole body."

Cowin's left leg was severely injured in the blast. Remaining calm and in charge despite extraordinary pain, he took control of the situation and got his Soldiers back to base.

"I knew what was going on," he said. "It was my second deployment."

Cowin's left foot was amputated on June 17, 2009.

Derrick Ford's journey began two months later on Aug. 14, 2009, in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. His platoon in 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, was conducting route reconnaissance when his Stryker armored fighting vehicle rolled over a pressure-plate IED.

"I only recall dust being thrown everywhere and an incredible pain in my feet," Ford said.

Before he received medical attention, Ford crawled out of the top of his Stryker and attempted to secure the convoy.

Spending the next 14 months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in rehabilitation, Ford worked to save his leg. A newlywed who got married prior to the deployment, and his wife, Michelle, was expecting twins.

"After my kids were born, it was kind of a reality check," Ford said. "I just decided, cut the leg off, I'm walking before my kids do."

Ford's left leg was amputated on Oct. 9, 2009.

"I have made it my mission since I have started walking again that I would make the most of my life and everything I can to prove to myself that I am not disabled, but only wounded," he said. "I hope this climb up Mount Rainier will be another step I take of a long line of adventures in my life."

Gil "Mag" Magallanes Jr. served 21 years on active duty as a Green Beret in the Special Forces. He was guarding the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, when he was injured by friendly fire after a 2000-pound bomb was dropped on his team's position.

Magallanes suffered multiple injuries, including traumatic brain injury. After intensive therapy and hard work, he is once again competing in triathlons and exploring the great outdoors.

Battle-tested, the three teamed up with Micah Clark and Camp Patriot for the challenge of climbing Mount Rainier.

"At first it was just kind of a bucket list thing," Ford said. "I've been through airborne school, jumped out of perfectly good airplanes, dove at Guantanamo Bay. The next thing was to climb a mountain."

Step by step

The adventure began in Ashford, Wash., where team members prepared for the climb early the following morning. A support team, all members of the Special Forces community led by Staff Sgt. Edward Grondin, 1st Special Forces Group, hauled gear and supplies up the mountain.

Grondin, in his fourth year supporting the climb, not only donates his labor, but also the proceeds of his custom woodworking company to further support this mission of outdoor recreational therapy.

"I have very rarely met an organization run by people who genuinely put their entire self into it," Grondin said. "If I'm able to be here, I'll be here every year."

The group arose the next morning to sun and blue sky to begin the 4.5-mile hike up the Muir Snowfield to Camp Muir on the Cowlitz Glacier at 10,080 feet, carrying rucksacks that averaged 75-pounds up the slopes.

They navigated over snow, rocks, ice and through clouds. After nearly seven hours of climbing, the teams made it to Camp Muir, where they set up camp.

The next day was focused on summit training: four-person rope teams simulated falling down slopes and anchoring themselves to the edges of ridges. They strapped on rope harnesses, wielded ice axes, and traversing the near slopes, practicing scaling and descending.

Clouds had arrived to diminish visibility by the afternoon, and the teams went to sleep early without knowing if the weather would allow them to summit the most heavily glaciated peak in the United States.

By the evening, the weather cleared to allow the 11 p.m. push to the top. As they began, temperatures dropped to below freezing and the winds picked up. The only sounds the climbers heard over the wind was the ice axes hacking into the frozen ground.

They moved steadily upward, with the sun finally rising to reveal a whole new world above the clouds. After nearly eight hours of continuous effort, the Camp Patriot party reached the summit.

"Who needs two legs?" Ford shouted as he stepped onto the summit. "My injury doesn't stop me at all."

Ford and Cowin grabbed the Camp Patriot flag and raised it above the clouds.

New adventures

"Every day's a challenge," Cowin said. "I was happy I finally made it."

Magallanes successfully climbed to about 13,000 feet before traversing back down to Camp Muir.

Camp Patriot founder Micah Clark once again achieved his goal to create positive, life changing outdoor experiences for veterans.

"It's inspirational on so many levels," Grondin said. "It inspires me to go back to my day-to-day life and appreciate the things I do have and to continue to push myself in my own personal life."

Camp Patriot is open to military veterans from all wars and generations.

"We show them that we love them and that we're patriotic Americans," Clark said.

Cowin, Ford, and Magallanes said more adventures will follow.

Cowin plans to move to Puerto Rico to get his dive instructor certification. Ford looks forward to more scuba diving, and Magallanes finished his first 70.3-mile triathlon in 2010 and cycles as part of his therapy.

Chances to play women's basketball after college are few and far between.

So when post-grad Chloe Mosey heard about a semi-professional team forming in Lakewood, she saw it as her chance to continue her playing career.

"A lot of girls who play college ball don't get an opportunity to play unless it's a recreation or church league," the 6-foot-1 post said. "So to be on a semi-pro team is awesome."

Mosey commutes from Bremerton to Wilson Sports and Fitness Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord two nights a week to practice with the Lakewood Panthers, who are in their inaugural season of the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League.

The WBCBL is already established on the East Coast, and now women 20 and older are getting a chance to play competitively on the West Coast.

There are four other teams in the Pacific Northwest Division: Northwest Magic, Tacoma Stars, Olympia Matrix and Seattle Express. The Panthers' general manager Dave Williams turned a former women's recreational league squad into a semi-pro team.

The Panthers are gearing up for the season finale West Coast National Championship at Fort Steilacoom Pierce College on Aug. 6 and 7. Teams from Oregon, California, Nevada and Arizona will participate.

Mosey was a standout at University of Montana Western, finishing her career with more than 1,000 points and 600 rebounds in 104 games. Williams hopes the exposure of the league will help players like Mosey catch the attention of basketball scouts overseas.

"I hope it leads to an opportunity," Mosey said.

In the meantime Mosey will continue to learn and adapt to the new rules of the WBCBL. She adjusted from a 30-second shot clock in college to 24 seconds, as well as four 12-minute quarters instead of two halves. Mosey also had to get used to jumping for jump balls, instead of alternating inbound passes.

The fundamental adjustments are minor compared to the major challenge the team faces in fielding a consistent starting five. The team is mainly made up of Army officers with just two civilians.

"It's tough practice-wise without a full team," Panthers coach Alphonso Niles said. "But when they're here they give it all they've got."

Katie Fichter may be the team's co-captain, but she's a first lieutenant first. Her season with the Panthers ended prematurely because of her commitment to the military. Fichter went on leave in mid-July, followed by training until September.

"Obviously the military is our job so it has to come first, and you try to fit in basketball as much as you can," Fichter said. "It's a tough balance because work hours fluctuate so much."

Despite the challenge of fielding a team, Williams is determined to offer an opportunity to play competitive basketball to women, both military and civilian. Recently adding Niles as coach has helped the Panthers form a cohesive unit. Niles, who once played All-Army basketball, brings a wealth of experience to the team. The 6-7 coach played from 1996 to 2000 at Concordia University in Portland, Ore., where he is still No. 1 in field goals (772), rebounds (1,082), blocked shots (185) and career points (1,883 points). He went on to play overseas, so he understands each Panther's stage in her career.

The Panthers' season might conclude after the national tournament, but Williams is already thinking of 2012. After not having a home court this season and traveling to all their games, he secured a venue for next season at Curtis High School in University Place. He plans to have three rounds of try-outs in mid-August, later in the winter and one in the spring. The 2012 season starts in May.

For more information contact Williams at dwilliamsone4@msn.com.

A golf course is like a house.

It is built, maintained and welcomes numerous guests. Eagle's Pride Golf Course on Joint-Base Lewis-McChord is Mike McDonald's second home.

"I want (Eagle's Pride) to be like anybody comes to my house and walks in the front door and says, ‘This is comfortable,'" the course manager said.

For that to happen McDonald and his staff made some recent changes in his three seasons as manager.

"The course was OK when I came here," McDonald said. "It was probably not a lot of golfers' first choice."

The improvements began with the front door - the parking lot entrance. The old lot with railroad ties and no lighting gave way to a smooth, sleek parking surface with an attractive entrance sign. Beyond the entrance golfers are welcomed with a well-maintained 27-hole course open daily to the public.

Nine holes were given new tee boxes last year. Over time the boxes become uneven, but a professional company came out to laser level the surface.

A golf course architect study revealed some of the fairways in the 6,440-yard long course were too long. Forward tees were added to accommodate all levels of golfers.

"As the baby boomers, as we get older we feel like we're 30 but we can't hit that far," McDonald said. "So we've added other tees to try to attract more people. We make it a user-friendly golf course."

New irrigation drains were added to help eliminate wet spots on the greens, and a forestry department was involved to thin and remove trees that were depriving the greens of sunlight. All the work was done without taking away from the ambiance of the course.

All the physical improvements have given new life to the 73-year-old course.

Eagle's Pride opened in 1938 as an 18-hole course. Nine more holes were added in 1979 and in the mid-1990's the military course opened to the public. The driving range features natural grass hitting areas, as well as covered areas with heat and light.

McDonald did more than just a physical remodel at Eagle's Pride to attract more golfers to practice and play the course. Administrative changes made those golfers want to return.

"If you look at courses in the area like the Home Course and Chambers Bay, the competition has been elevated around us," Eagle's Pride PGA Pro Eric Bowen said. "With public access they have many choices and we want them to choose this one."

One of the first changes McDonald made as manager in 2008 was implementing an annual special. This season's special is valid Monday through Thursday and includes the greens fee, golf cart and an $8 food voucher for $35. A civilian would normally pay $47. Tee times can be reserved up to seven days in advance.

Friday through Sunday the course is normally busy with tournaments, but the extra nine holes allow golfers to still play during weekends. McDonald and Bowen have plans for other improvements to the course, including upgrading the other 18 tee boxes.

"We still have a long way to go," McDonald said. "Our goal is to eventually make this the best golf course in the Pacific Northwest where people will want to come and play."

From time to time, training areas on Joint Base Lewis-McChord might resemble the sets of war movies.

Lately, though, some look more like the sets of a reality TV series.

Actor Ricky Schroder and his production company, OLD POST Films, will be at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the next four weeks filming episodes of the proposed reality show called "Starting Strong." The program follows prospective Army recruits as they try out Military Occupational Specialties for a week, helping them decide whether or not to join.

Beyond that, though, it will help show the world what Soldiers' lives are like.

"(The best point has been) Getting to know these Soldiers and really getting to hear from the horse's mouth what they like and what they wish they could change," Schroder said.

Schroder started the series to tell Soldiers' stories, and has worked directly with the Army to produce the program. While a network hasn't picked up the series yet, the team hopes to find a buyer and have it air sometime in 2012.

Work on "Starting Strong" has been underway for the last 18 months, with nine episodes already in the can when filming started on JBLM two weeks ago. The first of the five local episodes featured the 4th Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry Regiment.

Each prospect gets a senior NCO mentor and two lower enlisted battle buddies to guide them through tasks.

Julian Chavez, 19, spent a week trying out life in the 4-6 Air Cav. He spent time in the field, helped assess and repair aircraft and was surprised at the end of the week with a visit from a former Soldier who now uses the same skills in the civilian world.

"This will definitely put in perspective what Army life is like," battle buddy Spc. Sean Shuttleworth said, though he noted that shooting a reality show can feel a bit contrived.

Chavez's favorite experiences early in the week included shooting an M-240 machine gun out of a helicopter. Watermelons were fixed behind targets for a cinematic effect when hit.

"That was exhilarating," he said.

The Army is interested in the series as a recruiting tool, since it will show those thinking about enlisting that the military can be a great place to start a career. But it's not just the prospect who benefits from the program.

"The public of our country kind of will get a taste of what we do," 4-6 Air Cav. Commander Col. Jay F. Klaus said.

On site liaison officer Tim Connelly, a retired Army colonel who acts as a technical adviser for the film crew, pointed out that most civilians don't really know what Soldiers do on a day to day basis.

"(Their support) is well-meaning and it's genuine, but not everyone can put a face on that," he said. "It's a lifestyle that I don't think they really know," he said. "The Army has a culture."

ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Retired Joint Base Lewis-McChord 1st Sgt. Chris Ward is Central Washington University's new Veterans Coordinator for Programming, Recruiting and Retention. The hiring further enhances Central's reputation as a military-friendly school, officials said.
Until recently, Ward was the senior military instructor for CWU's Army ROTC program. In his new post, he will work to encourage veterans to choose CWU when considering their options after the military.
"There's already a great, outstanding veterans program going on (at CWU), and I'm just going to help make that even better," Ward said.

The veterans coordinator will work in conjunction with the CWU Veterans Center, which oversees about 380 student veterans typically enrolled during the academic year on the Ellensburg campus, and with military personnel and veterans off-campus.
Associate Dean for Student Life Keith Champagne, who oversees the veterans coordinator position, describes the new post as an "extension of the Veterans Center," and specifies that the coordinator's primary goal of recruiting will "assist veterans with the transition from the military to the university."
In addition to his off-campus recruiting, Ward hopes to "be an advocate for all veterans on campus, since I'm a veteran myself."
Ward brings more than 20 years of military experience to this position. Originally from Woodland, Calif., Ward was an infantryman in the U.S. Army and was deployed to Haiti, Korea and Iraq during his military career.

He came to Ellensburg with his wife and two children (one of whom will be attending CWU next year) three years ago to teach CWU's Army ROTC students. He has lived in Washington for more than 10 years and was previously stationed at JBLM.

The Captain Meriwether Lewis Association of the U.S. Army Chapter was notified Tuesday evening by AUSA national that it has won the Best Chapter of the Year award, according to chapter president Carlene Joseph.

It's the first time the chapter has won the award.

"Congrats to the Captain Meriwether Lewis chapter and all of the subchapters ... you rock!," Joseph wrote in an announcement.

Keep reading The Ranger and Northwestmilitary.com for more on this story.

FT. CARSON, Colo. -- An Army environmental study says Colorado's Fort Carson is the best location for a new combat aviation brigade.

Members of Colorado's congressional delegation announced the findings Friday.

The Army concluded that it favors consolidating aircraft of up to one combat aviation brigade at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington and creating a brand new combat aviation brigade at Fort Carson outside Colorado Springs.

The stationing of a CAB at JBLM would cause traffic volume on the base to increase, a according to a report released today by the Army.  

A final decision on where to put the new brigade is expected after March 7.

If the Army picks Fort Carson, 2,700 new soldiers and 120 helicopters would begin arriving in Oct. 2012.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - More than 300 Soldiers and civilians from across the nation have gathered this week at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the Warrior Forge Planning Conference.

Operation Warrior Forge is the largest annual Army training in the United States. It is required for all Army ROTC Cadets to attend the course before becoming commissioned officers in the U.S. Army.

"Planning never stops for an event this size, but this is a single point of time where all the components can come together to understand the mission and set the conditions for the successful execution of the event in June," said Joel Manning, chief of plans for Warrior Forge.

During the 59 days of Warrior Forge, Joint Base Lewis-McChord will play host to more than 6,700 Cadets and more than 3,500 support personnel.

Cadets will begin arriving in mid-June for their 29-day training cycle, with the final Cadets leaving in early August.

They will be tested and assessed throughout their time on the ground here by vigorous physical and mental challenges that are designed to help them become future Army leaders.

"The biggest obstacle is in themselves and understanding that their fears can prevent them from performing at their best," Sgt. Maj. Gary Fortunato said. "It's our job to help them overcome that." Fortunato is a seasoned-veteran of 12 summers at Warrior Forge, spending the last six as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the water confidence course.

Maj. Gen. Mark McDonald, commanding general of U.S. Army Cadet Command, spoke Tuesday to planning conference attendees.

"We owe it to these Cadets to be a first-class organization," he said. "This is the foundation of their training. This is our opportunity to show them what ‘right' looks like."

As the start of Warrior Forge 2011 gets closer, family, friends, Cadets and cadre will be able to follow the progress of the LDAC attendees through social media. The Warrior Forge 2011 Facebook page and the Twitter feed at @warriorforge will launch in early March.

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -The Army announced last Wednesday the results of the annual Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards.  Joint Base Lewis-McChord was selected as the Army winner in the Sustainability, Non-industrial Installation category.

A total of five installations, one organization, two teams, and one individual will receive Army awards for their environmental and sustainability program achievements during fiscal 2010.  The Secretary of the Army's Environmental Awards represent the highest honor in the field of environmental science and sustainability conferred by the Army. These award winners will go on to compete for the Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards later this year.

A full list of this year's Army winners is available at http://www.army.mil/-newsreleases/2011/01/26/50872-army-announces-environmental-award-winners/ .

Additionally, JBLM has won the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 Champions of Environmental Leadership and Green Government Award in the category of waste management.

"We need to focus on managing the resources we have at our disposal," said Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Installations, Energy and Environment. "These winning nominations translate into Army best practices. We are managing cultural and natural resources appropriately; reducing, reusing, repurposing and recycling; and doing what it takes to make our Army sustainable."

Six sustainability teams are responsible for the Joint Base Lewis-McChord Installation Sustainability Program (ISP) goals in these focused areas:  Air Quality, Water Resources, Energy, Products & Materials Management, Sustainable Community, and Sustainable Training Lands. These teams facilitate and implement projects and initiatives that move JBLM toward its installation sustainability goals.

Recent JBLM accomplishments illustrate the depth and breadth of how sustainability touches the lives of JBLM personnel and supports the military training mission:

• Green Procurement and Green Procurement Team
• Environmental Management System and Environmental Operating Permits
• Waste Diversion, Recycling, Composting, Concrete/Asphalt crushing and Reuse
• Sustainable Master Plan's holistic design approach and Town Center project
• Sustainability Outreach and Partnerships
• Alternate Fuels and Transportation, and Commute Trip Reduction
• Energy Conservation via $14M energy efficiency projects
• Habitat Restoration (forests and native prairies)
• Stormwater Filtration System facility including a wetlands education center, increased habitat for wildlife species, and a training area for Soldiers

"The goals already achieved and the goals yet to be reached promise a more sustainable, livable, and mission capable installation in the coming years," said Paul Steucke, Chief, Environmental Division at JBLM.  "Because of the strength of leaders, the dedication of the Installation Sustainability Program Teams, and the support of our neighbors and community members, we anticipate continued innovation and progress in the sustainable development of Joint Base Lewis-McChord," he added.