Freedom Restoration Center helps troops get back to duty

BAGRAM AIRFIELD – “Before coming here, I was having more difficulty being myself, and reacting like I normally would to everyday situations,” said AF Senior Airman Spencer Ledyard of Seymour Johnson AF Base, N.C. Ledyard had 2 months left in Afghanistan, meaning 2 months of difficult situations, and the feeling of having lost himself. So, like more than 500 servicemembers before him, he accepted help from a place with a 97% success rate: the FRC at Bagram Airfield.

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The main mission of the FRC is to get servicemembers back to duty, said Capt. Jason Judkins. Getting people back to duty involves 2 things. The first is a series of classes on topics such as stress, anger mgt., sleeping and resiliency. Judkins said that these classes aren't designed to cure the problems of those in the center, but to provide the tools servicemembers need to deal with everyday issues. The second aspect of the center’s curriculum is relaxation. A typical day at the center always involves time for attendees to relax and have some fun. This includes games, television, or, for those in need of some affection, Timmy. Timmy is a golden Lab retriever, 1 of 2 therapy dogs currently in Afghanista,n and a coping tool for those at the center. Capt. Theresa Schillreff, OIC of outreach and prevention at the center with the 254th Medical Det, TF 62 Med, said that simply petting a dog lowers the heart rate, reducing stress. “We had one servicemember when we first got here, about March-April time frame, this really big, rugged infantry guy, just not the kind of guy you would think would do a program like this,” Judkins said. “He just had a stern look, didn’t smile. We were just like, ‘Wow, are we going to be able to help this guy out?’ By day two he was like a big teddy bear. I mean, literally; he just opened up and, by day three, he didn’t want to leave.” The same tools that helped this servicemember also helped Ledyard. With the course ending for him, he was able to look confidently ahead to his remaining 2 months, now that he has some more tools to cope with the daily challenges of life. “The primary message of the course, as I understand it, is resiliency to be achieved through the phrase, ‘I'm in control of my attitudes and emotions, and therefore I can deal with each situation, by stabilizing internal and external conflicts,’” Ledyard said.

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