WELCOME HOME, NELLIS WARRIORS!

1. WELCOME HOME, NELLIS WARRIORS! Nellis AFB, Nevada Reintegration Program 2004

2. What Next? • Official Welcome Home • Tips for Successful Reintegration • Family Support • Life Skills • HAWC • Chapel • Table Talks • Welcome Home Gift

3. 3 R’S of REUNION RETURN READJUSTMENTREINTEGRATION Family Support Center 2-3327

4. What is Reintegration? • The PROCESS is the returning of airmen and civilians back into a stable and “normal” environment • PREPAREfamilies for the changes to their home life when the deployed airmen return. • Remember upon your return you will achieve a NEW normal • Reintegration is a SLOW process

5. Singles and Reintegration • Practical tips: • Put your house back in order • New roommate • New residence • Recognize changes in yourself and in others • Different living environment • Social circle • Assess and re-enter relationships • Friends • Family

6. Married Military Members • Expect to return home to a different spouse • For the first few weeks you are a guest in someone else’s home—act like it • Understand your children’s responses • Be gentle with your lover • Go slow

7. Single Parents and Reintegration • Custodial parent • Non-custodial parent • Strategies • Communication • Caregiver • Child • Bottom Line: Go Slow

8. Getting Back to Work • Changes in work environment • Change of work pace • Mission/duty changes • Resentment from co-workers • Added work load due to TDY • Deployment war stories • Not part of “real” mission • Staff turnover

9. Conclusion • Redeployment / reintegration…sounds easy, natural, normal • NORMAL may be quite stressful! • Be patient and go slow! • If you need assistance, ask! (chapel, unit, friends, life skills, medical personnel, family support center, etc.) Anydeployment can be a building block or a stumbling block– it’s up to everyone involved

10. FAMILY REUNION POST DEPLOYMENT LIFE SKILLS 3-3880

11. Life Skills Support Center • Variety of Deployment Locations and Experiences • Life in Danger?? • Bored out of your mind?? • Significant Events on the Home Front?? • Hard to predict how persons will react to deployments

12. Signs of Reintegration Stress • Behavioral • Cognitive • Emotional

13. Behavioral Signs • Changes in eating habits • Changes in sleeping patterns • Fatigue, lack of energy • Jumpiness • Frustrated, irritable angry • Crying spells • Avoidance of others • Increase in alcohol use • Disregard for rules, regulations, social norms

14. Cognitive Signs • Poor concentration • Difficulty making decisions • Flashbacks • Unwanted thoughts • Nightmares • Memory Problems

15. Emotional Signs • Loss of purpose or direction • Loss of trust/confidence in leaders • Quick to anger, impatience • Depression, sadness • Frustration, irritability • Worried, anxious, keyed up • Guilt, shame

16. Significant Signs of Distress • Post Traumatic Stress • Definition • Signs • Bizarre or unusual behavior • Domestic Violence • Abuse of alcohol • Thinking about suicide

17. Solutions • Take care of yourself • Mentally • Physically • Emotionally • Communicate • Develop or renew outside interests • Allow for space and time • Establish realistic expectations • Think positive thoughts • Seek help if needed

18. Resources • Chain of Command / Supervisors • Family / Friends • Life Skills Support Center (Please call 653-3880)

19. Practicing Safe Stress Health and Wellness Center (HAWC) 3-3375

20. Thoughts and Stress • ABC’s of Emotional, Behavioral and Physical Responses • A—Activating event or stressor • B—Beliefs, self-talk, thoughts -- Expectation of self, others, world -- Predictions of what will happen -- Judgment/evaluation of how good/bad • C—Consequences/responses

21. Choose How To Spend Your Time And Energy • Set priorities • Create balance in your life -- Meditative/sensual mode • Take time out -- Hobbies

22. Learn To Change Your Environment • Replace passivity with assertiveness -- Saying yes, Saying no -- Keep to the point • Talk things out • Develop significant and supportive relationships -- Seek out others with similar issues -- Support group or professional help

23. Learn To Think Helpful Thoughts • Stop and think • Translate worry into action • Rehearse mentally in preparation for situations • Stop resisting reality -- Learn to let go • Think positive -- Seek the higher power of humor • Savor the little things

24. Learn To Relax At Will • Take a simple 5 step approach • Try progressive relaxation • Do deep breathing exercises • Try breathing to a count • Use scanning relaxation • Try imagery techniques

25. Build Your Strength And Endurance • Nutrition • Get plenty of exercise and physical activity

26. COMMUNICATIONROADBLOCKS & ENHANCERS Chapel 2-2950

27. Roadblocks to Communication • High Risk Responses • Diminish self esteem • Trigger defensiveness, resistance, resentment • Can lead to dependency, withdrawal, feelings of defeat, or of inadequacy • Decrease likelihood that the other will find their own solution to their own problem • Block feelings • Reduce likelihood the other will constructively express their true feelings

28. Roadblocks to Communication • Judging • Criticizing • Name-Calling • Diagnosing • Praising Evaluatively

29. Roadblocks to Communication • Sending Solutions • Ordering • Threatening • Moralizing • Excessive Questioning (especially “Why?”) • Advising

30. Roadblocks to Communication • Avoiding the Other's Concerns • Diverting • Logical Argument • Reassuring • Roadblock #13: Telling other people they are sending roadblocks

31. Communication Enhancers • LISTEN!! • “I” MESSAGES Help you achieve what you really want: a warmer, closer relationship with another human being

32. Questions?

33. In conclusion… • Again, welcome back • Thank you for your service to your country • Table Talks follow – group near the end of your table • See FSC to sign for gift before you leave • Remember, helping agencies are only a phone call away