Continued Support for Real Warriors

The Real Warriors Campaign, an initiative launched by Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, is in full force and will continue to be so for years, despite sequestration and any effects it may have on the Defense Department’s ability to provide funding for the program, said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Lee, reintegration and deployment health program manager with DCoE. “The focus, our mission, [and] our objectives don’t change, and it is to support military personnel and their family.” Speaking at a June 25 media roundtable, Lee said the campaign is an integral part of DOD’s overall efforts to reduce stigma associated with psychological health issues while also promoting resiliency. Lt. Col. Philip Holcombe, chief of clinical recommendations for DCoE, said there have not been any plans communicated to cut back on providers or programs that support service members in regards to psychological health, outside of the upcoming civilian furloughs. However, “time will tell,” he added, in regards to ramifications of sequestration in general for Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2014. The Real Warriors Campaign encourages service members, veterans, and their families to seek treatment for psychological health disorders, as well as create a better understanding among the public.