Thoughts while working out in the gym

Maj. Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard 1st AD and Fort Bliss Commanding General

Maj. Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard,
1st AD and Fort Bliss Commanding General:

Fallen MP Comrades
We are saddened by the loss of six 978th Military Police Company Soldiers in Eastern Afghanistan earlier this week. They were killed in a blast from an improvised explosive device. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, and fellow Soldiers.

The 978th MP Soldiers continue the tough fight of providing security and partnering with the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). We are proud of the 978th MPs and we are praying for them. Please keep all of our deployed Soldiers and Servicemembers in your thoughts and prayers.

Unit Highlight – 93rd MP Battalion
The 93rd Military Police Battalion is a combat support battalion commanded by LTC Richard Ball and CSM Timothy Lamb. It is comprised of the 202D, 212TH, 591ST and 978TH combat support MP Companies, the 72D Law & Order detachment, and a Headquarters Detachment. The 978th MP Company is currently serving in Afghanistan and is expected to return later this year. The battalion is associated with the 89th MP Brigade at Fort Hood, Texas.

The battalion, which reactivated at Fort Bliss in 2007 after a distinguished history dating back to 1945, provides Combatant Commanders deployable MP Companies, Military Working Dog (MWD) Teams and other specialized skill sets. Concurrently, the battalion provides policing expertise through responsive, proactive law enforcement support to Fort Bliss. We are very proud of the 93rd MP BN!

Preventable Soldier Death
You may have noticed the red lights were flashing on the Preventable Soldier Death signs last week. After going about three months without a preventable death, a Fort Bliss Soldier died last week in his off-post apartment. This is such an unfortunate loss of life and we are saddened every time we lose a member of Team Bliss.

Prescription Drug Abuse
Be aware of prescription drug abuse. The Army is now testing for prescription drugs – and all Soldiers who test positive will have their medical records reviewed to make sure the medications are prescribed and being taken properly. The most commonly abused prescription drugs are narcotics, sedatives, and stimulants. Prescription medication should not be shared with others and should not be increased or decreased in dosage without the doctor’s order to do so. Also, when taking certain drugs, alcohol should not be consumed. Make sure you check all of the instructions listed with the medication. Alcohol and drug abuse have no place in our Army because it negatively impacts on readiness and our mission. If you need help, get it! The Army Substance Abuse Program can help you. Call them at 744-1327.

Get Help!
If you are hurting, please reach out for help. It is our Fort Bliss culture to seek help when we need it. We truly believe that it is “Iron Strong” to receive help when we find ourselves in emotional, mental, or relationship distress. We must all continue to do what we can to reduce the perceived stigma that seeking behavioral health care will negatively affect a Soldier’s career. Getting help is the right thing to do!

We have several resources available here at Fort Bliss and off-post – 24 hours a day. The 24-hour Chaplain can be reached at 915-637-4265, the Team Bliss Operations Center at 915-744-1255, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or Military OneSource at 1-800-342-9647.

Build your Resilience with ‘Hunt the Good Stuff’
Our resilience theme for July is, “Hunt the Good Stuff.” By hunting for what is good, you can enhance your optimism, build positive emotions and fight our brains’ tendency to more readily notice the bad stuff in our lives. If you take a few minutes each day to find three good things that happened and then reflect on what those good things meant to you, why they were good, what you can do to enable more of the good thing or how others contributed, research shows that it leads to huge benefits. Making a habit out of Hunting the Good Stuff can lead to better health, better sleep, feelings of calm, lower depression, increased life satisfaction, improved performance and improved relationships. Start making the habit today!

Individual Aquathlon
The Team Bliss MWR Individual Aqua-thlon will be held Friday at the Replica Pool beginning at 6 a.m. The race is a Commander’s Cup event and consists of a 5K run, a 400M swim, and a final 5K run. The competition is free for all active duty and $10 for all others. Registration begins at 5 a.m. at the Replica Pool.

Well, back to the gym. I enjoyed doing PT with A Co, 1-36 IN (Spartans!) earlier this week. I look forward to conducting PT with your unit in the future.

Be combat ready, be fit, be resilient, and be Iron Strong!

Iron Soldiers – A Bias For Action!