As a Soldier I’ve both heard and uttered, “Hurry up and wait” countless times. For anyone who has been in the Army, this is not only a familiar phrase, but an annoying reality of our military culture. I was first introduced to the “hurry up and wait” frustration back when I was a little girl and my Pop Pop told me stories from his WW II days and his experiences afterward with the VA system. (Pop also told me that if I swallowed a watermelon seed it would sprout in my stomach and a vine would grow up through my nose, but I think “hurry up and wait” is more believable.)

In contemplating what to write on my first-ever blog, I keep coming back to what I want to convey to you, my peer readers:
1)The various and real stressors of an average Veteran
Hopefully this will help you better understand Troops’ day-to-day stressors that often build up and turn into the frustration, sadness, anger, or shutting down that you may see by the time the client is sitting in your office.
2)A glimpse into the military culture—both the challenges and the joys
We are not all about violence and PTSD (or any of the other stereotypes). There is so, so much more about our Troops that should be recognized and empathized in order to give them the therapeutic interventions—and hopefully personal appreciation—they deserve.

Most recently, I am experiencing the “hurry up and wait” phenomenon as it relates to my upcoming tour to Afghanistan. After much preparation to leave the comforts of my Arlington, VA apartment and travel to the combat-zone mountains of RC East (as we at the Pentagon call it) I am now being told I may be dropped from the job. Why? An equally typical and ridiculous reason: I needed another appointment on record of a 10-minute sit-down with a Physician’s Assistant to look over all my current excellent health assessments to sign a piece of paper and tell me to eat small, non-sugary meals to control my low blood sugar. Really, Army? When we all know every possible physical exam is on file, I’m in excellent health, and I’d go through the entire process again prior to deploying anyway--really?

So am I going to Afghanistan next month or not? I don’t know at this point. I thought so after hurrying through paperwork, emails, phone calls, appointments, and physical exams. But now I wait……………..

Trust me when I tell you it is not so much the “big” things that stress Soldiers out to the point they want to kill themselves. More often than not (and I am aware of the actual statistics) Soldiers who commit suicide have not had multiple deployments and/or experienced horrendous combat situations. So now that we know this, let’s focus in on understanding the day-to-day stressors that are most likely to cause our Troops anxiety or depression.

I’d like to introduce myself, I’m Natosha Monroe (pronounced normally, like the Russian spelling, “Natasha”). I am a Staff Sergeant choosing to dedicate part of my life, my love, and my endeavors to my fellow Soldiers and my fellow Americans by serving as a Mental Health Specialist in the United States Army. As a Reservist, I get to go to unique places and experience things most people only read about. I’ve seen blood and I’ve seen smiles. I’ve glided through the air in a Blackhawk helicopter and bounced over bumpy roads in an M-ATV (replacing the Hummers). I’ve experienced grateful tears from humanitarian aid missions and lies from the media covering another mission (you’ve heard of Guantanamo Bay). Since we are all here for a common purpose in counseling and so I call us friends, you can call me Natosha (pronounced normally, not “nat-OH-sha”) or even by my nick-name, Nash. I welcome you to my blog about military-related counseling topics.

**Note: I’ll most likely use some acronyms or words that may be unfamiliar to you. If it’s a military-specific word or phrase, I’ll try to provide further explanation. Otherwise, I’d suggest Google search :)