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The Army chief of staff says a new training program will begin soon to help soldiers become more mentally resilient against the stress of war.\n\nGen. George W. Casey Jr. said Monday at Fort Campbell that the comprehensive soldier fitness program will focus on coping with stress, along with physical training.

Advocates for the integrated approach in the treatment of PTSD at both Ft. Hood (El Paso, Texas) and Ft. Bliss (Killeen, Texas) were convinced that the traditional methods of treating PTSD weren't long enough in duration, intense enough or comprehensive enough. A program was created that would address all aspects of PTSD and treat the whole soldier. This integrative approach treats many of the symptoms of PTSD that are not addressed through the standard mental health protocols, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. The concept eventually led to the implementation of the Ft. Bliss Restoration & Resilience Center and the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program at Ft. Hood that incorporated medical massage, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, marital/family therapy and reiki with the standard treatment protocols of cognitive-behavioral and cathartic psychotherapies and pharmacotherapy.

In Maj. Thomas Jarrett's stress management class surrounded by concrete blast walls, American troops are urged not to accept post-traumatic stress disorder as an inevitable consequence of war. Instead, Jarrett tells them to strive for "post-traumatic growth." During a 90-minute presentation entitled "Warrior Resilience and Thriving," Jarrett, a former corporate coach, offers this and other unconventional tips on how troops can stay mentally healthy once they return home. He quotes Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, Paradise Lost author John Milton and German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, among others. Walking through the crowd of young GIs in the makeshift classroom, Jarrett urges them to fight their "internal insurgents."

Some of the ideas garnered include rock climbing walls, yoga classes, Wii gaming systems, and Cross Fit training at the Wellness Center. Also in the Wellness Center, Soldiers and Families can pursue smoking cessation classes, biofeedback, and nutritional counseling. At the Cognitive Enhancement and Assistance Center, financial classes and Military Family Life Consultants are available. The Spiritual Fitness Center provides all faiths a place to gather for small group or individual meditation, Battlefield Ethics classes, and access to a chaplain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Worried about rising suicide rates and thousands of soldiers with posttraumatic stress disorder, the Army is launching the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program to help 1.1 million soldiers and their families cope more effectively with the stress of military life and combat.