Wyoming National Guard: Conference preps public for troops' return

Conference preps public for troops' return

By ALLISON RUPP
Star-Tribune staff writer
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 7:48 PM MDT


The recent deployment of roughly 700 Wyoming National Guard members has affected almost every community in Wyoming.

And the guard, the Wyoming Department of Health and Eastern Wyoming College want to make sure each community is prepared for these soldiers to return home after 18 months in the Middle East.

Wyoming has a lot of veterans per capita, according to Ronda Brauburger, a veterans' advocate for the state, but the general public is not always aware of military lifestyle.

Brauburger hopes to make people more aware of what veterans need during "Wounded Warriors Wellness Workshop: Preparing Professionals to Meet the Needs of Veterans." The conference will take place Wednesday through Friday in Casper.

"We were finding that in the state -- probably nationally, but definitely in the state -- there is not enough awareness of military culture," Brauburger said. "Military reality is not civilian reality. We are trying to marry the two."

A veteran might swerve while driving if he sees a plastic bag in the road, Brauburger. That bag could have killed him in Iraq.

The conference, the first of its kind, will help people better understand post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other problems with which veterans might return, said Daniella Hamilton, specialist with the Family Assistance Center for the guard.

The guard wants professionals to recognize precursors to the disorders, and the conference will identify resources for struggling veterans.
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Conference preps public for troops return