Servicemembers come together, promote wellness

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Rey Ramon
  • 18th Wing Public Affairs
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  In an effort to promote community health and wellness, military members and their families attended the Pink Dress, Purple Tie Gala at the Rocker NCO Club at Kadena Air Base Oct. 17. 

The gala honored victims and celebrated survivors of breast cancer and domestic violence, as well as recognized exceptional victim advocates and care providers.

"We came together as one community to raise awareness of breast cancer and domestic violence," said Capt. Sundonia Wonnum, 18th Medical Operations Squadron clinical social worker and the event's coordinator, adding that these kinds of health issues affect people all over the world every year and that Okinawa is no exception.

Though front and center at the gala, family and victim advocates stressed that the idea of community, of people helping people, should be ever present.

"There is nothing nobler than to reach out and help a family," said Mr. Wincel Tomlinson, 18th MDOS family advocacy outreach manager. "We have to reach out to one another in the community."

Mr. Tomlinson noted that providing assistance to victims and potential victims of domestic abuse can be particularly challenging, as the conditions that ultimately breed violence are often shrouded in stigma and secrecy. 

Aware of people's perceptions not only of their own circumstances, but also of the help they might receive and those who would provide it, the social workers from the 18th MDOS stand by their mission of prevention, intervention and treatment.

"We are a very professional and highly-skilled staff," said Mr. Wincel Tomlinson, 18th Medical Operations Squadron family advocacy outreach manager. "If you can't be totally open at first, take it one step at a time."

As social workers, we want to help a family, not break it up, he added.

The Mental Health clinic offers assistance to individuals and families through a wide variety of prevention programs, including anger management, marriage and family therapy, couples therapy, and individual therapy.

"We also work with kids who have parents that are separating or divorcing," said Mr. Tomlinson. "This way parents can stay involved with their children for their own security and emotional safety."

Captain Aron Potter, 18th MDOS clinical psychologist, said that the clinic promotes restrictive reporting for those who come in to see them: "We will provide them the treatment and it will not be disclosed to any other agency."

To be enrolled in the prevention program rather than the after-the-fact maltreatment program, families and individuals must take the initiative and seek help. Many people wait too long - or almost too long - to step forward: according to Capt. Potter, roughly 20 percent of the cases screened by the clinic fall into the high-risk category.

"If the family does not seek intervention, it will usually get worse," said Capt. Potter. "It will not go away on its own."