The Army’s Post-Deployment Health Reassessment, PDHRA, is critical to the well-being of Soldiers and DA Civilians returning home from combat. And believe it or not, the PDHRA is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month. To discusses the PDHRA and its five years of success, we have a guest blog post from COL Sophia Tillman-Ortiz the Army’s PDHRA executive officer.
For the last five years, the U.S. Army Post-Deployment Health Reassessment has offered post-deployed Soldiers and DA Civilians the opportunity to take a closer look at their health. Having led this program for the last two years, I have witnessed how the PDHRA has directly impacted lives. Now, I am proud to say that this June we celebrate our fifth Anniversary, and look forward to continuing our mission of serving our Soldiers. With 600,000 screened to date, we continue to spread the word about how the PDHRA supports Soldiers and DA Civilians, because identifying issues and opening doors to care can dramatically improve lives, families and futures.
We’ve all been told to brush off the ache in our knee or to not worry about another sleepless night, but science tells us that these could be symptoms rather than just an isolated ailment. The only way to know is to talk it over with a health care provider. It is for this reason that I call our Soldiers’ attention to this program, particularly if they are in the 90-180 day post-deployment window. It isn’t just a check in the box. Speaking with the health care provider is an opportunity to gain piece-of-mind that concerns are being addressed in a timely manner.
Therefore, I ask you or your loved one to take a stance and make sure that all redeployed Soldiers take the PDHRA. A few clicks and a conversation could be the opportunity that ensures a Soldier doesn’t slip through the cracks.
To learn more about the PDHRA please go to www.armyg1.army.mil/HR/pdhra or search “PDHRA” on Army Knowledge Online (AKO) at https://www.us.army.mil.
