The Naples Council on World Affairs invites you to a special program discussing the impact that many of our foreign policy decisions have made on the men and women we send to war. How are we healing these wounded warriors when they come home to us with injuries that are “new” in terms of healing and the frequency of occurrence? Recognition of post-traumatic stress disorder, “PTSD”, and traumatic brain injuries, “TBI”, produce a challenge for our clinicians while inspiring on-going research to achieve healing.

We are proud to present a line-up of speakers that will tell you what IS being done for our combat heroes to ease their re-entry and improve the impact their injuries have on their families.

Join us to hear about “The Home Base Program”: Partnered by the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital, and the “Paws for Patriots” program at Southeastern Guide Dogs.

The program was held at St. John the Evangelist’s Kiney Hall, 625 111th St. on Monday, March 14th, at 2 pm.


THE NEED: IMPACTS OF THE INVISIBLE WOUNDS OF WAR

General Fred Franks (ret.)

During his active Army service, General Franks, [a Naples resident], commanded Armored Cavalry units at platoon, troop, squadron, and regimental levels in the 11th and 3d Armored Cavalry Regiments in periods from early 1960 to 1984. General Franks served in combat in Vietnam as S-3, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment from August 1969 until being medically evacuated to Valley Forge General Hospital in May 1970 after being wounded in action in Cambodia. After having his leg amputated below the knee and rehabilitation at Valley Forge General Hospital, he was permitted to remain on active duty and returned to active service in early 1972. Later, in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, then Lieutenant General Franks commanded the 146,000 US and British forces of VII Corps that attacked over 250 kilometers in 89 hours and as part of the Coalition that liberated Kuwait in February 1991. Among his numerous civilian and military awards, General Franks received four awards for valor and two Purple Hearts.

THE HOME BASE PROGRAM: OUR HISTORY, MISSION AND GOALS

Michael Allard, Home Base Chief Operating Officer

Michael’s background spans the not-for-profit, government and for-profit sectors, where he has served as Director of Development at MGH, Chief of Staff for the Partners HealthCare Development office; Chief of Operations and Government Liaison for the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance (MHSA), a state-wide homeless advocacy organization; legislative aide to a Massachusetts State Senator; and corporate human resources employee at Prudential Insurance for several years. Michael is a graduate of Northeastern University’s political science program under the School of Liberal Arts.

TREATMENT AND RESEARCH: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY AND COMBAT STRESS

Dr. Mark Pollack, Chief Medical Officer, Home Base Program

Mark H. Pollack, MD, serves as director of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders at Massachusetts General Hospital and is a professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He received his M.D. from New Jersey Medical School, and completed residency and fellowship training in psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital. His clinical and research focus includes treatment of patients with anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorders and associated complications; development of new drugs for treatment of mood and anxiety disorders; and treatment of substance abuse. He has published over 300 articles, reviews and chapters; lectures widely on the national and international stage; and serves on numerous editorial and advisory boards, including the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Institute of the Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Anxiety Disorders Association of America.



Southeastern Guide Dogs breeds, raises and trains guide dogs, and places them with people who are visually impaired through its Paws for Independence and Paws for Patriots programs. As a result of the growing number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the Paws for Patriots program has recently been expanded to train and place veteran assistance dogs with veterans affected by PTSD.

These dogs and the veterans they serve receive specialized training and a lifetime of follow-up support as needed – all at no charge to the veterans. Southeastern’s Paws for Patriots program also provides facility therapy dogs to military hospitals such as the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.

Sam Agro; Certified Guide Dog Training Instructor

Sam has worked as a training instructor for 12 years and began working with Southeastern Guide Dogs three years ago. He came to Palmetto, Florida, to work with Southeastern because he was impressed with the strategic direction of the school and wanted to help them start the veteran assistance dog component of its Paws for Patriots program from the ground up. He is, “honored to have the opportunity to help veterans overcome the challenges they face living with PTSD and to do this as a way of thanking veterans for their service and commitment to this great country”.





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