Early reporting saves lives Published Oct. 6, 2009 By Airman 1st Class Marissa Tucker 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Much is expected from members of the armed forces. As the one percent of the American population who make up the military service, we are expected to be the elite, but even we cannot escape the harsh reality of domestic violence. With added stresses of deployments, frequent moves and operations tempo, one can easily find them self overwhelmed by the military lifestyle. At Seymour Johnson, there are preventative programs implemented to relieve stress and catch problems before they evolve, said Jerome Ellis, the base family advocacy officer. "Many times people don't notice the warning signs before there is a big incident," said Mr. Ellis, one of five clinical psychologists in the mental health clinic here. "We have a lot of programs to get people to communicate peacefully before a situation gets out of hand." Couples communication, stress management and marriage counseling classes are just some of the programs offered by base agencies. The integrated delivery service, a coalition of all helping agencies on base, comes together to look at positive and negative behavior trends and develops programs tailored to the needs of the base population. "We have a program for nearly every kind of relationship and it's all offered for free," Mr. Ellis said. "We understand the different life styles people have, and we try to accommodate anyone who needs help." Realizing there is a problem before it gets out of hand is very important in preventing serious incidents, Mr. Ellis said. Excessive calls or texts to a partner, extreme jealousy and frequent rage are just some early warning signs. Nipping those issues in the bud and seeking help can stop one from hurting their career, and much worse, their family. "We are all human," said Tech. Sgt. Geoffrey Brooks, 4th Security Forces Squadron's non-commissioned officer in charge of police services. "We are all susceptible to stress, but learning how to control it before the situation turns violent is the key. People are going to lose their cool sometimes, but violent behavior is never the appropriate course of action. Unfortunately, some situations do become violent, and that's where we come in." The 4th SFS responds to all on-base incidents and turns over situations with alleged abuse to the member's first sergeant and the mental health clinic, where the situation is assessed and a solution is drawn. In past years, when a situation was evaluated and had not warranted a domestic violence offense, there was no further action. Mr. Ellis, however, began to notice many of the people whose situations had not been deemed domestic violence often became offenders later. He created a, now -Air Combat Command-wide, program that is mandatory for any servicemember accused of a violent incident. The program teaches anger and stress management and communication skills. Since the programs creation in 2006, out of the 150 people who attended, only 10 became offenders. While October is Domestic Violence Awareness month, abuse is a year-round problem. Reporting suspicions of abusive situations early could save a person's life. Servicemembers or dependents needing assistance with anger or stress management can call the mental health clinic at (919) 722-1883 for information about available programs. To report abuse, call the 4th SFS at (919) 722-1211.