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Show I Second Front THE SAMPLER Friday, Oct. 10, 1980 : vi 6 MgtsksGs Dim . by SP5 Dave Pinnick (Editor s note: In the last issue of the Sampler, the topic of cabin fever, or the Syndrome was defined and ten basic Dugway or causes discussed. In this, the second ofproblems a multi-par- t senes exploring the various causes, problems and some possible solutions, we are the issue covering of cabin fever in the billets, and how it affects the military that live there. .To backtrack a little, a definition of cabin fever discussed in the last issue was a state of mind caused by various social and economic conditions that make the person feel trapped at home or the barracks, or just Dugway, in general. While the basic problems may exist for those in the barracks and in housing or BOQ, this article will concentrate on conditions faced by soldiers in the billets, specifically caused or aggravated by their location and environment.) Anyone who has been in the Armed Forces has probably spent some time in a barracks or situation and the basic lifestyle is still the same: A group of people residing in extremely close proximity with little or no privacy either at. work or in the barracks. This can lead to friction and problems, but not always. Why is Dugway different? Is Dupvay life really that varied from any other post with respect to Cabin Fever? What are the factors that make barracks life so difficult? What can be done to identify the problems and leam to cope with or solve them? To identify the problems and seek possible solutions to them, the soldiers themselves, as well as command ' and company- - level leaders were questioned. 'Then, human resources and other groups involved with" soldiers and their quality of . : soldiers here, that were aware of the Aberdeen problem; understood the reasons behind thb Dugway policy, but still felt they were being punished for things on other posts that were not their fault. 2. Isolation in the billets - Several soldiers felt they were the last to know when activities, trips, and special events were open to troops; that they werent being kept informed. That everyone else knew about things before they did. The troops are always the last to know, and we- always find out too late to get into things, liar-rac- ks life, were checked out. In all, 28 soldiers living in Ware Barracks were interviewed. Several of the soldiers interviewed identified two basic problems as significant factors: No. 1. Lack of privacy - Several soldiers felt they had no privacy in the liarracks. Comments were made that its enough that Top, and the CO come through our rooms, but youve got floor sergeants, platoon sergeants, duty officers and everybody else coming through at any time, especially after duty hours, and even coming into our rooms. Comments were made about when and how health and welfare searches are conducted. One male SP4 said . . . They let the dogs run loose all over our rooms, and even if theres nothing to find, (which there usually isnt), the dog climbs all over my bed, my furniture, and my rug, shedding, maybe leaving dust and dirt all over my room and maybe germs, ticks and fleas too. And when I tell the man, fine, he has to look for illegal substances, could he at least make some attempt to keep the dog from running loose all over the place; Im told to back off and let the dog do his job. Man, thats a Jnimmer!" ALONG WITH privacy goes the visitation s, jlicy and its limitations .According to several the current policy is good, but the condition leaving the dciOr open 12 inches is a real hassel. sol-ier- Fisher said the reason behind the policy is to avoid problems similar to those encountered at Aberdeen Proving Ground. There, several rapes occurred in rooms where the 'visitation policy allowed closed doors. Once the open-doopolicy was instituted at Aberdeen, the incidence of rape decreased drastically. The TTV 12-in- ch r, 12-in- ch . one soldier even bother to listen to their problems, but told them that rules are rules and that )fas it, nothing could or would be done. THOSE ARE the problems as diets themselves. To look at the pi clinical angle we talked with Gilbert a social worker at the health clinic. According to Banks, everyone has problems, i and being in the barracks is just another factor- in the cabin fever problem, not the only reason for it. Where the true problem lies, according to him, is how the individual copes with the situation that confronts him or her. The soldiers that Mr. Banks sees from the barracks, have either voluntarily come in, or have been referred to him for evaluation. Some of the problems that Banks tries to help the person deal with are boredom and trying to cope with the Dugway environment. Persons who stay in the barracks tend to compound whatever their problems are, he continued, but although everyone has problems, those people who are coping with them in a positive manner dont lock themselves in their rooms. Usually what we see in the barracks life is that the person is very unhappy about their environment or about their job. A lot of times its because the job wasnt what they expected, its not what they like, and their way of coping is to go to their barracks room and drink, andor smoke pot, Banks stated. While this may provide temporary relief from boredom or frustration; if continued for a period of time, the person develops a dependency and hisher behavior begins to deteriorate. Then, a pattern of secondary symptoms begins to develop and causes more problems for the individual. The person begins to act out in a negative way feelings of frustration, anger, boredom and loneliness, by starting verbal or physical fights, getting drunk, stoned, high, or similar means of escape. PEOPLE IN HOUSING may have similar problems, but they also have more options and positive support systems, such as more social contacts, friends and especially a spouse or family. A person living in the barracks might still have the problems even if he or she lived in housing, but life in the barracks tends to be more confining. This reinforces whatever emotional problems the person may have, so even if the person does come out of .hisher room, heshe enters an environment of other barracks soldiers who are experiencing similar emotional problems. The people then tend to reinforce each others negativism. These soldiers tend to drink, smoke pot, or use drugs together, establishing their own cliques. This causes peer group pressure on a person in one of these groups, who might want to break out of the rut and try and change hisher way of life. Peo' ple find themselves alienated if they go against what is considered normal group behavior which further reinforces their depression. One of the major. roots of the problems that either brings a person iri to see Mr. Banks, or causes a person to be referred to him is, according to Banks, job dissatisfaction. The person is working in a job other than hisher regular MOS, or doesnt like hisher job, and this creates stress. If the per- hours a day doing something son is on a job 8-on the job, but not doing doesnt or heshe like, - com- plained. Several ideas were suggested to try and correct the problems as the soldiers in the barracks see them. A young female PVl suggested that they (the company command) let people have guests in their rooms with the same visitation1 policy except allow closed doors. She said, You cant even have a private conversation with the door open. People are always coming by and sticking their heads in and being snoopy. You cant even give your guy a simple goodnight kiss without everybody and their dog knowing about it. A MALE SP5 stated, I understand that the Army has to have their inspections and formations, but we have platoon sergeants, squad leaders and the like, and the only time we see them, is for inspections and harrassment. When they do come through the barracks, its not to help the troops, or to assist them with problems at home or work; but to make sure they arent doing something wrong. Face it,, everyone knows who the trouble- - makers are in the billets, and those who cant take care of their room, etc. Why punish those who do take care of things? If platoon and barracks sergeants took more time to know their people, and help them with problems, most problems would be stopped before they start. His suggestions to change the situation were to start treating us like, adults, were expected to work like adults; why when we come home? treat us like Have fewer people coming through the barracks after hours, and get the platoon sergeants to get to know their people, by them dropping by not to just complain about cigarette butts in the hall, but to just talk with the people find out where their heads are at; maybe have a beer or coke with the person in his room. More people are willing to open up and discuss problems and things under those conditions; and in the end, there will be fewer problems for the soldier and the platoon sergeant, because both will understand each other better. . . He continued, I would suggest more troop- - oriented activities, and to remove the clause from the open door policy. These would be a good start. steps Of the 28 people interviewed for the article, of all ranks and groups, 16 described the major problems as being: 1. no real privacy, 2. no money, .3. Isolation, and 4. a restrictive visitation policy. Four people had no complaints about visitation, but felt that there vfrak too much harrassment in the barracks by platoon sergeants, etc., for no real reason. One person felt there was no real problem' with cabin fever, and seven didnt really they were short, or werent planning1 to stay here long. Most of the group interviewed expressed frustration and anger, and complained that the chain of command from their supervisors on up, did not Briefs . . . lds - . - 12-in- ch care-anymor- . . 10 Fire Prevention Poster winners picked It wasnt easy, but the final judgment is in on the Fire Prevention Week Poster Contest. All of the rtudents at Dugway Elementary participated in the contest with the first prize winners in each of the six grades having their posters altered in the state competition in Salt Lake City. The winners are: Grade 1 - Jonathan Gilmore Grade 2 - Kristy Larson Grade 3 - B rigid Nadswomy Grade 4 - Tracy Jaster Grade 5 - Derek Andrus Grade 6 - (and overall winner) - Debbie Jacques Community Club News If you havent seen the improvements in the Community Club, you can satisfy your taste buds on some new and delicious features of the club and check them out at the same time. Monday night features family style chicken dinners, Tuesday is lasagna and spaghetti night, Wednesday features the best Mexican food north of anybodys border and of course, the increasingly popular (and now more efficient) pizza night on Thursdays. Friday are steak nights at the Community Club Dining Room and of course lunch is served daily from 11 to 1. Thanks to the resourcefulness of the patrons, several excellent additions to the main- Saloon are now evident and plans are to create an even cozier atmosphere in the near future. By the way... .whos got a good idea for a name for the main bar? If youve got one jot it down on the board near the main entrance along with your name and well let the Club Council thrash over the list to pick a winner. By popular demand, Marcus Kelley and the Free Love Band will provide a special evening of entertainment at the Club on Thurs., October 23. The ballroom opens at 9 p.m. with the music filling the hall from 9:30 to 1:30 in the morning. Admission is 2 greenbacks or 1 Susan B. Anthony per person, free for Dugway Community Club cardholders. Well see you there. Why not bring your friends and over for a pizza and stay for the dancing? - co-work- get-togeth- er Deer Hunters Ball Scheduled For Oct. 11 1 The 3rd Annual Deer Hunters Ball sponsored by NAGE Local R14-- 9 on!! Sat., Oct. 11 is the day, 9:00 p.mi. is the time. Dance to the music of. The Silver Light, a very good country and western band at the Community Club. Tickets are $2.00 ffyrh and will get you into the dance and give you a chance at the door prize. Everyone is invited. Come one and all and have a good time! anything, just sitting and swiveling, even more stress is created. STRESSES CAN LEAD to emotional problems and substance abuse, either with alcohol, pot, or other drugs. This reinforces other problems and puts the person iri deeper and more serious stress. What are some of the danger signs involved . with cabin fever or any of its roots? According to Banks, things like disruption of sleeping patterns, substance abuse or dependency, job dissatisfaction, emotional instability, irratabil-ity,.wid- e mood swings, temper outbursts, memory lapses, episodes of depression, anxiety, frustration, boredom, and stress, can mean that the person has a problem, emotional or otherwise. Although some people may feel any or all of these symptoms at one time or another, constant, or unrelenting episodes of those items named may indicate a need for some help, either from friends, family, or a professional source. These are some of the factors, symptoms and possible causes of cabin fever, in the barracks, as well as some of the ways to recognize it. In the next issue well be covering some possible solutions to problems that cause or promote cabin fever, from the clinical side as well as the command and administrative sides. Issues Hazardous Product Warning on RELY Tampons FDA The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned women to stop using Rely Tampons because of evidence that they may increase the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome, a recently recognized disease caused by a bacterium called Staphylococ- Ski program looking for ideas Interested in the Dugway Ski Program? The Community Activities Branch will again sponsor a ski program this winter. They need your output. If you have any ideas or any suggestions for this winters program call LT Endall at 2318 or Mike Riddle at 2965. Post Library hours change Beginning 1 October the Post Library hours will be as follows: Monday - Thursday: Saturday and Sunday: 1-- Thrift Shop hours 8 1-- 4 p.m. p.m. has new The Thrift Shop, located in building 5326 next to the Credit Union, is now open the 1st Saturday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m. as well as Tuesday and Thursday from 6:15 to 9:15 p.m. Consignments will be taken between 7 and 8:30 a.m. and 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. There is also a Boutique section where handiwork can be sold. Check with the manager for details. Call 2374. . . cus Auereus. Proctor and Gamble, the manufactorer of Bely, announced that it is withdrawing Rely from the market and that women can get a refund for any unused Rely Tampons they have. Women who wish to get a refund on Rely should send the tampans and the carton to: Rely, P.O. Box 85519, Cin-cinn- ai, Ohio 45202. RON DREITZLER -- CARD. & TUNE-UP- S Besides electronics, Ron is our import car specialist. Ron worked for Sun Electric Corp. training other mech- anics' in So. Calif. Before coming back to his home town. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) announced that a new CDC study showed that use of Rely may increase the risk of developing Toxic Shock Syndrome. That finding was confirmed by a study by the Utah Department of Health. The disease is characterized by sudden onset of high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, a rapid drop in blood pressure often resulting in shock, and.a sunburn-like rash and later peeling of the skin - particularly on the fingers and toes. It has occured mainly in women under thirty yean of age. Action has been taken to discontinue sale of . Spook Alley needs volunteers Community Activities and the Dugway Womens Club is sponsoring a Spook Alley for the community children on Halloween. We are looking for Directorates, offices or private organizations to help us with thfa worthwhile project. If you are interested, please call 2278 and give us your name. Frontier Night next month Start saving your money now for the 4th annual Frontier Night to be held on 7 November (times will be announced later) at the Community Club. If ypu would like to help with Frontier Night or would like more information, please call Vera at 2278. Rely Tampons at Dugway. i . jr r rt t T |