Craziness come to FT. Hood

What follows is an email that I sent to some of the other counselors I was with at Ft. Hood. It pretty well sums up my current feelings and thoughts. I may go back in the next couple of days for another 30 days to help with traumatic incident debriefing. I have been contacted by a number of my friends inquiring about how I'm doing for which I'm feeling blessed. I feel kind of like when my van was once broken into or my car stolen: something personal has been vilated. If you happen to be reading this, thanks you too for your interest and know I feel your support of me is additive with mine for the direct and indirect victims of this sad affair at Ft. Hood. Here's the email:

Hey, folks.


I don't often listen to the news or watch tv. So, I learned about the Hood shootings when three friends called to see how I was feeling.

Nice to have such friends.

Painful to have to be reminded by something like this.

I'm both grateful not to have to be there for the aftermath, and also sad not to be there to help directly.

I feel sad and scared about this craziness, especially as it adds insult to injury, so to speak.

I'm angry too that a "mental health" person is the perpetrater, it often being hard enough in ordinary circumstances to gain credibility and trust for what we do in the military culture.

When the helper is the perpetrator the wounding seems more cruel.

I know in my head and heart that I'm not responsible for his actions and choices.

Any more than it's a reflection on Muslums or "foreigners" in our military or country, etc.

But, still, I found myself resenting the possibility that all the good work that MFLAC's are doing, have done, can do, will be wounded here as well.

I know there's a lot of powerful emotions the MFLAC's on rotation are having, lot's of triggers here to address on all levels,

It's always more traumatic to find that our safe havens are vulnerable to craziness, especially so when it's seemingly so random

and from a resource which asks for trust at the deepest on the most personal level.

Anyway, it made me think of you and of the time we were there doing our best to help the soldiers and their families heal from their deployments.

Now, I expect there are some ways that we'll find ourselves needing to do some of that ourselves as the ante has been upped there, so to speak.

So, I'm thinking of the MFLAC's there that I don't know and wanting to send them some heart energy, help to make their way as helpers. Support to find support for eachother.

They're on the front lines big time right now, hunh!?!

Anyway, it has been a friendly thing to feel like connecting with you even though it is a painful event which has prompted it.

It seems both as though it was just yesterday and a year ago that I was there with you. Funny how time and duration changes as one gets older.

My life truly is richer for the time I got to spend with you and I wish you, wish us, wish all those soldiers and their families graceful healing.

I know it's lucky that people with heart are there to serve this end.

Take care,



Gary Glenn