When one thinks about a military deployment, what comes to mind may be “boots on the ground.”
But with the advent of such things as remotely piloted aircraft – “drones” – the definition of deployment is changing. The Fargo-based Air National Guard squad -- dubbed the “Happy Hooligans” -- is involved in that remote mission. Along with that come concerns about the well-being of those who are living at home.
"Often times, they're supporting live, on-going missions of tracking, and sometimes, killing individuals in very far away places," said Lt. Colonel Derek Cunningham, the director of psychological health for the Air National Guard. He’s in the Pentagon. Cunningham says even though the soldiers are not technically in the theater of war, they can suffer psychological effects from the job they’re doing.
"The Air Force has recognized that," said Cunningham. "And we're trying to double our efforts to be able to do a better job at supporting that community."
Cunningham says already, the Air Force has taken steps to support those kinds of deployments.
"Our chaplains are imbedded in some of these units," said Cunningham. "Our director of psychological health in Fargo has her top secret clearance, which is required to be imbedded with that unit. They're there -- real time, with those individuals to help mitigate some of the stressors, and be a part of that team."
Cunningham says it’s a story that needs to be told. And he says the military is looking at how to better take care of those needs.