U.S. Army Sgt. Mary Phillips, from Boone, N.C., chats with Sgt. Mathew Blum, from Grand Junction, Colo., near ancient exhibits at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, Nov. 28, 2009. The soldiers were enjoying their final day participating in the U.S. Central Command rest and recuperation pass program. Photo by Dustin Senger

“I really wanted to swim in the Persian Gulf,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Mary Phillips, from Boone, N.C., enjoying her last day participating in the U.S. Central Command rest and recuperation pass program at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Nov. 28. She did swim in the Gulf waters, during three separate occasions, along with three other soldiers from the 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team operating outside Baghdad, Iraq.

R&R leave is a long-held military tradition. Exposure to excessive combat stress is known to significantly affect mission accomplishment. While everyone deals with stress differently, continuous exposure to enemy engagement eventually takes its toll, even on the nation’s hardest warriors.

Military leaders routinely authorize subordinates reprieve from the rigors of combat in hopes of boosting unit morale, performance levels and career motivation. The goal is to accommodate absences for as many people as possible without adversely affecting the fight.

Active duty armed forces earn 30 days of paid leave every year; accrued at a tempo of two-and-half days for each month of service. Exceeding 60 days of leave over a two-year period forfeits future accumulation. If assignments to overseas contingency operations prevent the use of annual leave, as many as 90 days can be carried over into the next fiscal year.

Pass programs provide an additional respite option in war zones. They help mitigate issues crippling a unit’s combat strength enough to cause denial of lengthy leave requests, such as changes in operational commitments or increased medical and emergency leave. Due to their brevity, passes must be well organized to adequately recharge war fighters.

“R&R passes are extremely important to the mental health and wellness of soldiers in combat areas,” said Nikole Scott Conerly, Ph.D., a certified group psychotherapist from Washington, D.C. “The passes allow soldiers to focus just on themselves, in a way that going home often doesn’t. They provide an opportunity to eat, sleep and relax on a schedule that they set… at their own pace and comfort level.”

Soon after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, a fighter management pass program began in Qatar, located along the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Third Army/U.S. Army Central Area Support Group Qatar, already present in the Gulf state, initiated the program using existing facilities at Camp As Sayliyah.

The relaxation site rapidly evolved, while striving for world-class services that conformed to the installation’s temporary posture. In 2004, it became recognized as the CENTCOM rest and recuperation pass program, or RRPP. Since then, nearly 200,000 war fighters have received respite from contingency operations in Southwest Asia.

Service members deployed to authorized contingency locations in direct support of Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom may participate in the program, if their tour of duty is expected to exceed 270 days, boots on the ground. R&R pass requests are accepted after 60 days overseas. They are not charged against annual leave allotments and considered a privilege, versus an entitlement.

“Four days may not sound like a lot of time, but it’s enough for a soldier to debrief and de-stress,” said Conerly, who coordinates mental health resources at Camp As Sayliyah. “Soldiers are able to unload emotional baggage and return to their camp with more insight and strategies for managing their concerns.”

As the installation clinical psychologist, she has helped service members who felt uncomfortable talking about depression and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms at locations elsewhere.

“The R&R pass program provides soldiers with mental health and wellness resources,” said Conerly. “Reading wellness literature, utilizing the strategies for resilience and reaching out to mental health professionals helps to minimize PTSD symptoms.”

“Most recently, I spoke with a soldier from Iraq who had been traumatized by combat,” she said. “He had started to isolate himself from other soldiers in his unit. Over his four days on pass, he told me his story of how combat had made him anxious, angry and afraid… and of how he started staying away from people.”

“He suffered from PTSD,” said Conerly. “By the time that he left Camp As Sayliyah, he learned the steps needed to manage PTSD. He understood it’s an illness from everything he has encountered and help is available.”

RRPP participants travel to Qatar in combat uniforms using military flights. Once they arrive, battle gear is quickly removed. Since most service members do not deploy overseas with an abundance of civilian clothing, a donation locker contains a clean assortment of apparel. Alternatively, brand new items are readily available for purchase without leaving the installation.

After checking in at the RRPP front desk, the first move many participants make: relay news about their travels to family and friends. Loved ones readily find comfort in hearing about temporary exoduses from uncertainties. To encourage communication home, Camp As Sayliyah provides reliable phone centers, Internet terminals and even WiFi services for anyone carrying a laptop.

The 30th HBCT soldiers began day zero of their four-day pass Nov. 24. The soldiers toured the amenities, unaccustomed to the installation but excited about the change in scenery. They played miniature golf and signed up for treatments at the installation spa, which offers massages, manicures and pedicures at reasonable prices.

RRPP participants can sign up for shopping trips, beach activities and various other Qatar expeditions. The 30th HBCT soldiers attended an inland sea picnic during day one, Nov. 25. The organized off-post trip takes participants to the beach, by way of a scenic ride through soft sand dunes. A half day is spent swimming and snorkeling in the warm Gulf waters.

Afterward, the soldiers signed up for shopping at the Villagio mall in Doha, Qatar’s capital city. Stores in the Italian-themed shopping center contain popular British, Italian, German and U.S. clothing brands, as well as a gondola ride to complete the Venetian setting.

In the evening, 30th HBCT soldiers went bowling at Camp As Sayliyah, where neighboring pubs sell wine and beer, rationed to three drinks per person. The limit helps minimize alcohol-related incidences on the installation. Night life is regularly supported by touring musicians, comics, cheerleaders, sports stars and Hollywood celebrities.

Many service members visit the United Service Organization Qatar lounge to sit and relax, read books, watch movies or play networked games. USO Qatar frequently teams up with other organizations supporting the troops, such as United Through Reading and Pro vs. G.I. Joe.

Phillips said day two, Nov. 26, set a more leisurely pace compared to the previous day’s action. She slept in until 11 a.m. and then went shopping on base. The Army, Air Force Exchange System provides almost 20,000 square-feet of clothes, books, magazines, music, movies, personal hygiene and food items. An adjacent mall complex contains shops with souvenirs and jewelry.

If the camp’s award-winning Army dining facility doesn’t hit expectations, AAFES offers several well-known alternatives, such as Subway, Pizza Inn, Popeye’s and Chili’s. Additionally, AAFES screens first-run flicks inside a post theater, everyday, using professional 35-millimeter film reels.

Day two coincided with Thanksgiving for the 30th HBCT soldiers. In appreciation for military service, U.S. citizens living in Qatar hosted traditional family-orientated feasts at their residences.

“Thanksgiving was awesome,” said Phillips. “It was kind of like being at home. We hung out with an American family while Christmas music and movies played in the background – the first Christmas sounds I’ve heard this year. It’s easy to lose track of the seasons in Iraq.”

On day three, Nov. 27, they headed back to the Gulf waters for another inland sea picnic, an off-post option Phillips highly recommends.

“The water in Qatar is so clear – it’s the clearest I’ve ever been in,” said Phillips, who lived in Tampa, Fla., prior to North Carolina. “It’s nice to be by the ocean, in the sand, relaxing. Other than lunch, nothing is scheduled.”

Afterward, the soldiers went on a dhow cruise, where they could jump off a boat and swim in somewhat shallow water.

During their last day, Nov. 28, Phillips signed up for off-post sponsorship with another 30th HBCT soldier, as well as two other RRPP participants they met while in transit to Qatar. An order-of-merit sponsorship list offers an alternative means to tour the affluent Gulf country. Service members and civilians familiar with Qatar escort interested individuals off the installation.

U.S. Army Sgt. Benjamin Kassaw, from Montros, Colo., pets a family dog furing a Thankgiving feast in Doha, Qatar, Nov. 26, 2009. Kassaw signed up for a family and friends program that allowed U.S. citizens residing in Qatar to host traditional family-orientated feasts at their residences, as a symbol of appreciation for military service. He was participating in the U.S. Central Command rest and recuperation pass program at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar. Pass programs provide an additional respite option in war zones. Due to their brevity, passes must be extremely efficient to adequately recharge war fighters.

“You have more freedom with off-post sponsors,” said Phillips. “You don’t have to conform to one trip. It’s always nice to say you did something others didn’t get to do.” Their fourth day included a visit to the Museum of Islamic Art, followed by shopping at Souq Waqif, one of Qatar’s oldest trading establishments. At dusk, the souq filled with patronage as Eid Al Adha celebrations commemorated the Islamic holiday.

“I feel completely safe here,” she said, while at Souq Waqif. “We’re able to experience Arabic culture, food and people without worrying about dangers.”

“I feel very relaxed. You make friends so fast here. I wish we could stay longer, but I’m ready to get back to my unit. Everyone is working hard and we’re out here having a good time.”

On Nov. 29, the 30th HBCT soldiers returned to their unit in Iraq.

“R&R pass programs help minimize symptoms of PTSD by providing soldiers with an opportunity to get away from the traumatic area and participate in activities which build resiliency,” said Conerly.

“Taking a break from the news and participating in self care activities helps soldiers better adapt to stressful situations.”

DVIDS
Story by Dustin Senger

The NFL has been very supportive of our military and cheerleaders from many football teams have toured Iraq and Afghanistan.

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Natalie Cahill, from Sault Ste Marie, Mich., poses for a photograph with St. Louis Rams cheerleaders at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Sept. 16. Five Rams cheerleaders completed an eight-day tour of U.S. military installations in Afghanistan, where they met troops, signed autographs and provided evening shows. The Qatar base hosted the expeditionary entertainment group's final performance in Southwest Asia. Photo by Dustin Senger

“We did a lot of stuff and met a lot of great people – it was amazing,” said Megan, St. Louis Rams cheerleader line captain, at Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar, Sept. 16. Five Rams cheerleaders completed an eight-day tour of U.S. military installations in Afghanistan, where they met troops, signed autographs and provided evening shows. The Qatar base hosted the expeditionary entertainment group’s final performance in Southwest Asia.

“It’s nice to come over here and see how it really is,” said Megan, participating in her second military support trip to Afghanistan and Qatar. “It’s very humbling to see how much soldiers sacrifice to be over here.” The cheerleaders were originally scheduled to visit seven military installations in Afghanistan, while based in Kandahar, but force protection issues resulted in three cancelled venues.

Several St. Louis Rams cheerleaders made a trip to Kandahar Airfield. To show their appreciation for those serving in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, the cheerleaders ended their weeklong stay at the airfield by performing several cheerleading routines for the troops. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Kenneth Robinson

“We got down to four stops because it became too dangerous but we never felt unsafe,” said Megan. “We saw a big red streak while at one forward-operating base, almost like a firework. It did get a little scary since we were just getting on a helicopter. It was eye-opening to see how immune the soldiers were to enemy fire. We always knew we’d be okay.”

“When you’re in a war zone, you never know what to expect,” said Cassidy Cleveland, Rams corporate communications coordinator and tour manager. “We had security everywhere we went. We felt safe the entire time.”

According to Cleveland, the cheerleaders intend to visit service members in Iraq later this year.

DVIDS
Story by Dustin Senger