Welcome To The Green Beret Hangar Area
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The Green Beret Network's Hangar is the official website home of the very successful "Helicopter Ride Therapy" program for In-Patient military Veterans with War-Related P.T.S.D.
At the Department of Psychiatry in the American Lake V.A. Medical Center, Tacoma, Washington a "MILITARY MEDICINE" study (Volume 157,2:67, February 1992) reported about an unprescedented in vivo activity: Huey Helicopter Rides in the in-patient treatment of post-tramatic stress disorder amoung Vietnam Veterans. A pre- and post-ride attitude survey (N = 45) and clinical observations revealed a series of salient outcomes, including the provocation of pre-existing tramatic memories and pre-flight concerns, profound in-flight reactions, post-flight triggering of intrusive painful memories, the enhancement of peer group bonding and remembrance of positive war associations, and the desensitization to helicopters and other military stimuli. Theroretical and clinical implications are elaborated.
An unexpected finding was that intrusive and arousal symptoms appeared to increase among a number of participants both before and following the rides. More importantly, this increase was short-lived amidst the continued availability of clinical interventions. It also appeared that there was a "desensitization-specific" outcome concerning helicopters. Almost one-half of the participants reported feeling more at ease after the rides when they heard the sounds of helicopters flying overhead (a frequent, if not daily, occurance at their location between two major active duty military bases). That such desesitivation was reported (on the post-ride measure) by and large before more than a few war-focus group therapy sessions occured lends some evidence to suggest a modest desensitization effect per se to helicopters from participation in the helicopter rides.
Read about the V.A. Doctor's support of this project.
For BLOCK-TIME CHARTER LEASE program info that is AVAILABLE for the "P.T.S.D. HELICOPTER RIDE THERAPY" programs for the V.A.