Our Guest blog is courtesy Maj. Anthony McGinthy, Army National Guard PDHRA Program Manager
Timing is everything when it comes to your health. When you get a cold, the longer you put off visiting the doctor or taking medicine, the worse you feel. The same is true for deployment–related health concerns. The Post-Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA) helps give Soldiers peace of mind and an opportunity to receive care.
Army Guardsmen and women must complete the PDHRA within 90 to 180 days post-deployment, because this is when research shows that symptoms of deployment-related health concerns, such as back aches or chronic headaches, may appear. My biggest concern is that thousands of Army National Guard Soldiers are not completing the screening on time or at all. Ignoring the PDHRA altogether is a huge problem. Health issues that aren’t addressed and treated in a timely manner may develop into something more serious and may begin to negatively affect your daily life, family and career.
I’m confident we can do better. We take care of our fellow countrymen and women well, but if we want to continue serving, we can’t continue to neglect our personal health. To learn more about the PDHRA, visit this public website http://goo.gl/zJbZO.