Introduction
The United States has experienced several terrorist attacks and this has forced it to develop various strategies to ensure it controls this situation. In addition, its embassies across the world have also experienced similar attacks and this has put the lives of many Americans at risk (Morrison 2012). The Army Health System was established to ensure it provides services to all those who are injured and who are direct or indirect beneficiaries of its plans. The following are some of the roles this department plays in Homeland Security.
Definition
Homeland Security refers to all interventions to ensure there is security within the boundaries of a nation. A country will be exposed to internal and external security challenges if it does not have an active and strong defence system (Nemeth 2009). National Security is also a similar term that refers to all measures of ensuring law and order prevails within and outside the boundaries of a country. The Army Health System includes all workers in hospitals and clinics located in the United States and other nations. The following are the main functions of the Army Health System in Homeland Defence.
This department was established to ensure military officers get quality medical services while on duty. The military is involved in protecting the territories of the United States against external attacks. The attacks do not only target the civilians but also the officers in charge of providing security to their nation. This means that these officers are exposed to risks just like civilians and their property.
Therefore, they must be healthy before leaving their camps for military missions within or outside the borders of the United States (Morrison 2012). The department has hospitals that provide all medical services to military officers and ensures they are healthy. In addition, it has dental clinics located in various areas to ensure the beneficiaries can access quality health care immediately they need it. The process of providing security to a nation starts with personal wellness and this means that if an army officer is sick he will not provide reliable security services (Hill 2011). The person will be an easy prey for terrorists since he will not be alert or active to respond to security threats immediately they occur.
In addition, a sick military officer can be a serious burden to the success of an operation and thus the Army Health System must ensure all military officers are healthy. This department is open all the time to ensure military officers get health services immediately they require them to ensure they are prepared to manage attacks from terrorists. In addition, the United States has been invading the territories of terrorists to flush them out and this means that they must be healthy before going to this hostile environment.
The second role of this department in promoting Homeland Defence is to provide health care services during wartime (Philpot 2012). Wars are rough and risky undertakings that usually involve injuries and deaths and this means that the officers require urgent medical attention. Human life is complicated and people cannot tell when they will die. Sometimes an individual can get hurt and die immediately after suffering the injuries. On the other hand, some can die days, months or years after injuries or live with permanent scars and health complications. These cases require medical attention since a second wasted can lead to serious health complications.
Therefore, the Army Health System must ensure that all these injuries are treated immediately they occur to avoid the development of other health risks (Nemeth 2009). This department has always moved together with the missions department and also engage in combats but not as active as the ones in charge of the war. The services offered during wartimes include first aid operations in cases where the patient needs services before being transferred to medical facilities. This means that this department is usually alert to manage any issue that may arise.
First, it evaluates if the injury requires extended services or not. Most soft tissue injuries are treated on the site and the patient can go back to war or rest depending on the severity of the injury (Philpot 2012). Secondly, other complicated injuries are treated from the medical facilities around which are managed by the army. However, urgent and complicated cases may be refereed to the United States and patients will be airlifted to be taken for specialised treatment. However, the doctors involved in the treatment mission are health professionals and also trained to handle combats.
Thirdly, this department plays an important role in medical readiness missions that ensures military officers are in good shape to manage the challenges facing them. Even though, it is very difficult to predict the time or magnitude of terrorist attacks it is important to be prepared to manage any issues that may arise. This means that military officers must always be ready to fight terrorists and defend their nation and this can only be possible when they are healthy (Hill 2011). The Army Heath System conducts regular screening and testing to ensure military officers are in good shape to manage the challenges facing them. The first step towards achieving a robust defence system is by ensuring that military officers are healthy because this gives them the assurance that they are capable of managing all challenges posed by terrorists.
However, when an officer is not healthy there are high chances that the individual will be overpowered by the enemy. Therefore, regular medical examinations are conducted by this department to ensure all officers are in good health (Nemeth 2009). Even though, it is difficult to predict the health of an individual it is good to safeguard it to ensure there are no chances of falling ill during wartimes.
Military officers experience a lot of disturbing situations that may interfere with their health in terms of emotions and psychology. This means that they are exposed to horrific scenes like killing terrorists and seeing their colleagues being killed by their enemies. These scenes are very disturbing and can lead to the development of mental instability associated with stress and depression.
Therefore, this department ensures it conducts regular counselling to treat officers that are traumatised during or after wartimes (Hill 2011). The United States used to witness suicide cases amongst its military officers due to the traumas associated with wars which affected their lives and the operations of the military department. However, this situation has been controlled since the establishment of the Army Health System to ensure counselling services are available to military officers and their families.
Conclusion
The military is an important department that ensures civilians and their property are protected against attacks from other nations. In addition, it ensures the sovereignty of a state is respected by other nations. However, military officers face health risks that are caused by physical or psychological traumas which make them unable to perform their duties. The Army Health System ensures military officers are in good health before, during and after their participation in military missions.
References
Hill, J. (2011). Life after the Military: A Handbook for Transitioning Veterans. Maryland: Government Institutes Press.
Morrison, M. (2012). The Inside Battle: Our Military Mental Health Crisis. New York: Military Psychology Press
Nemeth, C. (2009). Homeland Security: An Introduction to Principles and Practice. New York: Auerbach Publications.
Philpot, D. (2012). Military Mental Health Care: A Guide for Service Members, Veterans, Families, and Community (Military Life). Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publishers.