Editor’s Message

*This is an article from the Winter 2020/21 issue of Combat Stress. 

There are no mixed emotions about the tribute to our fearless leader and creator of all things wonderful in this issue. It is only with pure sadness for those of us who have worked with and reaped such extraordinary benefits from Alpha-Stim technology to announce his retirement from Electromedical Products International. Although Dr. Dan Kirsch, inventor of the first and absolute best technology on planet earth, has made the decision to retire, he will remain our Senior Editor for this publication. Dr. Dan has been and will remain one of this nation’s primary heroes for all time.

LTC (RET) John Norvell, USAF, to whom I was recently introduced during a Veterans Day webinar for our alma mater, Hobart and William Smith College in Geneva, NY, has graciously offered up his experiences as a Master Navigator and Weapons System Officer with over 1000 flying hours in the F4 Phantom II during the War in Vietnam. His harrowing tales of both combat missions and Christmas at War serve as powerful keepsakes of those dedicated heroes that comprise membership in the greatest generations of Service Members and Veterans so willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Dr. Jeff Jernigan’s stunning piece regarding PTSD and the neurological aspects of learning will astonish our readers in revealing the role of nutrition in recovering from PTSD, as well as the very destructive role of prolonged stress in victims of trauma. What he has imparted is invaluable information for both clinicians and those in their care and one that begs to be shared broadly.

In the very same vein, COL (RET) DJ Reyes has again, graced our winter issue with something that remains vital to those who serve their country….that service does not end at the time of military retirement and instead, often inspires a lifetime of the same. This Soldier for life has devoted his post-service life to creating and sustaining Veterans Treatment Courts throughout the United States and to bringing an end to this human trafficking. This is unequivocal proof that once a Warrior, always a Warrior.

As he has risen to infamy in his post-retirement career, LTC (RET) Charlie Bass, MD, Ph.D., has very accurately documented the rising tide of a propagandized media that has bastardized the truth and sold news sources down a dark vat of deception. Regardless of political ideologies, identity politics, and the like, the validity of his writing is unmistakable in its stark reality. Keep in mind that Dr. Bass’s piece is meant to be read with an apolitical lens.

Though retiring from law enforcement in July of 2020, Officer and US Army CPT (RET) Tom McMurtry is back on the force again, pen in hand. His striking piece on humanitarianism in a war when least expected is often unfamiliar territory in the wartime theater. He has captured the essence of the lessons to be gleaned during the worst and most hellish of times, known only to those who have served in combat.

Robert Kallus, MS, DAIS, has provided a unique and striking perspective about stress and perceived needs for control, an issue that permeates much of the human race. Simplistic in his approach, he has divulged basic principles and insights often overlooked in the clinical context. We will be soliciting much more from him for future issues.

COL (RET) Ed Rothstein has discovered renewed purpose in his awe-inspiring desire to continue his service to humanity, his fellow Service Members, and the Department of Defense as creator and founder of the Education and Resiliency Center in the Fort Meade Region of Maryland. His endless accomplishments have come about through his own personal battles in overcoming his own silence and the terrible stigma of seeking the support that so unnecessarily eludes those most deserving of it.

And of course, Dr. Ron Rubenzer has bestowed yet another chapter of his back-to-basics approach to handling stress with his excellent stress management resource toolkit. In this issue, our readers will master “whole brain” utilization for the management of test anxiety. Where was Dr. Ron when I was in graduate school?

To all of our authors, thank you so very much for your magnificent contributions and the many lives of Service Members, Veterans, first responders, clinicians, and caregivers that will be touched by your words.

Your Editor,

Kathy Platoni, PsyD, DAAPM, FAIS

COL (RET), US Army

COL, Ohio Military Reserve/State Defense Forces

Editor, Combat Stress Magazine

Dayton SWAT

Member, Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame