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Wired.com posted a story (www.wired.com... ) not too long ago about the Pentagon paying out nearly half a million dollars to small companies hired build a new type of video game.
These programs are designed to help identify servicemen suffering from mental issues by tracking their scores while playing simple games.
The idea stems from the realization that there’ll be a dramatic drop in scores if a Soldier experiences a traumatic event that they have trouble separating themselves from. So the plan is to possibly equip servicemen with these games as they deploy and then monitor the scores over time.
After being involved with an ambush or an IED, if the scores stay down, then that could be an indicator that the serviceman may need some additional help dealing with the situation.
Another interesting way games are being used to help servicemen comes from a project being developed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
According to the Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com... ), the new concept is designed to help servicemen and their families learn to reintegrate in an anonymous setting and uses, appropriately enough, Second Life as the platform for the project.
When you step off the plane and onto your native soil, there’s this odd sense of detachment that sets in. It’s a hard thing to describe, and mostly because of the bizarre mix of strong and conflicting emotions, all bundled by a Soldier who’s spend the last year or more pretending emotions don’t exist.
As much as we might wish otherwise though, games can’t fix everything.
Sometimes the damage is just too great and you need help. Never for a moment believe you have no one to help, or have to do it on your own.
Look around a little harder, and I think you’ll find you have an army of brothers and sisters around you just waiting to offer a hand when it’s needed.
These programs are designed to help identify servicemen suffering from mental issues by tracking their scores while playing simple games.
The idea stems from the realization that there’ll be a dramatic drop in scores if a Soldier experiences a traumatic event that they have trouble separating themselves from. So the plan is to possibly equip servicemen with these games as they deploy and then monitor the scores over time.