Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Mental Health Response to the Pentagon Attack

Abstract

The September 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon captured the attention and concern of America as well as the world. Given the extent of devastation, and the number of deaths at the Pentagon, it was believed that the uniformed mental health services would serve a pivotal role in the recovery and relief efforts. This article provides a synopsis of the complex and multidisciplinary mental health services provided by Walter Reed Army Medical Center in the wake of the September 11 attack on the Pentagon. This article offers an overview of the functions and roles of mental health team members, describes a constellation of services rendered, and describes how missions differed inside and outside of the Pentagon. Additionally, the authors provide the reader with how services were provided at the Family Assistance Center to family members of those killed during the attack. Liaison with civilian medical, mental health, and relief agencies and facilities will be discussed as well. The mental health response was an intensive and complicated experience and has yielded many lesson learned. To this end, the authors will provide the reader with an understanding of how the lessons learned during this mission may assist mental health commanders and leaders in planning and responding to similar deployments in the future.