By Titus Ledbetter III/Staff writer Belvoir Eagle
Fort Belvoir will host a workshop for Soldiers at the USO Warrior and Family Center, Sept. 16-19 to help them heal psychologically from the stress of deployment.
The "I Was There" film workshop will help servicemembers unpack their memories as they edit film footage, said Benjamin Patton, director of the program.
Workshop participants will create a film with the help of four filmmakers. The servicemembers typically create films about whatever they are struggling with, Patton said. He said the Soldiers benefit because many of the ones dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, and other problems, are a part of the "YouTube generation."
"We felt that this was an obvious means of allowing somebody who has been through this situation to express things in a meaningful way," Patton said.
The workshop is free and open to veterans but the capacity for the event is 24 participants. The program features a morning session from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and an afternoon session from 1:30 to 5 p.m.
Patton started conducting the workshops in 2011 at Fort Carson, Colo. and Fort Belvoir is the second installation to host the program. His film production company is based in New York. Participants will be able to use high definition video cameras and Apple laptops.
K.J. Stevens, USO programs coordinator, said members of her organization are excited to host the film workshop.
"It seems like it is going to be a really exciting event and something that normally wouldn't necessarily be able to take place," she said.
"And, one of the things that we aim to do with this building is give a location to hold more events like this and open opportunities up."
Patton believes that every servicemember experiences some form of post-traumatic stress disorder if they are deployed. All veterans who have participated in basic training are welcomed to participate in his workshop, he said.
Patton is a grandson of Gen. George S. Patton Jr., a famous U.S. Army general in World War II who died in 1945. Benjamin Patton's father also served in the Army.
"My grandfather and my father were famous for a number of things," Patton said. "One of the pieces of wisdom that I got from them was the care of the Solider."
Many Soldiers dealing with injuries or psychological issues can struggle to get out of bed each morning, Patton said. When they express themselves through film, it could be the first step on a road to recovery.
For more information, or to register for the workshop, contact Maj. Deborah Hood at (410) 530-6476 or dhood1@live.ndm.edu.
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