NAS Fallon substance abuse counselor speaks at DAR meeting

A substance abuse counselor at Naval Air Station Fallon told members of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Battle Born chapter on Oct. 18 how to recognize and deal with crisis and the programs available to assist.

Michael W. Music Jr., who served in the U.S. Navy for 25 years, attended the Navy’s Drug and Alcohol School 10 years ago. Following completion of the program, Music then served as a substance abuse counselor in Naples, Italy and at the Naval Health Clinic at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. Currently, he serves as the substance abuse counselor for the Navy Medical Readiness Training Unit at Fallon.

Music’s experience has included directing, overseeing and administering religious services and drug and alcohol awareness programs.

Prior to attending the Drug and Alcohol School, Music assisted the chaplain as a religious program specialist at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center near Bridgeport, Calif., beginning in 2001. He discussed the isolation of living in Coleville, Calif., about 22 miles from his duty station at the MWTC. Most families live in a military housing area at Coleville, but Music said he drove from Coleville to take classes at the Western Nevada College in Carson City or transported his children to youth football in Gardnerville.

“In 2001, a lot of Marines were getting called to duty,” after the Sept. 11 attack, he said.

Music said training increased at the MWTC because the area offers a mountainous terrain similar to that found in Afghanistan.

During the military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Music was assigned to the aircraft carriers the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Music revealed what he saw to the DAR members.

“Crisis comes about with the veterans and sailors. They come to my room,” he said, adding the sailors turned either to alcohol or substance abuse because of coping on a deployment. “They have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) — lost a buddy or experienced something in combat.

Music commended the Battle Born members for their programs to assist others. He said some people needing assistance consider it a weakness to ask for help. That’s when a counselor needs to listen.

“I see you do a lot of community activities and services,” he pointed out. “That’s a good thing.”

Music said if the DAR members know of anyone in crisis, there’s a crisis line to call. He also illustrated a sign of a crisis situation, particularly when a veteran sacrifices their money instead of paying of childcare or food. He said other veteran outreach programs are available.

“I ideal with more active duty,” he said. “I have a good relationship with the VA (Veteran Affairs).”

In addition to hearing about Music’s work with substance abuse and crisis management, two members of the Comstock Quilters, who are also DAR members, presented Quilts of Valor to former Army Capt. Amy Brown, who served as a critical care dietitian, and Dr. Robert Fliegler, a board certified internist in Carson City.

Marsha Strand, a member of the Battle Born chapter, and Mona Crandell Hook, a regent with the Washoe Zephyr Chapter in Virginia City, have been active with Comstock Quilters, and their main mission is to provide quilts to veterans.

Brown’s husband Sam is a candidate for U.S. Senate. Strand said several quilters associated with her husband’s campaign wanted to sew a quilt for her since he received a Quilt of Valor from another quilters’ group.

Fliegler’s father, Michel, saw action in the Pacific during World War II as an Army infantryman. Strand said the Comstock Quilters wanted to give Fliegler a quilt because they had given one to his father in September at the Reno Championship Air Races.

Stand said a rare fabric was sewn into each one of the Fliegler’s quilts by Shirley Paxton-Young and Marilyn Gibson.