Virtual Resilience

Over the past year the Army has promoted resilience training for soldiers and their families to head off high-risk behavior ranging from riding a motorcycle without a helmet to drug and alcohol abuse.

Now, Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, the Army surgeon general, says the service plans to make resilience training virtual. Schoomaker, in a speech at the Military Health System annual conference Monday, said the Army expects to set up a resilience center in the Second Life online environment.

Schoomaker said the center would help soldiers and their families with physical fitness, provide emotional support groups with access to online counselors and cater to spiritual needs.

He added the Army Installation Management Command in San Antonio, Texas, is developing it, but did not provide a launch date.

Darn -- I was ready for some virtual fishing, one of the activities Schoomaker said would be offered.