FORT DRUM, N.Y. (March 12, 2025) — Law enforcement is a 24/7 job, and the Soldiers and civilians supporting that mission at Fort Drum have a program in place to address the stressors inherent in their profession.

It’s called the Officer Wellness and Peer Support Program, and it serves all members of the Directorate of Emergency Services, to include first responders, physical security, dispatch, and criminal records personnel.

“Being part of any emergency service organization can be stressful and build accumulative trauma based on the calls that we take, respond to, and then must build a case file,” said Sgt. 1st Class Yulisa Parisi, DES traffic investigator. “This program is meant to break the stigma of receiving help when it is needed and provide our personnel with easy access to resources, services, and education on all aspects of wellness to ensure that we are well enough to provide the best service to our community as possible.”

Parisi said critical incident counselors are available for debriefs and follow-up sessions with first responders who are exposed to trauma during critical incidents. When post-traumatic stress, or other trauma-related diagnoses such as depression or anxiety, is not addressed properly then it can lead to self-harm, domestic violence or suicide.

“First responders and military are individually ranked as one of the most stressful occupations,” Parisi said. “Our LEC (Law Enforcement Company) members have both roles which makes their stress twice as much. Our goal is to be a proactive department with our Officer Wellness and Peer Support Program rather than a reactionary one.”

Parisi said having this resource available to DES personnel helps them become aware of physiological and psychological symptoms and how to use coping mechanisms to manage stress throughout their careers.

Members of the law enforcement community gathered March 12 for a morale-boosting Polar Plunge in Remington Pond, and to promote the Officer Wellness and Peer Support Program.

Sgt. Nicholas Morefield celebrated his birthday with teammates, first by diving feet first into the icy water … and then cake.

“It’s like having another family, really,” he said. “When you come to work, you know there are people who care about you and support you.”

Sgt. Edward Mosely, who brought the cake to the Polar Plunge for Morefield, said the Polar Plunge was a shock to the system.

“Your muscles tense up, almost like you are getting tased,” he said. “There’s a numbing feeling throughout your entire body as you try to pull yourself up, and then you do your best to get out as quick as possible.”

Mosely’s immediate response after climbing out of the water was, “Never again,” but he reconsidered after getting warm.

“At first it was like, ‘Why am I doing this?” he said. “But now I think I would probably do it again.”

It helps to have a crowd cheering and encouraging each other to get comfortable doing something so obviously uncomfortable.

“We are all one big family here, so it was good to see everyone motivating each other,” Mosely said. “You wouldn’t want to do something like this by yourself, but when you hear people cheering and saying, ‘You got this,’ that gives you the boost you need to get through it.”

Mosely has served as an MP for eight years, and he plans to continue in this profession for a long time.

“I chose this field because I love protecting and serving the community,” he said.

In its third year, Parisi said participation in the Polar Plunge has increased each iteration, as well as the camaraderie that goes with it.

“It is very difficult to get everyone together because our department is always working,” Parisi said. “However, we have been more creative in recent years and hope to be able to continue building morale by bringing more people together whenever we can. Our goal is to ensure that our personnel are healthy in all aspects that will them to perform to the best of their ability, be resilient, and continue to be there for our community members.”