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Luverne grad counsels soldiers on front lines

By Lori EhdeThe CBS airing of "60 Minutes" was a big deal in the Dan and Deb Iveland home in Luverne Sunday.The first 10-minute segment was all about the Army Reserve’s 785th Medical Company — the one their daughter, Staff Sgt. Jenn Iveland, serves in."Jenn was one of the people miked up and interviewed by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour," Deb said Sunday. "They actually filmed her doing a presentation in Camp Victory, and the newscasters complimented her on how well she presented herself for the filming."Jenn is home now until March 4 on full-time active duty leave and watched the broadcast titled "Brain Rangers" with her parents."I thought it was a really nice piece," she said afterward. Jenn is a mental health specialist and spent the better part of last year working as a stress counselor for troops in combat zones of Baghdad.The work frequently put her in harm’s way, and she said Monday that she’s still getting used to the idea that she’s now safe.Jenn said loud noises, like a slamming door, make her jump and instinctively look for the source of possible mortar."Feeling safe is a whole new experience for me now," she said. "Not worrying about mortar coming in is a real relief."Despite, the dangers, Jenn said the work has its rewards, especially in an atmosphere where it’s so needed."We give them the opportunity to talk about their experiences and we try to help them normalize their reactions," Jenn told the Star Herald in an e-mail interview last spring.Since that story was published, she said she’s seen more appreciation for combat stress workers."Soldiers would come up to us afterward and tell us, ‘I don’t think we could have gotten through this without your support,’" Jenn said, "and a lot of them said they were at their breaking point."So, who counsels the counselors?"So many people ask us that," Jenn said. "We usually talk to each other about the soldiers we’ve seen and their treatment. … It’s hard to hear a lot of the stuff they’ve experienced."Before coming back to the States on Feb. 4, her unit spent time in Kuwait, which is relatively safe. While there, she caught up with her cousin, Mandy Iveland, who is serving with the Army National Guard. "We got to spend about an hour together," Jenn said.Jenn said long-term she plans to pursue counseling work with soldiers at a VA hospital or vet center.Meanwhile, she’s enjoying the comforts of U.S. civilian life, like shopping and eating out whenever and wherever she chooses. "It’s the little things like that that I love doing," she said.And she has a specific message to her friends and family in Luverne."I’d like to give a huge thank you to everyone for their support and prayers while I was gone," Jenn said. "I got cards, letters and care packages. … Getting mail is one of the biggest morale boosters there is over there."Deb said she prays her daughter never has to go back to Iraq. "It’s wonderful to have her home … just to not have her in that situation anymore," she said. "I know she wants us to be strong for her, but I told her one day she’ll be a mom and she’ll understand what it’s like. We only want good things to happen in their lives, and this Iraq thing didn’t qualify as that."The Star Herald published its first story about Jenn Iveland and her work with the 785th in the April 29, 2004, edition. It can be viewed this week on www.star-herald.com.The CBS airing of the "60 Minutes" segment can be read on www.CBSnews.com.

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