Consultation in the aftermath of an air tragedy

In the early morning hours of December 12, 1985, a chartered jet airliner carrying 248 soldiers crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all aboard. The day after, the authors were designated as a consultation team to the mental health staff at Fort Campbell who were providing services in the aftermath of the crash. This report describes and analyzes the experiences of this consultation on disaster management. Our consulting experience has been one of the most profound and demanding events of our professional lives. Salient lessons of the consultation include: (a) the need to clarify leadership roles among the local mental health care team; (b) the need to help the local team establish clear roles among team members; (c) the value of enabling the local team to mourn the loss of their fellow soldiers and community members; and (d) the value of establishing a clear plan of mental health services for both short-term and long-term management.