On January 31, six psychology resident interns and three staff members from the Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base arrived in Washington, DC for an advocacy training workshop combined with informational visits with key Congressional staff members. The advocacy training workshop, hosted by the Education Government Relations Office, instructed these advocacy novices on the importance of federal advocacy, the basics of the legislative process and the most effective means for communicating with their Members of Congress. In addition, they were also trained on how to conduct a successful hill visit with their Member of Congress and were briefed on an important program initiated by the Education Government Relations Office, the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP). Following the advocacy training , the Air Force participants descended on Capitol Hill for informational meetings with key staff members. These meetings did not involve advocacy; they were included to give the Air Force participants a sense of how Congressional committees work. The participants met with psychologists-turned hill staffers Jill Antonishak, Office of Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), HELP Committee, and Purva Rawal, Office of Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT) Armed Forces Committee. Both staff members discussed their roles in legislation concerning military issues, the role constituents can play in the legislative process, and how their experience in psychology has aided them in their current careers. Following the busy day of advocacy training and visits to Capitol Hill, the Air Force participants all expressed great enthusiasm about the experience and were left with a better understanding of the federal legislative process.

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