NPR recently aired a story about mental health care in the military and the army specificaly. The story covered 6 soldiers based at Camp (I Forgot) in Colorado. These soldiers were suffering from depression, and PTSD.
While serving in Iraq these few soldiers were outstanding, and respected performers. After returning home they began to suffer from their experiances. Because of the depression and affects of PTSD their performance suffured. Uniforms were untidy, they were late to formation, and a variety of other so called "behavior" issues presented themselves.
These soldiers asked for help by going to "Mental Health" and one soldier was told that he would have to come back in four weeks. This was after he told the nurse that was desperate to see somone now!
As these soldiers slipped into the effects of PTSD and depression their supervisors grew increasingly impatient and angry with their "Poor" performance. These soldiers were labled as "weak, malingering (faking it), and yellow". They were labled by their E-6 supervisors who also harrased them on a daily basis. These all knowing, un-educated E-6 supervisors felt that these soldiers were simply weak, and should get out of the military. They didnt think these soldiers were man enough to handle war.
The soldiers were forced out of the army eventually. All of them were diagnosed with PTSD and other mental health issues stemming from their excellent service in Iraq. Yet were they forced out on those terms and givin the proper benifits? NO! They were kicked out because of the behavior problems stemming DIRECTLY from PTSD! So no honorable discharge, no benifits at all!
Where were the officers? Who told these Staff Seargants that they did not have to follow Army procedures with regards to handling these types of sick soldiers? Why do we treat our Heros this way? The Army's needs and wants these soldiers to get the help they need and return to service. Not to be abused, harrased and kicked out.
And most importantly ....What are YOU going to do about it?
If you think PTSD is fake, or that these soldiers are weak, or that they are less of a man, then think about one of the un-educated, prick E-6's that eventually left the Army and his wife forced him to get help. At the end of the story he was seeing a therapist. This from the man that was disgusted with weak soldiers.
We need to re-evaluate who is truly weak.
While serving in Iraq these few soldiers were outstanding, and respected performers. After returning home they began to suffer from their experiances. Because of the depression and affects of PTSD their performance suffured. Uniforms were untidy, they were late to formation, and a variety of other so called "behavior" issues presented themselves.
These soldiers asked for help by going to "Mental Health" and one soldier was told that he would have to come back in four weeks. This was after he told the nurse that was desperate to see somone now!
As these soldiers slipped into the effects of PTSD and depression their supervisors grew increasingly impatient and angry with their "Poor" performance. These soldiers were labled as "weak, malingering (faking it), and yellow". They were labled by their E-6 supervisors who also harrased them on a daily basis. These all knowing, un-educated E-6 supervisors felt that these soldiers were simply weak, and should get out of the military. They didnt think these soldiers were man enough to handle war.
The soldiers were forced out of the army eventually. All of them were diagnosed with PTSD and other mental health issues stemming from their excellent service in Iraq. Yet were they forced out on those terms and givin the proper benifits? NO! They were kicked out because of the behavior problems stemming DIRECTLY from PTSD! So no honorable discharge, no benifits at all!
Where were the officers? Who told these Staff Seargants that they did not have to follow Army procedures with regards to handling these types of sick soldiers? Why do we treat our Heros this way? The Army's needs and wants these soldiers to get the help they need and return to service. Not to be abused, harrased and kicked out.
And most importantly ....What are YOU going to do about it?
If you think PTSD is fake, or that these soldiers are weak, or that they are less of a man, then think about one of the un-educated, prick E-6's that eventually left the Army and his wife forced him to get help. At the end of the story he was seeing a therapist. This from the man that was disgusted with weak soldiers.
We need to re-evaluate who is truly weak.
posted by Adam at 2:39 PM
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