PTSD and Force Readiness
By THOMAS C. HALL, CHAIR, Vietnam Veterans of America, PTSD/SUBSTANCE ABUSE COMMITTEE
Suicide rates in the active military and among veterans are on the rise. Military Sexual Trauma (MST) continues at epidemic proportions, and under-diagnosed traumatic brain injury (TBI) ensures a future of pain for veterans and their families. Homelessness and incarceration await too many of our returning troops.
Posted By: Robert L. Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
Staff Writer, Veterans Today Military Veterans and Foreign Affairs ...
The Department of Defense assures us that new research initiatives will be funded to find out how to address the rising suicide rates in the military. Studies continue to investigate the causes and treatment of MST, TBI, PTSD, and all the substances used to self-medicate the many symptoms that come with each.
To quote Dr. Tom Berger: “In today’s military, Force Readiness always trumps medical command, regardless of the mental health of the troops.”
But Force Readiness requires maintenance. Consider the maintenance of all the components sent to the battlefield: Tanks, rifles, battleships, and planes are operated by humans, either remotely or in the theater of operation.
The need for operational responsiveness requires that all human and mechanical components be in tip-top shape. Mental health also is mission critical, especially in this era of multiple deployments.
Our young men and women are dying for want of knowing.
Consider the rising suicide rate among our soldiers as the “canary in the coal mine”—a warning of imminent disaster. Data from the Army suggest that the most sophisticated assets on the field (our soldiers) find themselves compelled to kill themselves to stop a pain they don’t understand, either while deployed or upon returning home.
There were 177 reported active-duty Army suicides from January 1-September 30, 2009. Of these, 116 have been confirmed, and 61 are pending determination of manner of death. For all of 2008, there were 129 confirmed suicides.
This rising suicide rate, coupled with an under-reported incidence of substance abuse (a by-product of self-medicating the symptoms of PTSD), is indicative of a culture that discourages ongoing and effective utilization of mental health services. There is a culture within the military that continues to harass and marginalize our brothers- and sisters-in-arms who take advantage of mental health services.
The solution, in the military, and often in our larger society, is to blame the person exhibiting symptoms. Currently we are counting and studying them when they are found dead.
The time has come to carefully consider how to restructure the perception of those in command toward those who would benefit from using mental health services.
Utilization of mental health services should be seen as a normal part of training, on the same level as ensuring that equipment is clean and operational.
Get involved. Reach out to others and start the conversation. Talk to your friends and family. Talk to returning veterans, to other members of the military, and to other veterans.
Leadership in the military can and must make this cultural change.
The soldier who seeks mental health must be seen as a soldier taking the mission seriously and contributing to Force Readiness.
Seeking mental health services early must be seen as a sign of responsible maintenance, not a career-ender.
Written by Tom C. Hall
Posted by Robert L. Hanafin
Tags: (PTSD), Abuse, America, Armed, C., Committee, Disorder, Force, Forces, Hall, More…
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by john jarrett on -
I find your attitude very refreshing and honest. Thank you.
I wish we had more like you in the Australian military John
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Permalink Reply by Lem Genovese on -
The atmosphere from the Pentagon down to the level of platoon leaders has to be drastically changed concerning getting rid of the negative macho attitude of TBI and PTSD as signs of "weakness". Multiple deployments only increases
the chances for both conditions and the DoD and DVA's approach must adjust to these numbers of military personnel, who with adequate opportunities to be evaluated and treated, can still be productive members of their units depending on the condition of severity of the conditions in question.
To continue to ignore these crucial and sometimes life threatening conditions is tantamount to benign neglect to the point of directly affecting the lives of every military family who has a loved one who doesn't receive timely and respectful
treatment.
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Permalink Reply by Drake Bailey on
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Force readiness should be at about 20%.
Unfit for deployment should be 40%.
Mental problems 100%.
No one with P.D. should be deployed.
No one should be deployed more than once in five (5) years.
A full debriefing and stand down after any deployment.
Full range PTSD treatment or my treatment system applied to everyone upon return. No exceptions.
No more than three deployments under any circumstances.
Yes I counsel on PTSD, and am in group.
Problem is that DOD is looking to cut expenses, meaning personnel and medical costs, higher copay's, etc.
The military says it can't afford both war and treatment of personnel that go.
I say end the war.
Get ready for 'them' to start messing with the benefits we do have.
After all, from Nam came Article 99, non-service connected.
Now the excuse is Personality Disorder, a pre-existing condition...no responsibility for any mental problems, including T.B.I...!
This has been going on for awhile now, as an injured vet used a tape recorder to help remember instructions, recorded medical staff saying they were ordered to not diagnose anything payable...two years ago.
So figure this effort has been going on for a few years now.
I feel like going back to war over this sort of thing! Now you know why I'm in group...
Guess we'll see.
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Permalink Reply by Nathaniel Brown on -
Returning veterans should not feel that if they participate in discussions about how they feel, that they are sick. The easiest way to start talking is to start talking. I know from my own experiences that feelings can grow out of proportion if I keep thinking about them. If you know someone who is having negative feelings about combat, or is withdrawn, ask them to join you at the Dryhootch. Getting out and talking is the way to feeling better.
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Permalink Reply by Sarge Lintecum on -
P.T.S.D. Love Letter
© Sarge Lintecum 2003
(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder poem)
I love you through my anger,
In between my fits of rage.
I want us to be happy,
But I just can’t turn the page.
I see in you the answer
To every time I’ve prayed.
Then I get mad; you leave the room;
I wish that you had stayed.
My love just wants to hold your hand,
But my anger doesn’t care.
I feel the weight you carry.
It really isn’t fair.
I gave our country everything
The day I went to war.
I thought the cost would be my life,
But it turned out to be much more.
I look into my child’s eyes,
And I see a child burned
By Napalm lying on the ground,
Without a lesson learned.
So now they send the young folks
To act like war is fun,
Without a thought of how they’ll feel
When their killing job is done.
When folks go fill their gas tanks
I think they all should know,
A veteran’s future happiness
Is drowning in the flow.
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Permalink Reply by greg braun on
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my son,sgt. greg braun took his life 3/5/06.the va did not have a treatment plan to help vets.we need it to be top of the list for all vets.
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Permalink Reply by Robert (Bobby) L. Hanafin on -
Greg,
I'm so very sorry to hear about your loss.
I too lost a child to the war(s) leaving me with mixed feelings about the war(s) due to the lack of national commitment of the American people or ability to even relate to the very precious few who chose to serve.
I believe that the hostile attitude toward America's Veterans could be worse than the aftermath of Viet Nam despite national rhetoric to the contrary. At least during Viet Nam the public had THE DRAFT to force them to relate to the war. Yes, the draft was also part of the reason a part of the American public turned on our Vets including our government when we had to battle the VA then as we do NOW.
Are you perhaps from Ohio?
The reason I ask is that a young man around 27 committed suicide in front of the Dayton VA Medical Center around the time you mention. Notice of it received a few days notice in our local newspapers then the nation moved on with more important things to concern it. You and I will never FORGET!
I share your concern that the VA did not and does not have a treatment plan, and now the Pentagon has come up with a treatment plan for those still on active duty who come forward with PTSD (good luck) using 'virtual reality video games' that simulate the traumatic experience so troop can deal with it, get over it, and move on (translation return to combat and endless deployments).
The collective WE need to blow through these smoke screens and demand those who send our sons and daughters to war come up with dignified and serious ways to fix them when they come home broken Soldiers regardless how one defines broken AND stop playing games with the lives of our children.
Check out my latest post on Dryhootch about how the Associated Press spends more time focused on fake Vets scamming the VA claiming faked PTSD for the money instead of focusing on how broken the VA is.
AP used the example of three, count them three, Veterans who scammed the system faking PTSD for monetary compensation to infer that a flood, a Tsunami of young and old Vets were going to hit the VA with false claims ripping off the American tax payer.
Bro for every one case AP or anyone else, including Stolen Valor bounty hunters, come up with WE can come up with 10 cases where Vets have died waiting out their Appeal or Denial by the VA, every issue of my Disabled American Veteran or VVA Magazine that I get has a horror story of some Vet from hell even way back in WWII to Vietnam to the current wars having nightmares dealing with the VA or military disability systems far too many leading to suicide like your son.
Regardless, WE thank him for his service, and share your pain my brother.
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Permalink Reply by greg braun on
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thankyou for the support of all vets.we need the draft to come back.the day we practice for war no more.
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Permalink Reply by James(Chris)Sveen on -
Thank you for this forum Post.
Im a navy sailor that was assigned to the Army as an Individual Augmentee doing Detainee Operations in Camp Bucca, Iraq. I wanted to express my feelings towards the studies of suicide rates. I Have a problem with the study because they only rate the percentages from army units. What about Navy, Air force, Marines, and Coast Guard that are serving as Individual Augmentees filling Army roles? I think the Numbers would be Staggeringly higher. I have had Shipmates that are not included in those studies and it saddens me to think that we are forgotten.
The Navy seems to try and sweep this study under the rug and does not want the Stigma of PTSD to be addressed. I was diagnosed with PTSD and I am ready to go back. After my EMDR treatment I have been able to control My anxiety and believe now I am a better Sailor/Soldier for doing so. My wanting to go back is because I feel Im not part of this society anymore and I am better off with my Brothers in Arms that understand. My BLUE Navy Counterparts have no understanding of what I have gone through and the upper chain of commands who have never deployed in an IA assignment are even less understanding.
These "leaders" are quick to push off the "Problem" and Pre-diagnose these sailors with "Personality and Adjustment Disorders" Not understanding that these are Traits and symptoms of PTSD. After being treated as "Problem Children" the commands isolate and and cause the Returning IA to become worst until he/she has no where to turn but Suicide.
Fortunately there are some people in the Navy system that due Undersatnd and care and we are working hard to fix this STIGMA. Yes I have PTSD and yes I'm Still active. Yes I am willing and ready to go back to a combat zone, And Yes I'm still proud of what I am now. If not for my EMDR treatment and the right support of the Peers and family that were so detrimental to my success, I believe I would have been another statistic that would have been forgotten by Navy Medicine.
I thank all of you and the work you do here in DRYHOOTCH and for Organizations such as IAVA for being there when times were darkest.
GSE1(SW) Sveen, James USN Active
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Permalink Reply by Robert (Bobby) L. Hanafin on
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GSE1(SW) James Sveen,
Surface Warfare - hum!
How did I know that?
Well James I did time with first the Army as enlisted to NCO, the Air Force as an officer, and lastly the Navy as a civilian (retired from Air Force in 1994, retired from Navy in 2000)
You bring up some very valuable points here James, some I strongly agree with having been a Purple Suiter, and some I think you may have wrong or a misunderstanding about the Navy.
1. "I Have a problem with the study because they only rate the percentages from army units. What about Navy, Air force, Marines, and Coast Guard that are serving as Individual Augmenters filling Army roles?"
I strongly agree with this assessment!
2. "The Navy seems to try and sweep this study under the rug and does not want the Stigma of PTSD to be addressed."
I think that this concern maybe partially right from my experience using Navy Mental Health facilities at Yokosuka Navy Base back from 1999 to 2000.
OK, so that was before the wars. However, the Navy has experienced something no other service has to my knowledge. The suicide of a 4 star admiral that kicked off the first and best Mental Health program among all the services. It took the suicide of a flag officer for the Navy to get serious about Mental Health and suicides. However, my opinion is based on my experience as the AO (a senior officer equivalent to a Commander) on a Navy Base who not only needed Mental Health treatment ordered by the base commander, but also attended Suicide Prevention briefings for the entire Naval Command at NAF Atsugi.
That was between 1998 and 2000, things may have gone downhill in post-911 as each service, but especially the ground forces, scurried to recruit and retain bodies. As I recall at the same time the Army and Marines were boosting recruit requirements and enhancing retention programs, the Air Force and Navy were not hiring per se.
3. "Fortunately there are some people in the Navy system that do understand and care and we are working hard to fix this STIGMA. Yes I have PTSD and yes I'm Still active. Yes I am willing and ready to go back to a combat zone, And Yes I'm still proud of what I am now. If not for my EMDR treatment and the right support of the Peers and family that were so detrimental to my success, I believe I would have been another statistic that would have been forgotten by Navy Medicine."
Good, so you have seen what I have seen regarding some in the Navy understanding and caring.
4. "My wanting to go back is because I feel I'm not part of this society anymore and I am better off with my Brothers in Arms that understand. My BLUE Navy Counterparts have no understanding of what I have gone through and the upper chain of commands who have never deployed in an IA assignment are even less understanding."
This James is what I really can relate to, because when I returned to the world toward the end of Vietnam not only were we Vietnam Vets (and that includes us Vietnam Era Vets) made to feel unwelcome at home, but we were in large part blamed for taking part in the war despite there being THE DRAFT.
Well, I volunteered for the regular Army. I felt so isolated from society that I too (like you) returned to active duty as a 'lifer' officer in the Air Force. My humble assessment is that a significant number of Iraq and Afghanistan Vets may also feel as you and I do wanting to return to active duty and to a world that not only respects us but values what we do.
One thing is for sure, once I made the decision (along with my wife) to go back on active duty when most of my generation who participated in the Vietnam War were kicking down the doors to get out of the military, we as a military family would remain isolated from the rest of American society for the rest of my military career. Frankly, we really didn't care then what the rest of America thought about us and could give a crap less today.
5. I thank all of you and the work you do here in DRYHOOTCH and for Organizations such as Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) for being there when times were darkest.
Quite frankly James, this attitude and approach is your key to survival, but if I may suggest. Some of the Vet organizations who emerged out of Vietnam (Vietnam Veterans of America comes to mind) not only blazed the trail on PTSD in Congress and our society but still do.
You cannot be a member of VVA, but you can always take advantage of the unbiased information VVA puts out on PTSD. Now, you can join the VVA clone for younger Vets - Veterans of Modern Warfare, or of course become more involved in IAVA. But the point is that you become part of that group which knows the most and does the most about PTSD. Those groups that like the younger VVAW and VVA back in the day are willing and able to think outside the box on PTSD.
Lastly, track down other Navy Vets or active duty members who feel the way you do regardless what their personal political views on the wars are. When dealing with the Politics of PTSD, the best thing is to leave politics (pro-war or pro-peace) at the door to focus on what all Vets with PTSD have in common - PTSD!
Bobby Hanafin
The Mustang Major
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Permalink Reply by greg braun on
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the mission of the dry hooch unit is to reach out to every one we can.my mission is till the soil of appathy and plant the seeds of fhath,hope and love.we have to put on the armor,the boots on the ground.to get the word out there dry hooch is are command post.we will win this campain.we will leave no one behind.the zeal of our hearts will bring us peace to all we love and cherish.i pray for the day when we practice war no more.the grace of GOD will heal are wounds.iam just a ranger dad who will give my last breath to prevent what happen to my beloved son sargent gregory braun.we will win the peace.love greg and linda braun
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Permalink Reply by Robert (Bobby) L. Hanafin on
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Thanks again for you thoughts Greg,
I hope and pray that you and your family are holding up as well as you can to the loss of your son Sergeant Braun.
My wife and I lost our son due to the wars splitting apart military families,
However, regardless how deep our pain, our son was not right out of high school when he embarked on road to war. He was in his early 30s and had already been in the Army for quite a few years. He too is a Sergeant in Armor though we understand now that he has left active duty (regular) for an Army National Guard Unit back east somewhere.
It sounds as if your Sergeant may have been younger than ours when he fell.
Though we share in common the loss of a child (they will always be children in our eyes, especially Mom's) due to wars, especially one (or two) my wife and I never quite bought off on, and we have been a long time military family during my career.
But we know that the pain and hurt we feel for letting go of our son can NEVER compare to the hurt and pain your family must feel. Despite not seeing or hearing from our son since 2005 (that's over five years now), we do not know what God's plan is the reconcile our different views on war that split our family apart. There remains the slightest chance that we may someday meet and greet our son again, and we try best we can to keep tabs on him.
We know he is alive and well, and we were prepared to let him get on with HIS LIFE that is not the same nor can ever compare to your loss, but let me assure you that my military family has the utmost respect and sensitivity for what yours has had to endure.
Bobby Hanafin
The Mustang Major
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