Comment

Comment by Pat Downing on November 25, 2009 at 7:27am

A dear friend ended his life the day after Christmas a couple years ago because he felt the military gave him no solution to his sudden alcohol dependence, brought on by PTSD. He knew he needed help, but if he admitted he needed help, his career would be over. He left behind a wife and two minor children. The military paid for the funeral on the condition that no one from his family would speak at the service. They provided other servicemen to do that. The fact that the military is finally facing the issue of PTSD, instead of bullying those soldiers who are suffering, is a huge step in the right direction.

Comment by Lem Genovese on November 24, 2009 at 9:49pm

So long as OER's don't include how they operate concerning PTSD besides avoiding it or condemning it as a sign of weakness, this issue will not get successfully resolved within the ranks of deployed military personnel.
NCOs have a responsibility to train and counsel their EM, but ultimately, without platoon leaders and company commanders encouragement of knowing the signs and therapy of PTSD and that it is a natural reaction to horrific events outside of a soldier's control, it will continue to claim lives and affect military families long after the dust from the combat zone has settled