It was reported Wednesday that Sergeant Brad Gaskins, an 8-year veteran who served two combat tours in Iraq was arrested for being absent without leave (AWOL) from the Army. Sergeant Gaskins left without permission more than 12 months ago to seek treatment for severe depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that he was unable to obtain through approved channels. The sergeant couldn't get the therapy he required because, although the Veterans Administration (VA) has reported that more than 100,000 soldiers are being treated for mental health problems - 50% specifically for PTSD - there were only 6 mental health professionals available to the 17,000 men and women where he was stationed.
While it is unquestionable that stories like those of Sergeant Gaskins and Lance Corporal James Blake Miller (see Whatever Happened to the Marlboro Marine?) are part of any war, another recent report indicates that the volume and severity of mental health disorders in American veterans is at unprecedented levels. According to a 5-month CBS News investigation (videos below), today, veterans are more than twice as likely to commit suidicide as non-veterans, a rate described by various experts as everything from "alarming" to "stunning," and far outpacing earlier estimates from the VA.
While it is unquestionable that stories like those of Sergeant Gaskins and Lance Corporal James Blake Miller (see Whatever Happened to the Marlboro Marine?) are part of any war, another recent report indicates that the volume and severity of mental health disorders in American veterans is at unprecedented levels. According to a 5-month CBS News investigation (videos below), today, veterans are more than twice as likely to commit suidicide as non-veterans, a rate described by various experts as everything from "alarming" to "stunning," and far outpacing earlier estimates from the VA.
Worse, this may only be the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A recently-completed Army medical study found that:
One out of every five active-duty Army soldiers and 42 percent of Army Reservists who have served in Iraq cite mental health concerns months after they return home, according to a new Army medical study.
[...]
Post traumatic stress disorder rates increased among active duty soldiers from 11.8 percent to 16.7 percent. Reservist rates almost doubled from 12.7 percent to 24.5 percent.
With stop-loss policies and repeat and extended tours now the norm for today's U.S. armed services, it was perhaps inevitable that the foundation of those forces - the men and women, the human beings in uniform - would begin to crack from the unprecedented strain under which they operate. "Supporting the troops," as noted by Keith Olbermann in the third video below, is - or should be - about doing whatever needs to be done to ensure that each and every soldier, airman, sailor and marine who risks his life receives all of the treatment he needs in a timely fashion. It should also mean that families aren't kept apart for unreasonably long periods of time and that servicemen and -women aren't pressed into excessive tours of service so that politicians like George W. Bush can continue to tout our "all volunteer army" while fighting a luxury war.
(November 13, 2007)
(November 14, 2007)
MSNBC's COUNTDOWN REPORT ON 1st LIEUTENANT THOMAS BOURNE'S SURPRISE VISIT HOME
(November 15, 2007)
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