Comments on: The Military's Showdown Over PTSD

Battle Between The Old School And New School Methods For Handling Troops' Mental Health

[llbear1009]

I''m a Veteran who has been helping Jonathan Norrell and brought his case to Carissa Piccard & Kim Dozier. When I 1st heard details - many of the most agregious cut from the story because of time constaints - I couldn''t believe it. Jonathan is an extraordinary human being. His whole focus in getting this story out has been to make sure that others [and there are lots of other soldiers going through the same thing] are not left behind.

I hope that Kim is given the opportunity to follow Jon in the months and years to come. I plan to. I want to thank CBS for its commitment in terms of time and money required to produce this story.

I hope this is just Chapter 1.

Thank you, Carissa & Liz. Because you care, you rock!

[adriennej76]

For the users who called this story "pure bunk" and "lies":

1. Soldiers injured on active duty are eligible for military medical benefits, separate from the VA, which the military controls.

2. An Army task force recently told VA workers near Fort Drum that they aren%u2019t allowed to help soldiers figure out how to fill out their paperwork. Here''s the memo: http://media.npr.org/documents/2008/feb/ftdrum.pdf

3. The VA treats veterans with PTSD every day, but there is currently a backlog of 600,000 claims leaving all of those veterans in limbo. I should know, I work in the VA.

4. I served in the Army for ten years and now see many of my friends suffering from PTSD. Our soldiers put their lives on the line thinking the government means it when it says they will be taken care of. When soldiers see the reality it can be very hard to handle and if I were in that situation I%u2019d probably start drinking too.

5. You must not have served if you don''t know that medics see combat.

6. Commanders do have the authority to override medical decisions and even medical boards. You can check out www.military.com for stories on that one.

7. It%u2019s been my experience that the sooner a soldier experiencing problems getting medical help goes public, the quicker the military is to start doing right by them. Don%u2019t be afraid to stand up for yourselves. If you need help, check out http://veteransforamerica.org/.

peace,
Adrienne

[missingamerica]

Having worked with psychiatrists and psychologists over a 25 year career as a prosecutor....

Posted by exaag at 10:03 AM : Apr 18, 2008

I bet you''re a great prosecutor. Here''s hoping you have an equally skilled defense attorney at St. Peter''s Gate.

[macusweil]

The commander in chief is a incompletant but should still stand trial.

What a disgrace!! 40,000 Americans dead or wounded and countless more with PTSD left to rot in mold infested VA hospitals or worse denied treatment at all.

Shame on us for not ending this insane occupation already. How many more must fall for nothing?

[exaag]

Having worked with psychiatrists and psychologists over a 25 year career as a prosecutor, I am more than awareof their tendency to "over-diagnose" PTSD and other alleged mental disorders that are not subject to empirical evidence, particularly when an agenda is involved such as the anti-capital punishment movement or, in this case, the anti-war movement. The radical left has been frustrated throughout the war in Iraq because "word from the top" was that the left was to repeat the mantra "we support the troops", thereby depriving the left of its chance to spit on our soldiers in airports and engage in their 1960''s childish rants. As a "Nam vet, I recall our soldiers being portrayed as a bunch of drug-addicted psychopaths, while traitors like JohnKerry told the Congress we were a bunch of baby killers. With this report, the liberasls, courtesy (of course) of the Democratic Party television networks, now have their opening to engage in back-door slander of the troops while appearing "concerned".

[tanna4676]

This is my first time responding to this site. I am very disappointed in many of the comments made in this forum. I came to this site looking for help, and I see a lot of bashing of our troops. My son served with the guards in Iraq in 2003 and is suffering with PTSD. I thought I could find some help for him here, but so far that hasn''t been the case. I would like to make a comment though to the people that are saying that our soldiers have volunteered and knew what they were getting into. That is true, and but for them, there may have been a draft and then maybe you would have to have gone, and then you could have seen what they have gone through. Also, is it true that the only help for PTSD is drugs? There has to be a better solution to this issue.

[jegibbons]

Posted by rafterman1 at 09:43 AM : Apr 18, 2008
Why doesn''t it surprise me that A TWISTED MIND can TWIST WORDS & THEIR INTENT?

[acolton1]

Just checking replys

[emancipatedm]

DEMSLIE:

1) EDUCATE YOURSELF.

2) NO ONE SAID IT WAS AN MEB. In the military, PURSUANT TO DOD (that would be Department of Defense) regulation, it is SOLELY WITHIN THE DISCRETION OF THE SERVICE MEMBER''S COMMANDER to decide HOW TO SEPARATE the service member--EVEN WHEN THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION from medical doctors, including psychiatrist, for medical or mental health care. Granted, it can be appealed later, but at the time, it is TOTALLY within the commander''s discretion.

Under the DoD regs, the Commander essentially "owns" the soldier.

Like Carissa, I am an attorney, a milspouse, and a veterans advocate.

Unlike you, obviously, I DEAL WITH THESE REGULATIONS on a regular basis.

3) Lastly, combat medics travel with EVERY infantry unit in Iraq. He was a COMBAT medic. COmbat medics are some of the most traumatized soldiers/marines that return from OIF/OEF because of what they see.

JUST BECAUSE YOU DON"T LIKE IT DOESN"T MAKE IT A LIE.

[acolton1]

To: demslie at 08:24 AM : Apr 18, 2008.

You are a complete IDIOT, IDIOT, IDIOT! Wake up and smell the coffee the REPUBLICANS started this war and George W Bush single handedly has Started this Recession and has spent more than 1/2 a trillion dollars on this war and has driven the us currency to its lowest value in history. IT''S A REPUBLICAN AGENDA and there was no strategy in getting out of IRAQ. What was George W Bush thinking that he would bet a parade in Bagdad with roses on the street for over throwing Saddam Hussein and everybody would get along MAGICALLY AFTER THE WAR. You and George W Bush need to go back to the GROUP HOME where you both came from and grow a brain. Democratic evil political Agenda your an IDIOT!