Troops With Stress Disorders Fit For Duty?

Some Soldiers With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Are Being Re-Deployed To Iraq

(CBS)  Army Staff Sgt. Bryce Syverson spent 15 months in Iraq before he was diagnosed by military doctors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and sent to the psychiatric unit at Walter Reed Medical Center, CBS News correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reports.

"It ended up they just took his weapon away from him and said he was non-deployable and couldn’t have a weapon," says his father, Larry Syverson. "He was on suicide watch in a lockdown."

That was last August. This August, he was deployed to Ramadi, in the heart of the Sunni triangle — and he had a weapon.

He's still there. Under pressure to maintain troop levels, military doctors tell CBS News it's become a "common practice" to recycle soldiers with mental disorders back into combat. The military's actions were first reported by the Hartford Courant newspaper.

"It's flat-out not a good idea," says Dr. John Wilson, an expert in combat trauma.

One study estimates that about 16 percent of soldiers returning from Iraq have PTSD. But military officials say they don't keep tabs on how many troops still fighting have been diagnosed. Most soldiers are never screened, a GAO report finds.

---

FYI: Facts On Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

---

Wilson says the danger of having someone with PTSD at the front lines is that they are at risk themselves and put their units at risk and could break down under the stresses of combat.

"Basically, it's like your worst day is every day. It gets worse every day," says Army Specialist Jason Gunn, a decorated soldier.

Gunn was critically injured in Baghdad when the Humvee he was driving hit an IED. His friend was killed in the explosion.

"I blame myself," Gunn says.

Gunn became depressed and paranoid. Doctors said he was sick, suffering from PTSD. But just four months after the deadly explosion, he was sent back to Iraq.

"The Army sent us an e-mail saying they recognized Jason was suffering from PTSD, but was 'in his best interest' if he 'faced his fears' and went back to the front," says Pat Gunn, his mother.

Wilson says this does not make sense "at all."

"To put someone in that situation and say 'face your fears' is contrary to all current medical and scientific knowledge about PTSD," Wilson says.

Jason Gunn says he thinks he was re-deployed so the military could keep up numbers in the ranks.

Meanwhile, Bryce Syverson is still in Iraq. He sent this e-mail home:

"Head about to explode from the blood swelling inside, the lightning storm that happened inside my head."

He wrote that it was the anti-depressants that were making him feel bad, so he told his father he may stop taking them.

"Who knows what could happen? There are soldiers depending on him, and other soldiers are expecting Bryce to react," his father says. "Who knows how he will react under live combat fire."

---

Editor's Note: This story was updated on Oct.20, 2006, to cite the Hartford Courant investigation.

[terminpostal]

i am in the army reserve i have done one tour in iraq and my unit just got sent to afghanistan 3rd time in 5 years my unit has been called up. i wanted to go to afghan with my unit but my security clearance was up and i had bad credit so they wouldnt let me go. now my question is these soliders could be a danger to themselves or others and they let them go and i have bad credit and i cant go, so do i need to have ptsd to go?

[buddug55]

I think you should also look into soldiers with physical disabilities being sent to Iraq. My son was injured during training which caused him to be deaf in one ear. We were originally told that he wouldn't be deployed to Iraq because of his hearing. The army was considering giving him a medical discharge, or changing his specialty since he is a communications expert, which required good hearing. About 2 weeks ago, the army decided to send him to Iraq as a communications expert. They explained that, since he is partially deaf, he won't be sent out on patrol. However, his deafness all of a sudden isn't a handicap for his work.

[vets4america]

I am the Government Relations Director for Veterans for America www.veteransforamerica.org

We recently worked with Congress to pass amendments in the National Defense Authorization Act to prevent soldiers with PTSD from being re-deployed to the war zone.

This story is not an isolated incident and it speaks volumes about several issues.

1. Less than 1% of our citizens are fighting our wars.

2. That 1% is being redeployed multiple times back to Iraq and Afghanistan.

3. More than 1.5 men and women have served in this war.

4. Their mental health needs are being ignored in Iraq and when they come home.

5. If this is truley a long term struggle and our lives depend on it why isn%u2019t there a draft - why do the children of Congress and the White House not share the burden of war.

I am sure I could go on and on but you get the picture. I am sure someone will write me and say - well, these soldiers volunteered - they should know what they were getting into. For those who hold that view I suggest you go to Arlington National Cemetery or better yet Walter Reed Army Medical Center and tell the wounded survivors yourself. Whether you believe in this war or not the soldiers who served deserve our attention now more than ever. Want to do more than stick a YELLOW ribbon on your SUV?
Visit our website %u2013 www.veteransforamerica.org

broken down and useless materials, guerrilla warfare, and now, PTSD, we are the richest in the world. Our troops (even though I don't agree with the war) deserve more than this ****. I know that war is no picnic and they don't need hotels or anything, but I can't BELIEVE our troops are being treated like this. You're right, if it's this bad we need a draft. Those are a generation of children lost if we allow them to go over in that mental state of mind. There are probably thousands with this syndrome and know one knows it.

To Our Troops, I am so very sorry.

[1jopa]

I remember hearing about biteing the dog that bit you, But I have never heard of cureing mental tramma by inflicting tramma, The stakes are just to high, For every one involved.

[pirkey76]

Didn't we learn anything from Veitnam? We are so close to doing the same thing. We may have already crossed the line. Veitnam was so unpoplar by the time we got out that alot of Americans publiclly ridiculed the Vets. Well they were just doing as order by our government. And who is going to get the blame when one of these soldiers with PTSD causes the deaths of civilians and fellow soldiers over there. You can bet that our government won't take the blame. This is as bad as dentist telling you to eat more sweets and don't brush your teeth if your mouth is full of cavities.

[bluestardad]

Carry on my wayward son, we will soon have these chicken hawk criminals out of office and we will bring you home and care for you.

[usmcorpsman]

I am in the United States Navy, active duty Independent Duty Corpsman and very proud of what I have done but enough is enough. I served with the Marines last few years, deployed to Iraq twice, I have seen the Commanding Officers or the Chain of Command saying: "I don't care if they have PTSD *(&((&^%, they are still going, that is a lot of BS I don't care, I don't belive in that."
They know about it, the Marine Corps doesn't care either is the Navy, their leaders make them feel bad and twist their words or thoughts and make them feel guilty or tell them that their carieer is over.
The problem is that they keep sending same Marines and Sailors over and over 3 o4 4 times even though there are other members that have not deployed or, deployed only once. the system does not make sence, we have new recruits and/or students that want to volunteer but been turned away. I was on limited duty for 6 months for PTSD, as soon as my limited duty expired, I was told to get ready for deployment back to Iraq. I contacted my chain of command all the way to the Admiral, they are aware, they just DON'T CARE! I was told "you are new to the command, you have not deployed with us, is your turn" even tho others same rate, same qualifications have not deployed at all. Can you understand that?
DO I NEED TO HAVE BAD CREDIT SO I DON'T DEPLOY ME???
Please fell free to contact me at any time, I have more information you can use and or can be helpful to fix these problems.

[azot3043]

The majority of these so call PTSD "soldiers" are faken it in order to obtain benefits, (financial benefits)... I have been in the Marine Corps 25 years and still counting (10 yrs active and 15 yrs reserve)... I served in Desert Storm (SA and Kuwait 1991) and 2 tours in Iraq (2003 & 2004) ... I'm currently a 1stSgt with an infantry battalion ... if the Marine has "mental" issues and it is confirm by a medical professional ... the Marine is not sent into a combat area ... As for having bad credit that is BS ... it sounds like that individual requested not to be activated due to a financial hardship ... in other words he was a coward ... oh sorry ... he lack courage ... Semper Fi

[jadegb]

just because you didn't get the help you obviously need doesn't mean it is too late for the rest of them. Explain this to me, the psychiatric professionals have recommended that my son be discharged due to ptsd. Those in charge in my sons unit have denied his administrative seperation. He cannot drive a government vehicle or carry a weapon however, he will be deploying again soon. Riddle me this, how in the next few weeks will he be remarkably well enough to protect himself and those around him? If the marines you speak of are lying to get out of duty (or for financial gain?) then those in charge are lying about their well being to meet their quotas.

Maybe you should avail yourself of some psychiatric help.

God Bless!


Hope you get the help you need

[jaloswe]

I am a mother of a son with ptsd. He served in Iraq for a year, returned last summer (2005). He has spent this summer in a jail cell awaiting trial for killing a man here in the states. He doesn't remember the incident. He was diagnosed before he left Iraq & went to the VA for help when he returned...they didn't help. Before he went to Iraq, he had never been arrested, & he would've never hurt anyone.

[cftmeditor]

Letters From Iraq Part 1

Suicide, PTSD, Mental Breakdowns and Unending Violence
Part one in an ongoing series of letters from soldiers in Iraq or on deployment orders to go to Iraq. Horror stories of suicide, untreated PTSD and medical conditions, and troops on the edge of a complete breakdown.

Published by Jay Shaft: Editor-In-Chief/Executive Investigative Editor-
Coalition For Free Thought In Media
3/28/06
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0603/S00420.htm

Letters from Iraq- Part 2: When Soldiers Can%u2019t Take Any More Violence and Death
Published by: Jay Shaft
http://www.thepeoplesvoice.org/cgi-bin/blogs/voices.php/2006/05/08/p8063

These are letters that verify the horror of Iraq. I had this published long before many journalists were even aware of it.

[muffinmama]

I've been involved in the PTSD part of life for the past 35 yrs.My Husband was a VietNam vet who suffered PTSD for years before we knew what was wrong with him and went thru ---- before the VA decided he needed help. I want to thank Dr. John Wilson for his research he did for PTSD and making the Gov. took credit for what had happened to all the vets. of that time.
Now My son has returned from Iraq and is being treated for PTSD now. I feel that the Gov. needs to get more people in uniform so the ones that suffer from PTSD don't have to go back.
PTSD is a real killer. during the time our son was in Iraq. My Husband died of a heart condition, re-living what he had been thru and at the same time afraid of what our son was going thru.
Please get the word out that they don't need to go back if they are already suffering. They deserve better than that. Muffinmama

[maddev]

I moved to NC to be iwth my high schol sweetheart after he came back from Irac for the second time. the first time he was htere he was hurt form a bomb that went off under his truck his lost a finger and a close firend.. after that he was never the same.. very verbally abusive towards me and my childer and phisically abusive with my children when they were not quiet and calm .. I belive they shoudl only be sent over one time. twice is just to much for evern the manlyest man to handle
Melissa Burton

[kailumego1]

I'm extremely honored to read most of the responses. WOW!!!! I had friends who served in Vietnam, going to come back mentally impaired and psychologically damaged, and to top it off they had to fight tooth and nail for benefits.
I have a close relative diagnosed with schizoid-affective disorder caused by the Vietnam War, in which neither the Veterans Administration or Social Security helped him. He died five years ago from hypothermia, during one of his delusional states, he wondered outside with hardly any clothing, and the police found him %u201Cfrozen%u201D to death.
I also know someone who served in %u201CDessert Storm%u201D, returned home suffering from PTSD, in which the government did nothing to help him either.
That%u2019s why I am so against the war, I feel so much empathy for our troops, it angers me that individuals want to argue over politics when thousands of innocent lives are being wasted.
And we have a duty to our troops to end this disaster and bring them back home.

[lysiana]

My son is an Iraq Veteran with two tours in Iraq. He suffers from severe PTSD. First, I had to live through hoping he would return home alive. The last 1 1/2 years I had to hope and fight with the VA that he wouldn't succeed in committing suicide from his PTSD. Now, I am fighting to stop his being recalled to active duty with the IRR involuntary recall. I have a petition to give to Donald Rumsfeld to stop the back door draft and multiple deployments. I hope everyone that agrees this is immoral to send these soldiers back to Iraq will join me in signing the petition I will deliver November 9th. MFSOMissouri.org
Thanks

[lysiana]

For Azot3043, If it is a sham as you like to think, why does the Iraq War have the highest suicide rate then any other war in history? That is only including the statistics of suicide while in Iraq, not the countless others who have returned. I have walked in on my son with a loaded shotgun in his mouth because he struggles with what he calls "genocide" that he participated in over in Iraq. It wasn't the first time, nor unfortunately it wont' be the last time I have stopped him. He was a bright, happy, optomistic man who belived in his country before he was deployed. The VA counslor in the first 10 minutes of his first counsling session told him it was childhood problems, not the war causing his depression. I spent a year and a half pleading with him to get help as I thought he would either succeed in his suicide attempts or harm another. And then he gets this kind of treatment? He doesn't want money, he wants help. He can't keep a job and I'm supporting him because the VA is so backlogged and determined to deny any PTSD claims he will probably never see a penny. When I can no longer help him, what will happen to him? He didn't hesititate to fight for his country, his country should stand by him now.

[kailumego1]

To Lysiana, "A Men", "A Men", this government has donea lousy job supporting our troops.
It''s a shame about your son, my heart goes out to you.
Try getting a lawyer, who specializes in these sort of cases, because he deserves his benefits.

[kailumego1]

Also, call your state representative and demand they do their job.
Whenever I had problems with an governmental agency, I would call my state senator's office presiding over my district.