Army Therapists Stretched Too Thin?

Military Hopes to Take Away Stigma of Seeking Therapy

(CBS)  Their mission was to help soldiers deal with the stress of war on the battlefield. Instead, they were attacked at home. Three Army therapists were killed, and six other members of a combat stress control team were wounded in last week's rampage on Fort Hood.

They were preparing to deploy to Afghanistan. The team's critical mission is on hold for now.

"We're taking a hard look and making sure they have every thing they need and again they may be delayed in regard to additional personnel being brought in," said Lt. Gen. Robert Cone.

Special Section: Tragedy at Fort Hood

Eight years of war has taken its toll across the military. According to RAND, some 300,000 service members, almost one out of every five who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, report symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Corporal Nathan Hewitt, an Iraq war veteran who was wounded in last week's attack, says his commanders encourage returning veterans to get help.

"They tell us soldiers all the time you know if you have problems like this, go see the psychiatrist, or go get some mental health," he said.

But experts say finding enough qualified counselors is a challenge. "It's the face to face counseling that's so important for preventing and treating PTSD," said former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. S. Ward Casscells.

The Army has just over 400 psychiatrists to treat nearly 550,000 active duty soldiers.

But is also developing alternatives - like the newly opened "Resiliency" campus at Fort Hood. It's a health spa of sorts. The Army is hoping by taking the stigma away from getting help, more soldiers will seek it.

[rastewa]

Why is CBS News still talking about PTS in the Ft. Hood terrorist act? The evidence points to extremist Islamist beliefs, not PTS!