My column today profiles Lt. Col. David Johnson and the difficulties Iraq vets have in transitioning back to civilian life. Many of them, like Johnson, have faced endless delays and frustration in trying to get help for mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Regardless of how Americans feel about the war, we should all agree on this: Our returning vets and their families deserve our best care and support.
Here’s a recent Washington Post story that also reveals the bureaucratic obstacles facing wounded vets.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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41 Comments
Hey! I support the troops! I have a magnet on my SUV!
SURGE!!!!!!
Dick Cheney is still linking Democrats with terrorist priorities.
During a press interview in Tokyo, the vice president said, “‘I think if we were to do what Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Murtha are suggesting, all we will do is validate the al-Qaida strategy… The al-Qaida strategy is to break the will of the American people … try to persuade us to throw in the towel and come home, and then they win because we quit.”
What is it that Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Murtha are really suggesting?Stopping the escalation.Changing the course.Bringing our brave young men and women home.
That’s not breaking the will of the American people– it’s representing it.
Cheney is still trying to play the al Qaeda in Iraq card, even though even the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff say that at most 5-10% of the violence in Iraq is caused by al Qaeda.
I agree, but you know, the Bush administration keeps cutting services. Gosh we’re so lucky to have him.
My friends: There have been four posts on this thread, and so far not a god damned one of them has a single thing to do the returning vet’s problems. Get on point. There are plenty of places for political pontification on either side.
Someone will be along with links shortly to show just how bad this administration has failed the Veterans administration and the veterans.
There ARE hopeful signs. After the deplorable conditions at building 18 of Walter Reed hospital were exposed, a military hospital official stepped up and took full responsiblity and vowed to take action.
That’s what a leader does.
Bad memories of something can happen to anyone. Those civilians in Iraq are going to continue to have bad memories for the rest of their life. They need better VA hospitals, the ones I went to after always sucked and was full of foreign Doctors.
Our country / government has a long history of giving lip service to supporting and caring for our troops in any viable fashion during a war. The civilian population isn’t much better than the goverment — at least they buy magnets — shame on us.
Since the feds are doing so little I would like to see the satte step forward with at least some benefits for our vets. Also, it would be interesting to see the legal community come forward and take pro bono cases against the VA for them.
I don’t know who these vets are who are not getting treatment.
Before deploying you have to recieve a predeployment health assessment.
This is where they identify any health problems you have and treat them before you deploy.
Before you return you have to have a post deployment health assessment.
It is a 6 page form you fill out identifying all your problems which have occured while deployed.
You then go through an interview with medical staff on if you have any problems.
If/When any problems are identified they provide you treatment before you go home and if it requires treatment over time they set that up too.
I don’t see how these vets are slipping through the cracks.
It is tedious trying to get through all the Health assessments and classes to leave this place.
If anything I am getting more stress from all the paperwork and interviews than any combat…
Nathan,
Of course we hope you don’t come home with any problems that many of our troops come home with.
But if you do, I’m saving your post.
Did anyone watch Criminal Minds this week (Wednesday)?
Ben: Having had some experience regarding the VA, (I know you are baiting me in on this), the VA, in all fairness is overworked, underpaid and understaffed. One of their biggest problems is their computer network, or more appropriately, the lack of it. Communication between departments is spotty, at best, and between facilities, absolutely pitiful. Because of an old post civil war statute, attorneys are prevented from charging any more the $10, to represent a veteran for damages (that’s the short version), so incentive is often lacking. Certainly, the VA has no reason to want any changes, and none are forthcoming. There are attorneys who, pro bono, assist vets. But, the American Legion and the VFW (and one other, but I cannot remember who it is at the moment) have National Service Centers at most, if not all, VA Medical Centers. In my opinion, the American Legion Service Centers are the most knowledgable and have the best nationwide network of inter-facility communications.
On a brighter side, they are getting better, but there are still mountains of problems. And they’re not going to be solved any time soon, if ever. Interestingly enough, since the facility in Wichita was renamed after Bob Dole, significant positive improvements have been made.
Nathan, many are having problems that are not apparent upon exit — for example, it was years after Nam before the Agent Orange problems came to light. PTSD does not always manifest itself immediately after the traumatic incident(s) that triggered them.
Last night on PBS news they were talking about how the military medical files cannot translate into the VA system. STUPID. And yea, I know about the silly $10 bit – how the hell do you pay your bills with that?
I know you are definitely right about delayed problems – the vets I knew had those in spades – scrambled heads, Agent Orange and other toxic exposures. And it was damn near impossible to get the military to admit about Orange.
Ben: That statute came in 1866. At that time, the $10 limit, rightfully so, was considered two months good wages. As I said, no one in the VA, nor the government bureaucracy in toto, has any incentive to change it. If these “orphaned” vets had solid professional representation, the cost just to make it acceptable would be astronomical.
I’d love to see someone like Bill Gates fund a legal action.
ALso, Ben, maintaining the status quo, allows these hearing all within a quasi-judicial forum, rather than in the formality of civilian or military courts. Rules of evidence are essentially non-existent and, as Roscoe posted, many of the doctors are English language challanged (how’s that for PC) and any testimony beyond written documents is practically useless.
I didn’t mean to impugn the Service agencies when I said professional representation — they do a damned fine job with what they have.
rm-In 1866, a regular army troop was paid $13 per month with room and board paid. I don’t know what a worker would make per month. I’d guess, maybe $20 per month. I’m not involved in this discussion. I saw 1866 and I do know something about that.
Fleet: That was the justification per the Congressional Record — maybe that was average two months wages. Either way, it’s insignificant how it was set at that figure, the fact of the matter is that it was.
I knew you were getting “long in the tooth”, Fleet, but, damned, I’m really impressed now. :)
Gee, the troops are having a difficult time coming home. What a surprise! I’m shocked and appalled! After all lawmakers in Washington are voting against them, calling them baby killers and murderers. The Hollywood elite are featured speakers at Anti-War Demonstrations and Circus’. Talking heads and word panderers fill the scandal sheets and night time casts with images of dead children, weeping mothers and burned out homes and cars.
Our soldiers feel unappreciated and unwelcome? How could this be? People aren’t spitting at them and their families…yet, like they did to Vietnam Vets and their families. But then it’s early days yet. They’ll have something to look forward to.
Sean: I hope you’re wrong. I fear you’re right.
An observation: Who is it that high-lighted the problems at Walter Reed? The Washington Times? FOX? Weekly Standard? NewsMax? NO!!!!!!!!! It was the Washington Post! A “leftie” paper.
Sean, just the many Viet vets I knew in CA told me the worst enemies they faced back home were not the anti-war people; it was their own military and the VA.
Vets I know are not interested in the magnet on your car; they need concrete help. Your Bush administration has been lacking in that.
Ben: Unfortunately, that’s been a fact of life since the the end of the Truman administration. Korea, Nam, Bosnia, etc. At best, nonchalance, at worst, outright hostility. BTW, are you home?
I am glad to say we lost our family Doctor to the V.A. hospital in Wichita, Dr. Hand is a great and knowledgeable Physician and if I had to lost the service of this Doctor I can think of no one else I would want to have lost to!
Yes Vietnam cause a real lost of the respect this country showed to its veterans, but I can not see that happening again. If there is a “falling through the crack” it is something we still need to address. There needs to be a balance found between the view that those who serve are simply doing their duty to this country and to recognize the debit owed to them.
But to bring up the specter of being spit upon and called “baby killers” is nothing but a mindless scare tactic. Meant to invoke a angry response and insult those that simply care for our troops in a different manner.
Just rolled in and opened the laptop.
writerdog – agree 100%. And ‘glad’ you lost your DR.
What branch of the military were you in, Roscoe?
There are many very good doctors in the V.A. system, WD, and I’m sure that Dr. Hand is among them. It’s not the quality of the individuals, it’s the quantity of the system — constantly collapsing in upon itself and spinning out of control, casting off, by centrifical force, the vets.
I don’t want the troops mis-treated either.
Perhaps, george bush should quit so closely associating himself with them? Let bush be the face of this failure. Because it is HIS failure. HE is the one who is hated and it would be unfortunate if that were taken out on the returning troops.
He will not allow this disaster to end on his watch. He may in fact make more of them. If he is any kind of man at all, when he leaves office he will appeal to the American people and the world to place any blame there is on him. He can then crawl back into obscurity.
JR: You lost me after the first sentence. What disaster? Iraq? Or, the Veterans’ Administration?
Both. And many more.
I DO worry that he shows himself off with troops so much. They HAVE to cheer for him. But it may be that the American public will start to see him and them as the same thing. And of course they are not.
OK, now I’m following you. To be honest, I’m not to big a fan of the cumulative intelligence of the American public, but I don’t think even they’ll stretch it that far. I’m not disputing the possibility, I just doubt the probability.
Our troops are our troops, regardless of who rotates in or out of the White House, at least to me.
The fact is that most people don’t give a hoot about the soldiers. We always love them when they are at war but in 4 years they will be still crippled and messed up. The war will be long over and they will be forgot just like they were after Vietnam. But what the hell, I will put a sticker on my car for them.
Unfortunately, kev is correct. Ask the homeless veterans on the streets of Wichita. Ask those struggling with substance abuse from trying to bury their pain.
One of the most overused lies I have ever heard is that “hippies in the airport spit on the troops” after Vietnam. What a bunch of hock! I mean, think about it- some tough Marine that has just been through pure hell in a war is walking through the airport and some long haired hippie walks up and spits on him. I mean, what the hell do you think is gonna happen next? That is why it didn’t happen!
I think it came from the movie “Rambo: First Blood:”
Do you REALLY want to do something to show your LOVE for our troops??? Really? Well forget the stupid “Support Our Troops” ribbon sticker and buy a carton of cigarettes and send it to them. That is what they really would like to get!
I was in Army – Big Red 1
I wish we could get a Gerald Ford in the White house to bring closure for our country. However, there is no such person on the horizon.
Nobody who will do it with grace and dignity that is.