Florida Today Editorial: 'Helping our veterans'

From Florida Today:

The war in Iraq has divided the nation and its worsening violence and chaos could lead to a major political shift in Congress when voters go to the polls Tuesday. But there is one thing that unites all Americans: Honoring the men and women in the armed forces who continue fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, and doing everything possible to help them make the often difficult transition from the battlefield to civilian life.

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More from the editorial:

Many soldiers and Marines have served three and even four tours in Iraq, and a large number are members of the Reserve and National Guard who never thought they'd see extended combat.

The brutal urban fighting -- where there are no frontlines and insurgents and terrorists lurk around every corner -- is sending troops home with severe physical and psychological wounds. For example:

- Roadside bombs have caused a high number of head wounds, brain injuries and amputations, putting extreme stress on vets and family members as they deal with life-long medical care.

- More than 1 in 3 soldiers and Marines who have served in Iraq are seeking help for mental health problems that include post traumatic stress disorder, a number some experts predict will rise, according to Army studies.

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Boston Globe: Four Part Series on PTSD

The Boston Globe just ran a remarkable 4-part series on combat PTSD, filled with stories (like the graf below) and photo galleries to allow anyone to seek out the experience of Iraq in vivid detail. By author Thomas Farragher:

There was just too much to handle. His marriage, always stormy, was in free-fall. His mind flickered again and again with images of Regnier, cut down by a roadside bomb. Most soldiers put the horror behind them, enclosing it in an armored inner space, or seeming to. But, for others, moving on is the work of months, or years. Or a life.

It is a condition with an off-putting, antiseptic name -- post-traumatic stress disorder. It is as old as warfare and as new as yesterday's casualty list. Yet, remarkably little is known of why it afflicts some and exempts others, why its symptoms can be so insidious and so adamant.

Wilson only knew what he felt -- possessed, immobilized, ashamed. He had left Iraq early, and he believed his superiors now considered him damaged goods. The soldier who ran when others stayed. The commander who swapped places with Regnier minutes before the bomb tore him apart.

"I should have died," Wilson said. Instead, he unraveled.

Letters-to-the-editor are making their way to the Globe (add yours to the mix, too). Off to read the series in full myself, and here's to attempting to catch up on all of the excellent reporting being done on the issue at the moment.

Three cheers, Boston Globe!

USAToday Reports on PTSD (and us, too!)

Just a quick note: PTSD Combat and ePluribus Media's work has been mentioned and linked over from USAToday's "On Deadline" ('Breaking News and must-read stories') today as part of a post called Little Help for Troubled Troops:

A citizen-journalism initiative called ePluribus Media has been covering this [combat PTSD] issue for quite some time. They have developed a database of what they describe as PTSD-related incidents

That's a really nice nod that our work is being recognized. While you're over at USAToday, I'd highly recommend reading Gregg Zoroya's report this morning on the plight of veterans who find themselves in a no-win situation:

In Iraq, Marines who perform well in combat can be lauded for it. But if they develop PTSD, they can be punished for stress-related misconduct, kicked out of the military and denied treatment for their illness," Zoroya writes. "In recent months, the Marine Corps has begun investigating the matter, identifying 1,019 Marines who may fall into this group since the war in Iraq began. All served at least one year in the Marines and one tour overseas before being discharged for misconduct.

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Returning Vets' Stress Help Rate Doubles

From Stars & Stripes:

"The number of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans getting treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder nearly doubled from fall 2005 to this summer, but officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs say that isn’t necessarily bad news. They believe the increase points to a growing awareness of the symptoms of PTSD and a larger willingness among young veterans to seek out help for the illness.

According to internal department data, the number of young veterans receiving PTSD treatment from VA hospitals and counseling centers rose from 20,394 patients in September 2005 to 38,144 patients in June 2006, an increase of 87 percent.

Hospital cases alone totaled 29,041 in June, up 82 percent from nine months earlier. The number of veterans who visited counseling centers more than doubled, from 4,467 to 9,103, over that same period."