Jul 18 2007
Supporting our Troops /sarcasm
Something I heard on the ABC News Nightline podcast while commuting to work this morning really, really pissed me off.
Over the past six years, some 22,500 soldiers have been discharged on grounds of “personality disorder” — a condition that can be alleged to have existed prior to their tour of duty — thus absolving the Pentagon of its obligation to provide their medical care and pay their benefits.
A six-month investigation by reporter Joshua Kors for the April 9th “The Nation” magazine learned of “multiple cases” in which “soldiers wounded in Iraq are suspiciously diagnosed as having a personality disorder, then prevented from collecting benefits.”
Veterans are told that they can either be diagnosed with PTSD and wait 6-9 months for a medical discharge or be diagnosed with a "personality disorder" and get discharged immediately. It's only after they sign the papers that they're told they're not only ineligible for veteran's benefits for life, but also they owe the government thousands of dollars because they have to pay back their enlistment bonus. Get the full story here.
You know what I'd like to see? Michael Moore start his own news network. There's so much going on that deserves more attention than Paris Hilton, David Beckham and Posh Spice.
Supposedly similar posts:
6 Responses to “Supporting our Troops /sarcasm”
Here Here!
It gets worse. Soldiers who are in and have PTSD not only have to wait 6 to 9 months, they are usually punished for not sucking it up or are, in some cases, charged with cowardice and subjected to courts martial for what could potentially be a capital crime (not that capital punishment has been sought in any such case of which I'm aware.)
Militaries have never done a good job of taking care of their guys after the battles and, in this case, the US military is actively using its systems and powers to fuck its own.
Shameful. To all those who think it's impossible to support the troops while criticizing the government or the military or the missions those troops are on, I would ask how it's possible to support the troops and not oppose the government, the military, or the mission those troops are on.
Definitely sucks, but thanks for posting this Rich.
I had a buddy who has been in the Army for 3 years, has done two tours and finally got transferred to an Army unit where he could perform his "dream job", doing live sound for bands that tour Europe. A real "be all you can be" story. They even offered him a bonus for re-enlisting in order to do so.
Only problem is, he later found out that because he took the bonus, he made himself eligible to be transferred back to Iraq for combat duty at a flick of the pen, and guess what happened. Later this year he'll be back in the thick of it. They never told him.
The military pulls stuff like this daily.
i listened to that podcast too - it's fucked up - america treats our soldiers like shit, they treat the average american even worse… but the wealthy few enjoy major perks. i think congress should be given the same health care as the average american… maybe then we'd have coverage!
i'd love to watch the michael moore network too.
Whoa! Yes: There are abuses! Yes: Our Government needs to take better care of our injured/wounded military personnel. However, as the father of a soldier who was seriously injured in Afghanistan and as someone who — as a result — has met a LOT of injured/wounded troops and their family members, I can tell you that the Army is doing a lot for these guys. In fact, in talking to Viet Nam vets, I hear, "they didn't do this for us," meaning that the guys today are getting a LOT better care than their predecessors who fought in Viet Nam. In fact, since this war has started, the Army has actually come to recognize the importance of diagnosing and treating TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury). In the early days of the war, it was: hey you can walk and talk, so you don't have a problem. Now it is realized that TBI can range from mild to severe and that those with severe TBI can have problems such as headaches, deafness, and more. The soldiers I have run into at Walter Reed and other places have also been examined for PTSD and none is simply being pushed out without benefits. The Nation is HARDLY a troop-supporting magazine, come on, dude. Try reading something put out by the DAV, the American Legion, or the VFW. Is all peace and light? NO. Does the US take FAR better care of its injured/wounded troops than ANY OTHER country in the world? Yes. Take it from my son, who saw first hand how some of our European allies in Afghanistan treated him and others. Night and day. Night and day. Night and day. You simply have no idea. By the way, the private sector is helping, as well: the new rehab center (Center for Intrepid) at Brooke Army Medical Center was built with private money (many millions of dollars) donated by the Fisher Foundation. Trust me: If you have to be an injured or wounded warrior (and, of course, NO ONE does), you definitely want to have that experience wearing an American uniform.
While the majority of soldiers might not feel they have been screwed, many many of them have. Military divisions need to do a much better job of handling officers, because they are the ones who institute most of this garbage. In cases where unethical policy is passed down the the CO's however, serious reform needs to take place. There is no doubt the military needs a lot of reforming. But it isn't a totally inept institution; that is to say, it's not like American intelligence agencies.
If I had to be a soldier however, I'd rather be a soldier for Sweden, or the UK, or almost anywhere. Sweden because they aren't stupid enough to send valued people to die in impossible situation (not talking about Afghanistan). And the UK at least has a citizenry that stands up for its military in an earnest fashion. The Brits for the most part are not being cowed by mantras like "support the troops", "stand behind our President". True patriotism would be standing up for what is right in any scenario. I am patriotic to the idea of a puristic and just America, not a corrupt, selfish, moronic, and ineffectual president. France, who I know so many Americans hate only because American conservatives have told us to, make the government work for the people, not the other way around like in America. That is the type of country I would be a soldier for. France, the UK, even SWEDEN, have problems of course (though Sweden not much), and I am not at all saying I would fight a war for the likes of them instead of America, but I just wish Americans and our country itself would take on some of the intellectual and ideological battles first before standing behind immoral wars just because.