PROMOTING ARMY AND VET SUICIDES: "FRAMED" WITH BAD DISCHARGES
September 18, 2009 by Gordon Duff · 41 Comments
ARMY GIVES BAD DISCHARGES TO THOUSANDS OF PTSD VETS
BENEFIT DENIAL SCAM UPS SUICIDE RATES
By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER
It all began as a Bush era program, promoted by Dr. Sally Satel, the famed "PTSD denialist" putting thousands of soldiers at risk and pushing hundreds to suicide. Thousands of veterans lost all benefits, GI Bill, medical care and more through Army discharge scam, part of Neo-con "cost saving program"
How did it work? Simple. A very large percentage of combat vets with PTSD are problem drinkers, self medicating in the only way they can and, in the process, getting worse and worse. Re-Deployments of soldiers needing treatment only adds to the problem. When vets with severe PTSD demonstrate severe symptoms, including alcohol abuse, they are put in short and unproven "quit" programs with an extremely high failure rate. This is all part of a game, one invented to trap soldiers and cut costs.
Step 2 in the game, the Army "orders" the soldier not to drink, knowing the order itself is absurd. Real treatment for PTSD is denied. When the soldier drinks, and they always do, the soldier is arrested, jailed and charged, now get this, with disobeying a direct order, Article 34 and disrespect to an officer or non-com.
Sometimes even more charges are piled on. In the end, the deal is the same. Leave the army with nothing but years of honorable service now labeled as "dishonorable" or "bad conduct" and face civilian life crushed and abandoned by the country you risked your life to serve.
The Army learned the game from the VA. The VA denied PTSD diagnoses to Vietnam veterans used alcohol, claiming they couldn’t be diagnosed. Problem is, almost all PTSD vets use alcohol or drugs as self medication. End result, tens of thousands of Vietnam vets were denied diagnosis, treatment and compensation for decades with thousand dying as a result.
The basis of the Army policy is the Dr. Sally Satel "theory" that PTSD does not exist and all vets are fakers. Her beliefs, fringe "neo-con medicine" comes from a theory that soldiers and veterans are part of a non-productive social class that taxes a nations economic health as soon as they leave a combat zone. The end analysis supports the supposition that a disabled veteran and an illegal alien on welfare contribute exactly the same to the overall welfare of society.
Vets are leeches.
If Darwin meant for illegal aliens to survive, they would have been born in the United States, or as in the case of our warriors, they would have sought an occupation less dangerous, stressful and likely to bring about personal harm. Soldiers, through choosing to serve, prove themselves unworthy of survival in a society of the fittest. In some ways, this is a powerful arguement for Social Darwinism and Eugenics.
By that standard, our chickenhawks in Congress should dominate the food chain for a million years.
However, from a standpoint of loyalty, patriotism and support of our military forces during wartime, the concept sucks bigtime. Thank heavens nobody knows about this, not the Veterans Service Organizations, the ACLU, the Obama Administration or our officer corps of Service Academy graduates.
How can organizations whose purpose it is to protect and serve our military and veterans and the officers generously paid to care for our soldiers choose to look the other way while this has gone on so long, so openly and has done so much harm to so many?
What kind of people are these? How many Congressional offices are siting on complaints and requests for help? It is reasonable to say, every single one.
You have to admire the game. The Army has a cure for anything. Will they start walking up to amputees and ordering them to grow new limbs? "Soldier, regrow that hand immediately or we will put you in Leavenworth."
Sound funny?
Picture yourself, as one of thousands of vets with bad discharges. Picture yourself unable to get a defense or post office job. Picture yourself with no GI bill, no home loan, no PTSD treatment, no disability compensation, no insurance for your family, no education benefits for your children.
Picture what you did to earn this punishment. You fought for your country.
Picture the people who did this to you. They were bureaucrats, fatasses, accountants, paperpushers in the Pentagon who blackmailed you into signing everything away or spending years on administrative hold awaiting court martial for being sick.
How long will it take the Obama administration to find these vets, not really vets, since, no matter how much combat they saw or how much they served, they are no longer vets. They signed that away. You can’t be a vet with a bad discharge. Nice game, huh?
Will the VA start searching for them, finding how many are living under bridges, how many are unemployed and how many are dead? I don’t remember Secretary Shensiki mentioning that one.
Did Secretary Gates mention that he was going to offer a blanket review of all bad discharges to make sure the military didn’t create a sick game to victimize our troops? Are they being contacted, brought in, getting legal help and medical evaluations?
What are we doing to undo this criminal misconduct on the part of the Department of Defense? Maybe, if we wait long enough, they will all give up or die. It has always worked well in the past, why give up a successful approach.
Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran and regular contributor on political and social issues.
Gordon:
You bring up many, many good points. I spent almost 25 years on active duty in Coast Guard administration / personnel. This most definitely happens throughout the armed forces. I can personally vouch for that.
Once a commanding officer or an executive officer decides that Sargent Joe Blow or Petty Officer Mike Dokes is no longer an asset virtually anything can happen to that young person’s career. Anything.
I saw this sort of thing every week in the Coast Guard and once I got to be an E-7 I even was able to stop a few injustices like this, but only a few. I paid for it dearly as a warrant officer, but I was able to stop a few more.
But the armed forces is so heavily top down in all of its regulations, enforcement apparatus and traditions that it is virtually a legal monarchy. Whatever the C.O/X.O. want to happen they can legally force to happen. Justice does not enter the picture. Ever.
The problem with the UCMJ is that it is not really a code of law like civilian legal codes. It does not exist to administer justice. It openly admits in all of its many manuals and administrative and punitive facets that it exists for good order and discipline. It makes no claim to be a justice system. It is about forcing Private Jones to do exactly what Sargent Smith orders him to do…or Jones pays a high price.
I cannot count the hundreds of times I sat in the C.O or X.O.’s office and was lectured by the man on "I want this to happen….." or "I want that to happen….." and after I would explain that there was no venue for that in Coast Guard regulations or under the UCMJ I would get a cold look and hear something like "I don’t care. Make it happen. Now get out of here!". I cannot count the times. That is a fact.
I saw a Second Class Subsistence Specialists thrown out of the Coast Guard with eight years active duty for being fifty pounds overweight. She got a General Discharge. The same command in Philadelphia kept on unlimited weight program monitoring a reserve Commander who was at least one hundred pounds overweight. This occurred at exactly the same time that the cook was thrown out of the Service.
When I pointed this out to the Executive Officer (I was the Admin Chief and Chief of Personnel at the time) he told me to mind my own business. He and I later had a major problem with each other. But that is a story for another day.
The bottom line is this: a military commander in the Armed Forces of the United States has almost godlike powers under the UCMJ. He can do whatever he damned well pleases. You are kidding yourself if you think otherwise. And in a combat situation, he has the power to decide whether or not a discipline problem lives or dies. On the spot. No arguments. Bang…you are dead. No one is going to question him. That is a cold stone fact.
Hundreds and hundreds of times I saw C.O.s and X.O.s that I worked for directly make decisions based on personal preference, personal prejudice or they deliberately manipulated a situation to suit their own biases about an event, a person or an institution. When you work shoulder to shoulder with O-6s and Rear Admirals, you get a look at the Service that few people get. It ain’t pretty. It is more Machiavellian than you can possibly imagine.
If they want you screwed because they do not like your Philadelphia accent or you street guy mannerisms, your career is dead. Period.
I saw this too many times to think otherwise.
CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)
I don’t know every major or col. that gave me crap seemed to have problems with their careers or at least their pay records wound up in Panama or nato Hq in France or some other place…………. pay back is a bitch and real easy if you know your way around the system.
I’m glad to finally hear this and see it in writing. All of us Vets and everyone in the Military have known this.
The second One speaks up, that individual is LABLED, and marked. The best advice for those in the Military and those out, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, YOUR HEAD DOWN AND GET OVER, ON THE GOVERNMENT EVERY CHANCE YOU GET, if you need medical care LIE to get what you need. Our Government and the PRESIDENT LIE many times daily in the normal function of their job. All Police Officers, Attorneys and all officials LIE, INORDER TO BETTER THEIR POSISTION FOR THEIR OWN BENIFIT. If anyone believes differently, READ HISTORY, then go see a shrink, because YOU ARE CRAZY. Islam offers an answer to all those suffering from abusive civilian Government. Die with Pride and TAKE AS MANY WITH YOU AS YOU CAN! Do not let any Government steal your life away. THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO GET TO HEAVEN. The Civilian Army is everywhere; everyone OF THEM, “is” an enemy of FREEDOM, your freedom. If one commits suicide, YOU WILL BE DEAD. If one commits suicide and takes some a S s Holes with then they are dead, WHY LEAVE ALONE?
Good set of comments with one minor suggestion.
I suspect that suggesting people become terrorists is a terms of service problem.
Thus, it is policy at Veterans Today that no reader is allowed to kill any government officials.
g
NOT “TERRORISTS” ! Cost saving measures to Government. But “FREEDOM FIGHTERS” Only the few choose their TIME. The Brave and the WISE.
Hey duff could we just wing em ?
In the Fight to end corrupt Government, there individual self guided weapons, each is self fueling and hs capibilities to seek and destroy targets on a sole choice of selection, each has land and air capibilities, each has unlimited memory capicity. THIS WEAPON IS CALLED “SUCIDAL SOLDIER” APPROACH WITH CAUTION.
Yeah I agree with Barnes because I’ve had it turned on me too. Fortunately I was able to TDY for two years until I decided it was time to go (early discharge). It isn’t pretty and I’ve seen some good friends go that just needed a little help but i couldn’t stretch that far. I thought about it for awhile but couldn’t decide which it was, 1.) I picked all the ones that needed help or 2.) maybe I was just like ‘Dirty Harry’, it didn’t pay to be friends with me. So I ended up keeping very much to myself (a loner). On the way I picked up a lot of experience but the costs were high.
Those that sacrafice them selfs Represent a waste of flesh. Those that move for FREEDOM. Are set FREE. Only the Brave. Only the Few. No longer can Citizens gather in homes and organize against a Corrupt Government. Choices of independent heroism execuited with focused purpose is the only way to get freedom and the only way to keep freedom. Encourage your local MC Donalds employee to put crap in the food police and Attorneys Purchase. In My area the Latinos put cigatette ashes in the food they serve to who they do not like, it gives stomac cancer. America is being Attacked and the people are losing.
I know when you articulate the term Government, “IT needs to be broke down. The United States is divided into KINGDOMS (called Counties) Each County has a KING (the one that calls the shots) ordering Law enforcement Armies on State payroll. These KINGS are ATTORNEYS (given a name) some are called States Attorneys Others are called District Attorneys, (Many are called Generals) in all wars the best target is the chain of Command. Thing is in this chain of command there are many many HITLERS chomping at the bit for their opportunity to exercise their Authority over those they choose (the choice is in the laws they choose to order enforcement of) and the profiles they choose to order reined in. YES it is the ATTORNEYS, of all things regulated in this time of financial controversy, NOT ONE GOVERNMENT BILL HAS BEEN PUT OUT TO REGULATE ATTORNEY FEES. THEY ARE THE ENEMY. NOW TARGET IS IDENTIFIED.
Ummmm….errr….ahhhh….well, violence is of course always an option, but not a very good one, eh?
You see any particular veteran might be deranged enough to use violence against "the government" but the problem is, even in our corrupt corporate manipulated oligarchy of Reich Wing and Left Wing elites, trying to actually find and identify "the government" can be damned near impossible. It is a phrase more than it is a reality.
Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols were apparently part of a clutch of veterans with a grudge against "the government". They used a truck bomb to punctuate their point. All kinds of innocents were killed. Whatever their mission was, I would say that they failed. And "the government" just kept on keepin’ on. There was no effect whatsoever on slowing down "the government" by killing innocents and damaging over a hundred buildings in Oklahoma City by using a truck bomb.
Saying "the government" is like saying "the Middle Ages". The speaker can mean almost anything with that phrase.
Hell, just this week in the Washington Post there was a big article about how the FBI and the ATF, two huge federal police agencies, work against each other as best they can day in and day out. Apparently the agents have professional problems with each other and they are constantly causing trouble for the other guy’s agency at crime scenes. If two major federal law enforcement agencies headquartered less than two miles apart in D.C. cannot get along in a simple crime scene investigation on a routine basis, what in the hell are we actually talking about when we claim to have a grudge against "the government"? There is no such thing.
And that is the problem for us as veterans, as Americans, as citizens.
"The government" is a sort of loosely allied conglomeration of interests groups, elected officials, paid bureaucrats, unpaid advocates, highly paid lobbyists and yes, even you and me, the overburdened and under informed taxpayer. In reality, "the government" utlimately comes down to the guy who holds the check book…and that ultimately comes down to you and me. So you want to get angry at someone? Go into the bathroom and look in the mirror. THERE is the problem with American government. The guy that is staring back at you is the ultimate problem here.
I heard a senator say once on national television, "The problem with democracy is that it takes up too many evenings." He was right. In order for democracy to work, government officials must get constant feedback and direction from the taxpayer.
And THAT brings me to my entire point in this rambling diatribe.
E-mail is a blessing that the taxpayer never fully appreciates. It is an electronic hand that can reach out and touch all levels of government officials with a ten minute investment in a four paragraph email on virtually any subject. The "send" button gives you more power than you can possible imagine. And veterans rarely use that power relative to telling their point of view to their elected officials.
If every one of the 22.9 million veterans alive in the USA in the Summer of 2009 sent one email a week to their elected officials telling them clearly, briefly and smartly exactly what the problem is and suggesting a solution, we would be the most powerful bloc of taxpaying citizens that the world has ever seen. Ever. No one could compete against us for "government" attention.
The squeeky wheel truly does get the grease.
E-mail is the veteran’s gift from the gods. Lets use it.
I have sat in government offices and watched elected officials read and react to email. It is a wonderful thing to see.
Use it.
CWO3 Tom Barnes, USCG (Ret.)
Folks in the Michigan Militia and Wolverines thought McVeigh was an FBI plant.
g
i’m not convinced they are/were wrong.
the sad part many of us are the government after we leave the military, I became a letter carrier thats is the govt everytime the price of stamps went up I was the govt face the people yelled at rofl like it was my fault the price of stamps went up…..
we are the government and we are still losing
VT is being loaded down with "vets" contacting us with the exactly same problem, over and over. It isn’t just that we all know its going on, we know so many of these vicitims personally.
Once I get a call, I can tell the victim exactly how it went.
I am certain the Pentagon sent out memos to commanders on how eliminate costs by putting PTSD sufferers into the legal system.
Alcohol is perfect. Almost any PTSD behavior can get someone court martialed, though.
This is just their favorite.
g
Your expression that “WE ARE THE GOVERNMENT”, Not in this 21st Century. only a fools folly to belive such “BULL SHIT” Government is the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, designed by an AIRSTOCRACY shoed in as an ELECTED LEADERSHIP. Most are Attorneys, The rest are form fitted thru testing overtime, molded minds to fit the needs of “CORPORACRACY” moving America step by step down the prim rose path to SOCALISM. Isn’t it time to stop yapping and start acting ? ENGOURAGE any and all to to B.A.G.S.
The Real thing 9-19-09
Peter Macdonald 465 Packers falls Rd Lee NH 03824 603-659-6217
The Boston Red Sox and the VA are starting a program to help veterans with PTSD. Granted I do give credit for the effort to help veterans but the mental and physical affects of war have been around since the beginning of time. The Veterans Today web page reminded me that I witnessed the game that the announcement was made at. What is traumatic brain injury and PTSD? Can a U.S. Military Veteran suffer from both at the same time? Does the system label the veteran that comes forward and asks for help a fake, a crybaby, even though the symptoms are obvious and demanding help? Army Dr Sally Satel claims, “PTSD does not exist and all veterans are fakers”. The Veterans Hospital in Manchester NH does not recognize the symptoms of PTSD or TBI because unless forced to treat they pass off the veteran or ignore the veteran to save face with politicians like Shea-Porter. Can a 100% disabled Veteran be aware of what he is saying to claim such terrible criminal acts committed by a system like the VA and elected officials. Our society claims to start all these initiatives to help veterans but the one thing that is left out of the picture is the veteran. Granted you will wave a few veterans to the news media but you do not see the thousands and thousands of veterans. There is a code among the U.S. Military veterans that you do not talk about over there back here. The reason the code exists is because of the stigma that society places on those willing to talk about the horrific acts committed in the name of freedom that we are proud of. If you speak to a VA Doctor most likely you will end up on drugs and be made a success statistic. The code if not picked up while serving, you soon learn after discharge because of societies brutal attitude if they hear.
I lived a happy life until I volunteered my time to help a Madbury NH family with zoning problems. I found isolation during times that I relived my actions keeping my family and friends from my actions in the Marine Corps. The silent demons disrupted my life but nothing compared to the degrading and humiliation of the NH government when they used it to attempt to silence my free speech. The newspapers take great pride in waving the Constitution to protect their free speech but censor the public when it expresses criminal wrongs in our government. The VA stopped my medical care to help Shea-Porter stop my opinion letters. It does not matter because so many times in the thirty years back attempting to take my life when returning from my isolated trip to that other world has failed. Some day maybe I will get it right. I have four service related disabilities. Three are combat related. TBI and PTSD are two of them. The VA knowingly with intent to do harm has brushed me off. The Newspapers have shunned me. The NH governor charges me money to speak to him about this but we never talk. My TBI has left me with no memory of prior to the Marine Corps and I forget parts of my life daily.
I see what the VA and the Boston Red Sox are doing as a positive step but raising the news media awareness to another program will boost sales so they can claim that it was a successful economic stimulus event.
Peter Macdonald Sgt USMC Semper Fi
Dr. Sally Satel, and some others, have done more damage to the efforts of trying to get everyone to understand the devastation of PTS, not only in Combat Soldiers, and it happens to the least suspected it might to a possible recognition in some that may be more prone to develope, but also in the civilian populations to those who experience extreme traumatic events in their lives, the latter just now seemingly to be better understood.
And they, cheney/bush and repub. congress, took and raised her to the top of the heap as her policies and thoughts fit well with their wants, creating much more damage to the soldiers, much of it already seen previously with our brothers returning from the long occupation of Vietnam.
Luckily, with this technology, the fight for better understanding is on a more fast track then before and those like Satel, hopefully, will be greatly marginalized, and stopped from damaging the efforts forward!!
They’ll do anything to screw you so they don’t have to pay. I’ve spent many, many months on my husband’s claim for a time where there are hardly Any records at all in this war. Excellent research. Easy to understand. The American Legion Rep at the V.A. State office said ‘Hurry up and get your info in!’ Then he takes two month long extension. He keeps saying that I can’t do anything more. Don’t do anymore research. THEN, Ta-Da!!!!! He’s done! And he turned all of my work into garbage. Our youngest could have done a better job when she was in the 2nd grade. EVERY form was totally wrong in a gross amount of ways, each and every form. My work was ‘reformatted’ to be off set with the pages and with the wrong numbers then the Table of Contents. Evidence that I, me, had researched and collected was: papers that had nothing to do with anything in files or wrong files. And get this, my husband’s claim is almost decade(s) old… and this is more than his third try. AND we are RESUBMITTING the same info as last time – that the V.A. said it was ‘too vague to substantiate’ – but I did the research just fine and this is what we have Briefly: MAJOR proof of being combat and in non-stop intense battle for 6 months, THREE mortar attacks exactly when and where he said in last attempt, (they were Very close), two incidents involving Americans troops being killed and wounded. One of these, I found everything in only twenty minutes and only my husband’s account, that he gave last attempt, has ALL of the facts given by the sources. He was one of few American eyewitnesses. This is a handful of the many incidents and Very sanitized. EVERYONE CHECK THE REP’S WORK!!! AND DO IT BEFORE THE LAST MINUTE IN CASE YOU END UP HAVING TO DO YOUR OWN CLAIM BY A DEADLINE. I could tell more, but don’t want to whine.
Well, back to work. I have a deadline to make.
Bush again huh!!! Well, what about Vietnam vets, to you blame that on Bush as well. Or how about while Clinton was President, didn’t he send our troops into harms way then back out, cutting and running as fast as he could.
Didn’t Clinton Strip the retire armed forces of their health benefits? You bet your butt he did, didn’t Clinton strip the Armed forces so low in personnel that we barley had enough to defend ourselves? You bet he did.
Because of Clinton and his admin we had to use the Guard and Reseerve’s be put on active duty to fight the fight “Active Duty” was suppose to do. Didn’t the Clinton Admin put such resrictions on our troops that they are accountable for over 1,000 of our troops deaths so far in Iraq and Afgan and now they have put more resrictions therefore causing more deaths (the reason I say the Clinton admin is because most are still in Congress and the Senate, thank god kennedy died or there would be more)
My son is Guard in New York (69th Inf now, his old unit out of New York cased their colors after return from Iraq in 2005) anyhow since 2001 he has spent 8 out of the 9 yrs on active duty for the guard and still is today. Now thank the Clinton admin for that, for their complete breakdown in the Intell area and not doing a damn thing except screw interns (the whole democrat and liberal congress was having a party every damn night, Kennedy was a fav at the local bar, giving hints to his relatives of how to commit rape and get away with it) The of course his last big cover-up for his drunk, doper son the Congressman who was just pull out of rehab AGAIN (God how many times now) to vote on a bill he NEVER even seen let alone read.
Na, you Bush haters, just DON’T want to look pass Bush for fear of what you might find..ever given it any thougth of what Berger stole out of the classify libeary for Clinton? I bet it would have buried Clinton up to his eyeballs in Iraq and 9/11…Iraq has WMD’s clinton and his admin swore up and down to include the vote to go into Iraq and Afgan.
I know Bush lied..but tell me where did he get these lies from? Clinton and his admin thats who…
Did you ever consider some of us dislike/distrust them all? bush just stands out because he was so brazenly corrupt. Many of your posts seem to defend him and I don’t understand why. We have enough prison space for all of them but we need investigations and government transparency so we can figure out which ones belong there. We won’t get those if large portions of the population continue to defend his presidency.
Regarding the history of vets getting screwed by presidental administratons and congress. That has gone on since Rosevelt took away judical review for vets in 1933 and congress told the VA to be vauge in its denials to vets.
I go back to the Ford administraton when i was labled PD when in fact I had more serious diagnosis that was compensatabel but denieed for 25 years.
The government does not want to pay disabled veterans. We all know that. Only those who dont play the game as the VA has rigged it to be played. Those vets get the benifits.
Veterans who try to spell it out what tactics the VA uses and how to beat them. I have been thrown out of Hadit.com, VBN and assulted on this web site with name calling. SOme of us know the secretes. I only wish this site would stop deleating half of my messages.
Terry
Gordon,
This is one damn fine article! Thank you for writing about an issue that has been plaguing my mind and that I had yet to write about.
With best regards and thanks for your continued service…
Fmr. Capt. Luis Carlos Montalvan, USA
In as brief as possible, I will tell a story of just how the US Army and DOD are letting us as vets down. Also how many of ya’ll know about the 1997 Force Health Protection Law, PL 105-85, Section 761-771? This law requires the military to provide pre- and post-deployment medical exams to all service members.
This is the account of myself: As an E-7 with a TS/SCI security clearance, V identifier and Spec Ops Support Identifier. I was assigned to 2nd BN 7thSFG(A), and while going through a nasty divorce after 19 years of marriage experienced the following. As an added note, the [Judge Kimberly K. Tucker] in Cumberland County NC found my ex guilty of illicit sexual behavior prior to the date of separation and denied her alimony for life with Prejudice.
Back up in time to May 2002, when an incident occurred where I was enroute to an appointment at WOMACK on Fort Bragg, NC. I saw my ‘to-be-ex’ sitting down awaiting an appointment as I walked down a hallway; I said nothing & continued to walk until my ‘to-be-ex’ spoke to me. Afterwards I walked away. {Note: we’re in the middle of a nasty divorce}, My to-be-ex’s “friend” began calling me on my cell phone (guess where he got the #?) During these calls to me I decided that I would record them as he was threatening my life with comments like: “I’m going to put a bullet in you”. I’d had finally had enough of these threats and filed charges against him. I notified my chain of command of the repeated incidents and requested my 1SG sign documentation that I was taking a concealed handgun carry class to receive a permit – due to the threats, for self protection while off-post. ** For the record – GET an honest tally of SF guys and you will find a large number that are carrying all the time, and without a permit, and leave those Privately Owned Weapons in their respective POV’s during the work day “on a military installation”
After my appointment @ WOMACK and back at the team room I get a call to come see the 1SG, and I comply and of course my ex not only violated one of the many written court orders not to have contact with my chain of command, she also falsified a government record by her ‘statement’. Well, so much for court orders when it involves the female. My POV was searched and my POW was in there.
Ok, I’m then by force (not physical) admitted to WOMACK, (I spend 4 days there) and here all along my chain of command is aware most SF guys carry 100% of the time, and they also know I’m being threatened by some quack and have a restraining order in an attempt to keep this guy at a distance.
After my release from the hospital I go to my “OFF-POST RESIDENCE” – things don’t look right, so I call Hope Mills Police Department, and Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigators; Long story short the fingerprints of Cpt Tom Snead, 1Lt Kenneth Rutka, and 1SG Brian Bernard are found inside and outside of my “OFF-POST RESIDENCE” At this point, the three have violated both civilian law and UCMJ.
I then made complaints and filed charges with Fort Bragg MPI, and CID, followed by complaint and charges with the SOCOM IG, then to the XVIIIth Airborne Corp Command and Commander of Fort Bragg. Needless to say “Uncle” protects his own.
Ok, while in WOMACK a Command Directed psychological exam is done by LTC Peduto. LTC Peduto states, and puts in writing that I meet all the requirement for retention by the AR, yet somehow he contradicts himself and recommends discharge for “Personality Disorder”. On my DD214 that reason is placed in the box for Reason For Discharge. Now we all know that there are some 24,000+ soldiers the Army alone has dumped with that “Reason for Discharge”. To a totally excessive amount all of these are denied any benefits – Nice way for Uncle to get in the last screw job on a soldier. Yes, I also had bogus crap made up against me during this time – even my buddies and team mates could see it and ask me why I wasn’t doing anything about it. I tried but the Jag officer I talked to didn’t have a set of balls, i.e. He was afraid the system would do the same to him.
The V.A. in El Paso, TX is where I go for care. I began going there in January of 2003 as I had to sell the ‘former marital residence in Hope Mills, NC. I now drive from Alpine, as it is now my home. The BHS people state something to the affect: “You don’t have a Personality Disorder, you have and demonstrate PTSD symptoms. Ok, you guessed it, I put in a claim and it was denied. Yet all this time from January 2003 to present I’ve been receiving counseling and medications for PTSD, and continue to this very day.
Then in April of 2009 the V.A. in El Paso decides to screen me for TBI, their playing catch-up (I’m told is a directive they received for thousands upon thousands of soldiers) The El Paso V.A. now proclaims me to now as have “Service-Connected TBI”. They follow that up by placing me on a National Registry for TBI Veterans. I’ve put in the claim and provided all the documentation ask for (2 additional request after the initial claim submitted, **** I expect they will also deny that claim.
WHERE is the justice? I know that I’m not the only veteran with problems like these. I even received by mailing – a “flyer-type thing” from Congressman Ciro D. Rodriquez (who makes big claims to be ‘looking out for the veteran’. On the cover of this document is a picture of Monroe Ray Hendrix – who from the caption, and I quote: “had tried unsuccessfully to get help from the VA since 1971 for PTSD and diabetes-related illness. Then Congressman Rodriguez took his case. Now, Hendrix and his wife Rosemary will get the help they need, including back medical pay totaling $30,0000 and monthly benefits”. Thanks in advance for a workable solution. SFC Robert T. Wooster, Sr. P.O. Box 623 Alpine, TX 79831 rngrbird@hotmail.com
same Cols., Gnes., Adms., and seniros NCO’s are going to their parties, social gatherings where booze is the choice of the event, and then piss on the junior enlisted men. Bunch of “F-ing” hippocties is what they are. That includes the gutless eclected officals of this nation.
forgot to put my name on the above entry
I do wholeheartedly believe in PTSD. That being said, it does seems as if there is a disproportionate amount of PTSD cases as compared to other campaigns, wars or whatever you want to label OIF/OEF. Is the next generation of soldiers and sailors a bunch of sissy-boy pants? Oops, should I have said that aloud? Here comes the fireworks. By the way Duff, you are not a Patriot, if’n you ask me. Left is not right!
Good Evening Guys,
Good post Duff and good follow up comments by Barnes. For Dennis Rick, you are correct this didn’t start with Bush (43). I first saw it in the 1980 when the weasel David Stockman under Reagan cut off all substance abuse treatment. I personally saw Veterans who came for scheduled clinics who were upset that they had been canceled take away in hand cuffs. Substance abuse is as Duff said a possible sign of PTSD or even part of the condition itself.
But I can’t give all the credit to Reagan. When Clinton came into office treatment for SA started to come back, but again was trashed when the VA decided to give benefits for AO. The Clintons wanted a zero sum transition so the SA’s were transitioned out.
A note here on SA. When the VA has the funds and can provide treatment, they do a good job. The VA’s successful 1 and 2 year recovery rates tend to be double that of other programs including the high priced celebrity private clinics.
My only problem with the current VA program of PTSD treatment is that a Veteran has to be clean and sober for six to twelve months before the VA will address the PTSD. As Duff indicated the SA is part of the PTSD and should be treated as such.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
The explicit policy from Central Office VA changed the required sobriety rule about a year ago. Now the facility MUST accept diagnosed PTSD cases for treatment even if they have Substance Use Disorder, AND treat the dual diagnosis of PTSD/SUD concurrently, in parallel. Its likely there are some rogue hospitals or programs out there, so here is an offer: if you or other readers have a specific case with recent dates and details, send it to the Duffster. He should be able to locate my email, and I would be happy to intervene, and kick some ass if necessary. Being retired and knowing a lot of people can be a gift at times.
A general note: The Duffster is correct, and so are the majority of responders, except for those who forgot their tinfoil hat today. I testified for PTSD and against Sally, and Tony Principi gave me permission to use my full text, that others were trying to censor. Rob Simmons (R-CT) was very understanding: no wonder after two tours of VN. Unfortunately Sally’s AEI connections and friendship with Lynn Cheney gave her a lot of influence, until the poor advice these right wingers gave to poor Mr Nicholson led to his embarassment and downfall. A decent but gullible guy. Jim Peake was brought in to clean up the PTSD mess, and he began to do so. Not surprising: the man was severely wounded and could not continue with the 101st, so he became a surgeon, and a very good commander and Army Surgeon General indeed. He asked me to lecture the American Medical Student Association on PTSD and TBI, despite what the flunkies must have been whispering in his ear about me. Shinseki only has to talk to his old subordinate (he knows Peake well) to get a doctor and combat paratrooper views on PTSD. Shinseki probably does not need much coaching: he introduced the Army Suicide prevention Program when he was COS. (Then it was junked, once they pushed him out.) My only problem with Shinseki is the slow pace he set to root out the incompetents and burrowed in hacks from VACO. Keep up the pressure, Duff!!!
a very general comment on the tone of discussions on these pages, which I enjoy immensely except for a few dements or demagogues:If veterans want to have influence, they should fill both parties with competent people. Otherwise the left and right loonies will continue to dominate the discussion nationally. In 35 years in VA and ten in USAR MC I have served good patriots from both parties, and total idiots as well (actually I did not ’serve’ the latter: like Barnes I managed quite well to blunt some really stupid ideas, and save quite a few veterans from injustice. The VARO’s dont like me much….)
Good Evening Tom,
Out here in San Diego as of July the word hasn’t gotten out, The PTSD clinic I attended they were still culling SA’s from PTSD treatment, but that had noting to do with the processing of their disability claims. The policy, at lest out here in The Democratic Peoples Republic of Kaleefornia is that The disability claim process and the treatment process as tow issues and are not dependent on either for support. The purpose of course was that treatment can start immediately while claims process will take months, which kinda makes sense to me.
I hope that what you say will filter down to our local VA, SA is a major problem with returning Veterans as well as older Vietnam era Veterans. Our local PTSD over the past eight years has went from two working but medically uncertified staffers to three clinically certified MD’s and some half dozen non clinical staffers, mostly Phd candidates from UCSD. I would have to cut them some slack in getting the years of neglect washed out of the system and the separation of SA’s might reflect the lack of personal and facilities to handle these tow problems together.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
Mr Skinner,
I agree with you, this whole thing didn’t start with Bush, so I wish those out there in cyberland would stop blaming him for our current problems and the ineffectivenes of the VA. Bush is just one in a long line of presidents that created what we have today. I truly don’t believe one president and his administration can fix or right the wrongs of the past in one or two terms.
I understan that this is a terrible thing to have happen.
However, I think that the OP is a terrible person and does not know what he is talking about. Just a few weeks ago, he posted an article that said the V.A. was a loving, caring, wonderful place to go when you are discharged from the Military, and that they don’t have any such means of saving money, nor are there any suicide or death squads throughout the V.A.
It is about time that his idiot gets himself a real job and a life.
A pyhoney PD diagnosis should not stop any veteran from getting testing at the VA. Many times those with PTSD do have PD aquried due to circumstances of service. GOvernment hides behind phoney PD or real PD diagnosis so no treatment can occure.
To beat that and get VA testing. Just say your psych symptoms have gotten worse. You have a right to free medical care within 2 to 5 years at the VA. Any psych problems found at the VA will get you compensaton if sever enouogh.
Document now. The VA is trying to run the clock out so they can say you have no documentaton what so ever proving your claim.
Terry
This web site really sheds light on what problems veterans face. What is lacking is stratigys on how to get around this army and VA BS
IF you really want to help these vets. Please share with us your ideas on how they get there comp with these kind of strikes against them.
Terry
Terry: Your Question answered. “Soldiers who act before discharge have more rights then after. All can be rated medically and collect. If I disclose how it is done here in the open, THAT ACTION WILL RUIN IT FOR ALL THOSE WIZE ENOUGH TO COLLECT.
Dear liberty.
Its sad that you would leave behind a vet who you think is un wise.
Myself I help all vets. Especially those who dont have a clue.
Terry
A lot of this was done to Vietnam vets under Nixon, thye were pushing vets out of the military on phoney medical discharges. No legal councilors were assigned, members were not at PEB hearings. Mine was suppose to have been at Ft. Gordan a place I have never been and there are no travel orders sending me there, yet the paperwork says I was and gave no evidence on my behalf, well yes I wasn’t there!
No legal councilor and no signature from me or my supposed legal councilor, only one item on the discharge a rating of 10% for a lymphatic condition that the VA now says is Agent Orange.
Nothing about PTSD or a Spinal Injury. And so far no answer from Gen. Sensike or President Oboma on this matter, only a letter from the BCMR of the Army wanting me to put infor my missing metals, why bother. With them or without them I can now get a senior coffee at Mc Donalds.
as we move along here, i’m thinking we need a glossary, or something, to explain what some of these acronyms are. i try to follow along, but it gets tough sometimes.
FORGET IT THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS WE ENLISTED VETERANS ARE NOT BEING HIRED THERE IS SO MUCH DISCRIMINATION COMMING FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THE FACTS ARE ALL THERE LOOK AT THE DAV FACTS N THE VA THEY ONLY HIRED 30 PERCENT VETERANS. THE DISCRIMINATION IS BEING DONE BY ARE OWN GOVERNMENT AND THEY TELL YOU TO THE DOL/VETS THERE WORTHLESS THERE TO BUSY TO DO ANYTHING. THEY WILL DENY YOU CAE AND TELL YOU TO GO THE MSPB BOARD WHERE YOU HAVE TO HIRE A BLOOD SUCKING LAWYER TO FIGHT FOR YOU SO YOU CAN GET A GOVERNMENT JOB, THEY WANT YOU YOU TO GIVE ANOTHER ARM LEG MONEY TOO SO YOU CAN GET A GOVERNMENT JOB. THEY WILL LOSE YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS ANY DENY YOUR COMPOENSATIONS, THE VA IS A RACKET BY THE GOVERNMENT TO SCREW VETERANS OVER. I WOULD NOT SERVE AT ALL OF WHAT I SEEN YOU HAVE TO BE BRAIN DEAD IF YOU WANT TO SERVE THEY TREAT US DOG POOP ON SOMEONE SHOES. THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS THEY ARE DISCRIMINATING AND THEY DON’T CARE JUST GO READ THE FEDERAL TIMES ARTICEL CALLED SNUBIING VETERAN PREFERNCE IS A JOKE IT HAS MORE LOOP HOLES THEN A SPEGETTI STRAINER. THE BEST THING TO DO JUST BE LIKE BUSH AND CLINTON STAY HOME AND AND SAY HELL TO SERVING AND YOU TOO CAN BE PRESIDENT