Afghan, Iraq Vets Flood VA System

When Willie Buckels applied for veterans health care after returning from Iraq, the back and knee injuries he suffered while rescuing a fuel truck during a mortar attack were not enough to guarantee him treatment.

The Mississippi reservist had to bring along Army paperwork proving his combat service because the Veterans Affairs Department still lacks a computer system that tracks a new applicant's service record.

More than a half-century ago, soldiers who fought in World War II were showing similar paper documents to ensure they got medical care.

"I took my paperwork, showed it to the VA, they got me in the system, got me an ID card and made appointments for doctors," said Buckels, who did not complain about his experience.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/05/17/health/main617912.shtml

...sadly

as they underestimated the number of head injuries..Wait til these guys get sick from the DU that's over there..Not a pretty picture, plus what it's going to do for generations to come.

unfortunately there are many more stories like this waiting to be exposed...
:eyes:

that they are about to eliminate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in the VA system.

He and some other NY area vets went to DC and met their Senators and Reps on this--about all the details I have so far.

Obviously, at least to me, PTSD is going to be rampant once we get the hell out of this quagmire and down the road.

They are planning some sort of demonstration in NY. Details when I have them.

for the heads-up that the VA may be about to eliminate PTSD treatment. I'll very much look forward to any additional details.

Meanwhile, I found this recent testimony before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Some of the information and recommendations are chilling, especially one scholar's testimony that "enlightened skepticism is in order" when dealing with vets claiming PTSD.

I checked out the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Extremely conservative, which would explain the following testimony:

http://www.aei.org/news/newsID.20106/news_detail.asp

... even for the chickenhawk neocons.

It took me years to get over the slight PTSD that I had, and I know many who never were able to work or have relationships after Vietnam.

I knew before the war, and told everybody I could, that the vets would get boned on this thing.

So much for the "Support our troops" crowd.

I have a close friend who continues to suffer from PTSD, now 35 years after completing his "tour" of Vietnam. He currently receives treatment through the VA, and the conversations he has with his therapist (who was not yet born when he was dodging bullets in Southeast Asia) would be comical if they weren't so seriously sad. For example, when he complains that he's afraid to go to sleep for fear of having nightmares, she asks, "How much coffee are you drinking?"

This same friend assures me that the number of Vietnam-era PTSD victims will PALE in comparison to the number produced by the war in Iraq.

I'm trying to figure out which bill before the House Committee on Veterans Affairs would reduce or eliminate funding for PTSD treatment. If I find that information, I'll post a link here.

Thanks for caring. This is serious business.

From the cited article:
"Mental disorders were diagnosed in 16 percent of the Afghanistan eterans and 15 percent of the Iraqi veterans."

"Nearly 18,000 soldiers who have returned from Iraq have sought care at VA health facilities, officials reported at the end of March. A separate report in mid-April said 4,000 troops from the war in Afghanistan sought care, although there is some overlap from those who served in both conflicts."

"About 60 percent of the Iraq veterans and 84 percent of those from Afghanistan who sought VA care came from the National Guard and Reserves."

(.16 x 4,000) + (.15 x 18,000) = 640 + 2700 = 3340

Are going to clean up for the next few years. If you know a veteran with PTSD and many will have it, they need to see a traumatologist. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a proven technique for PTSD and it really does help. The problem for therapists already over there and working with soldiers who have it, is that helping them get through it, means that often soldiers can go right back into the meat grinder. A good traumatologist will tell the soldier this before he begins treatment. But no matter what, this war will be a nightmare for many vets for many years.

Bush's policy towards vets is that they should have died instead of ETSing.