The
Veterans Affairs Department is currently reviewing approximately
one-third of the cases of veterans who are receiving disability
benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After conducting an
internal study, the VA believes that they were too lenient in deciding
which soldiers were eligible for PTSD benefits. Last year, the VA spent
$4.3 billion on PTSD disability payments, and the VA hopes to reduce
these payments by revoking PTSD benefits for many veterans. This will
be the final insult to soldiers who were asked to fight a war in Iraq
on false premises.
Owing
to the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of veterans receiving
compensation for PTSD has increased by almost 80 percent in the last
five years. By comparison, the number of veterans receiving
compensation for all other types of disabilities increased by only 12
percent. Under the guidelines of the current review, soldiers who
cannot prove that a specific incident, known as a "stressor," was
sufficient to cause PTSD, their benefits will be revoked. Given the
nature of warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan, it's not surprising that
many returning soldiers are suffering from mental illness.
In
the July 2004 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, Colonel
Charles W. Hoge, MD, the chief of psychiatry at Walter Reed Army
Institute, published a preliminary study of the effects of the war in
Iraq and Afghanistan on military personnel. The study concluded that
close to 20 percent of soldiers who served in Iraq and approximately 12
percent of those who served in Afghanistan returned home suffering from
PTSD. The study found that there is a clear correlation between combat
experience and the prevalence of PTSD. The study determined that "Rates
of PTSD were significantly higher after combat duty in Iraq."
Approximately
86 percent of soldiers in Iraq were involved in combat, as were 31
percent in Afghanistan. On average, soldiers engaged in two firefights
for each tour of duty.
The
study indicated that 95 percent of soldiers had been shot at. And 56
percent of soldiers had killed an enemy combatant. An estimated 28
percent were directly responsible for the death of a civilian. Equally
grim, 94 percent had seen or handled corpses or bodily remains.
Additionally, 68 percent witnessed fellow soldiers being killed or
seriously wounded.
Although
the number of soldiers suffering from PTSD is high, Dr. Hoge's study
found that a majority of veterans are not seeking treatment. Only 40
percent of returning soldiers acknowledged that they need mental health
care, and only 26 percent were actually receiving care. Therefore, the
number of veterans approved for PTSD compensation by the VA is
relatively small. Yet the VA believes that too many soldiers were
approved for PTSD disability compensation and is now seeking to deny
soldiers this benefit.
The
lack of pre-war intelligence also likely contributed to a rise in PTSD
disability claims. Studies of the Vietnam War have indicated that when
soldiers can't anticipate the nature and intensity of warfare that they
ultimately encounter, they are psychologically unprepared, leading to
PTSD in many instances. During the early phase of the war in Iraq, many
soldiers were almost certainly unprepared for what they encountered.
The
Bush administration initially indicated that the war would be quick and
easy. Vice President Cheney, only a few days after the invasion of
Iraq, infamously stated that soldiers "will, in fact, be greeted as
liberators." Ahmed Chalabi, a close advisor to the Bush administration
prior to and immediately following the invasion said, "American troops
will be greeted with flowers and candy" by the Iraqi people, and the
administration repeated this many times. President Bush flew onto a US
aircraft carrier in May 2003 and, while standing beneath a banner
proclaiming "Mission Accomplished," announced that major combat
operations had ended.
It's
easy to understand why the VA has seen an increase in soldiers seeking
benefits due to post-traumatic stress disorder. What is difficult to
comprehend is why the very agency responsible for meeting the needs of
our veterans is now turning its back on them. Perhaps it's attributable
to money. The Bush administration may be seeking to reduce compensation
to soldiers for PTSD so that more money can be diverted to the ongoing
war in Iraq.
Or,
perhaps this is simply a public relations issue. The effort to revoke
PTSD benefits may be an attempt to assert that the war has not been
that devastating. What is certain is that the very people asked to
sacrifice their lives, if necessary, for the nation are now being
punished for doing so.
CHELSEA: God spoke with the roar of revving motorcycle engines during a
protest Tuesday by six members of a Kansas church that believes God is
punishing the U.S. for protecting homosexuals by killing soldiers
overseas.
Couldn't be the opposing army who's killing em. People do tend to die in wars.
"Chelsea
residents, however, believed God spoke on their behalf as the engines
of more than 100 Veterans of Foreign Wars motorcycles drowned out the
voices of the Westboro Baptist Church members who were allowed to
protest from 1-1:30 p.m. before the 2 p.m. funeral services for Staff
Sgt. John Glen Doles."
But the No. 1 reason was to show support for Staff Sgt. Doles and
his family and to oppose Fred Phelps, who is the leader of the
anti-homosexual group.
The bikers succeeded in keeping the protesters out of sight and
sound of the Doles family but for anyone else close enough to see their
brightly colored signs spoke loud and clear: "GOD IS YOU OR ENEMY; GOD
HATES THE USA; GOD IS AN AMERICAN TERRORIST; TOO LATE TO PRAY; THANK
GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS; YOU'RE GOING TO HELL; GOD HAS SPOKEN IT'S NOT A
BLESSING IT'S A CURSE and AMERICA IS DOOMED."
The locals had a couple of signs of their own. Three older
women held up a white sheet that said "SHOW AMAZING GRACE" and two
young people held a cardboard sign saying "YE WITHOUT SIN CAST THE
FIRST STONE."
John B. Milam, a Chelsea native, said of his feelings about the
protest, "I have no respect for anyone who has no respect for the
dead."
Not only was it a pathetic protest in the first place - six
people? Doesn't this guy have like 80 kids? - but veterans on
motorcycles drowning them out? It doesn't get much sweeter than this.
Although I would prefer to just attribute it to karma. But that's me. I think "God Hates Fred Phelps" myself.
The
Veterans Affairs Department is currently reviewing approximately
one-third of the cases of veterans who are receiving disability
benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After conducting an
internal study, the VA believes that they were too lenient in deciding
which soldiers were eligible for PTSD benefits. Last year, the VA spent
$4.3 billion on PTSD disability payments, and the VA hopes to reduce
these payments by revoking PTSD benefits for many veterans. This will
be the final insult to soldiers who were asked to fight a war in Iraq
on false premises.
CHELSEA: God spoke with the roar of revving motorcycle engines during a
protest Tuesday by six members of a Kansas church that believes God is
punishing the U.S. for protecting homosexuals by killing soldiers
overseas.
