COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Service: Casualties
Vets visit Carson, say Army failing traumatized troops
Sara Burnett, Rocky Mountain News
May 17, 2007
Pvt. Nicholas Guess spent his first deployment in Iraq "kicking down doors" as a medic with an Army unit - an experience he thought prepared him for anything he might see in war.His second deployment, to the Baghdad emergency room, proved him wrong. In one of the largest trauma centers in the world, Guess came face to face daily with "gore and blood" and "people who are totally, totally messed up."
"As prepared as I thought I was, I was blind walking in," Guess said.
He returned to Fort Carson a changed man, one of several who say the Army has failed to provide the treatment they need for post-traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related mental conditions.
Instead, Guess and Spc. Alex Lotero said Wednesday, the Army has pressured them into being diagnosed with personality disorders, a fate that would mean an early exit from the military but no veterans benefits once they are out.
Members of a veterans advocacy group on Wednesday called the situation a disgrace, and said the need for proper treatment is "the next big discussion" that must occur within the military.
The group, Veterans for America, wrapped up a two-day visit to Fort Carson with congressional staffers this week. They say the problem is not isolated to Fort Carson and plan to visit four other military bases in coming weeks.
The group met with soldiers suffering from PTSD, as well as mental health providers and Fort Carson officials. They left the meeting feeling good about the progress so far, but saying more needs to be done, such as providing more individual counseling to soldiers with PTSD.
Connie Best, a psychologist at the Medical University of South Carolina, said the typical person with PTSD should get one-on- one therapy, in which they discuss specific trauma, for an hour or more at least once a week.
Lotero said his treatment has consisted of one 30-minute individual session once a month.
"That is not enough time," Lotero said. "It's basically nothing."
Fort Carson also has offered group therapy sessions, but Lotero said those weren't helpful because the experiences of the people in the group are so varied.
Lt. David Johnson, Fort Carson public affairs officer, said this week that the base is expanding training for soldiers in leadership positions, so they can better identify and deal with PTSD and other problems.
He also said Fort Carson is in need of additional mental health providers and case managers, particularly at times when large numbers of soldiers are being deployed or returning from duty.
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