Some military commanders still stuck on stupid when it comes to PTSD

Conduct unbecoming of an officer should now include stupidity and the inability to learn. The wound suffered by soldiers in their command has been killing more after combat than during it since recorded history began. What part of military history did these commanders study? Didn't they ever study the aftermath of warfare? It is part of the big picture and it's their job to learn from it. They want the best and the brightest but they don't want to have to do anything when it comes to healing the best and the brightest so they can still serve their nation. The men and women serving today are no different than the other humans serving in different wars and the studies on PTSD began in the 70's showing exactly what price is paid. Along with the problem there were clear instructions on addressing it as soon as symptoms begin so that damage done is not beyond repair.

Now I'm wondering what the real problem is. Is it that they refuse to learn from what history and scientific research has shown or is there something more sinister here at work?

We know there is a problem in the military with Chaplains more interested in proselytizing than they are interested in consoling and listening. Are they part of the problem considering there is a shortage of Chaplains in the military and the ones deployed are not focused on the troops as troops instead of converts? Are they pushing the soldiers seeking help away because they will not covert or are not members of their particular denomination of Christian? There are, believe it or not, some Christian still looking at any kind of mental illness or anxiety disorder as being judged by God, counted among the "non-chosen" by God and therefor unworthy of their help. Are they part of the problem?

We know denial is a big issue when it comes to PTSD. Most of the people slamming the soldiers coming forward discussing PTSD have PTSD themselves and it is not unheard of for them to turn around and feel sorry for what they did to others while they were in denial themselves. When generals came out and discussed their own battles with PTSD, they showed great courage but before then they were in denial they were wounded. We have to ask what their attitude toward their men was in the dark days of denial in order to understand the mind-set of the commanders still dismissing PTSD for anything other than what it is.

The good news is that more and more commanders are addressing PTSD the right way but the bad news remains too many are still addressing it by attacking the soldiers with the courage to step up and say they need help. The question is, how many commanders are still ignorant and what is being done to hold them accountable?

Army fights stigma of mental care
By ROBERT H. REID – 2 hours ago

BAGHDAD (AP) — A military culture that values strength and a "can do" spirit is discouraging thousands of soldiers from seeking help to heal the emotional scars of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, despite top-level efforts to overcome the stigma, commanders and veterans say.

Up to one-fifth of the more than 1.7 million military members who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan are believed to have symptoms of anxiety, depression and other emotional problems. Some studies show that about half of those who need help do not seek it.

"It's a reality that for some — certainly not all, but for some — there's a stigma to stepping forward for behavioral health," Maj. David Cabrera, who runs counseling services at a military hospital in Germany, told The Associated Press.

"Our goal is to eradicate the stigma," he said. "We're not there yet."

Encouraging more soldiers to seek help, and training leaders to spot signs of trouble, have taken on new urgency since the fatal shooting last Monday of five U.S. service members at a counseling center at Baghdad's Camp Liberty.

Army Sgt. John M. Russell has been charged with five counts of murder. He was finishing his third tour in Iraq and had been ordered to seek counseling at the center, the Army said.

Sergeants on their third or fourth assignments to Iraq or Afghanistan are more than twice as likely to suffer mental health problems as those on their first assignment to a combat zone, according an Army study last year.

Combat stress is common in every war — including "battle fatigue" cases in World War II and the lasting trauma still suffered by thousands of veterans of the Vietnam conflict.

What makes the current conflicts different are the frequent, repeating rotations. Most soldiers spent just one or two assignments in Vietnam, but many American soldiers and Marines are on their third or fourth tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Army fights stigma of mental care