PTSD and Discharge Upgrades

SFC Mark Merino Sergeant; As with many government programs, all the publicity comes when the program is announced (and before it is funded). After that there tends to be a crashing silence - followed by bonuses to the program administrators due to the fact that they "came in under budget" (read as "didn't actually spend the money that was allocated to do whatever the program was supposed to do and, hence, didn't actually achieve the stated aims of the program").

[Strangely enough, the same pattern seems to fit a lot of the "non-profits" as well.]

"Watch your buddy's back" is the watchword so we should all spread the word about programs that will help the injured (whether in heart, mind, or body) and assist them to get the help they need. (Or does that sound too much like "Socialism" [even though it is a paraphrase of what Jesus taught])?

Amen

MAJ Ken Landgren - And indeed you should ** AFTER ** you have had a really good assessment by a well qualified, independent, medical practitioner.

The way that the "in house" system works is that it tries to put everyone at the bottom end of the appropriate "compensation window".

You should be aiming at the top end of the appropriate "compensation window".

You should NOT be aiming to climb into an inappropriate "compensation window".

We are treated like inventory with a low value. I concur with everything you said.

Simple answer would be that each war had a similar percentage of cases, however public perception is massively different now. Additionally, media representation makes things much clearer what is going on.

Local new is no longer local. What happens in FL no longer stays in FL. In the age of global level communication (the Information Age), we are just more aware, and better to identify.

In the Vietnam era, when Sgt K got out and became a drunk/druggee, it was because he was a dirtbag. In the Gulf War era, there is the possibility it's because he's fighting demons (PTS).

TSgt (Join to see) Sergeant; Sgt Kennedy has given a very good summary. It's like "fear of crime" which is going up while the actual crime rate is going down.

When the media has fewer gory stories with which to tempt the consumer (and thus keep advertising revenue high) it simply has to hype the ones that it does have (and thus keep advertising revenues high).

HOWEVER, that being said, there is also some evidence that a percentage of the problem is also caused by a decrease in "social connection" which deprives everyone (not just the troops) of the "psychological safety net" that enables humans to cope with pretty horrendous situations. [Parenting that "wraps children in cotton wool" so that they never run the slightest risk of harm (right down to padding playing fields so that no child will ever skin a knee) doesn't really help prepare anyone who has spent a goodly portion of their life punching buttons on their "SmartPhone" rather than actually being with others to deal with the reality of having someone actively trying to kill them either.

Because of so many violent acts have occurred and arrest rates are up on Veterans it's hard for the Gov. To sweep it under the carpet.