Posted on Apr 4, 2014
SPC Eddie "Nemo" Aiumu
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Another shooting in Fort Hood, TX has claimed the lives of 3 Soldiers. According to some sources the Soldier who shot up the places was a Iraqi war veteran. Also that he was being treated for PTSD after serving 4 months or so in theater. I don't like the fact that we have to be reactive to matters such as shootings to garner attention that there are Veterans that need help. Why is it that a person crossing the border ILLEGALLY gets help immediately versus a Combat Veteran who is redeploying back State side? I believe that once our Men and Women make it back from Combat Operations they need to be evaluated. Also that they should attend any class relating to any trauma for the 1st month State side. And stop with the bull that we don't have the resources. We do.
Posted in these groups: 78568930 PTSD
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SFC Section Sergeant
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The Army has system in place for soldiers once they return
from deployment. We are required to attend a mandatory 7 days of reintegration
process upon boots back in the United States. In addition to the reintegration
process 90 days after returning from deployment soldiers are required to take
Post Deployment Health Reassessment. The problem is soldiers sometimes are
either too afraid to raise their hands for help, symptoms are delayed, or on
some cases slip through the cracks. Now we do not have the full back ground on
this soldier and the situation until that happens everyone will play the
guessing game.



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SFC Section Sergeant
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You’re correct it does take longer than 7 days and a 20
minute survey we take 90 days after returning. There are some really good
systems in place. The problem is like I said before if the soldier does not
speak up in time there just gonna slip through the cracks. Also dont forget
this is not the first time we have had Green on Green incident, it has happen through
the existence of the military.



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SSG Geospatial Intelligence Imagery Analyst
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>1 y
I hate to say it, but there is literally nothing we can do to completely eliminate incidents like this, to include soldier suicides, domestic violence directly related to post-deployment issues, and more.  The systems in place are valuable, and go a long way towards limiting said incidents.  But at the end of the day, people will always slip through the cracks, either by their own inability or unwillingness to recognize their issue and/or seek help, or due to the negligence of leaders and trained healthcare providers. 

The only difference is that we live in a time on near-instantaneous world-wide media that has and often exercises the ability to project these situations into a national consciousness that was simply never possible in times past.  You can lay money on the fact that these things have been happening ever since the dawn of organized warefare.  It's only in the last few decades that it has become a widely visible problem.

Either way, I am sorry to say that it will never go away entirely, no matter what we do.
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SPC Preventive Medicine Specialist
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It may be true that we cannot totally eliminate incidents but my recent experiences seeking help with VA and their sorry excuse for mental healthcare has opened my eyes. The appointments are a month apart, the resident doctors are overworked and don't have the time to really do more than write an Rx and when you have an emergency the phone systems are useless. It is broken the way it is and needs a serious overhaul.
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SPC Dave Weaver
SPC Dave Weaver
10 y
its getting better,but will take time.the people in washington dc are f- it up.i go to coatesville va the people there really care,the doctor i got dr kerr is really good and cares about us vets with ptsd hold on it will get better
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SSG James Arlington
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I decided to write a novel based on Vets with PTSD, MY WAR WITH HEMINGWAY. Perhaps this is the best way to educate the civilian population about how serious this is.

http://tinyurl.com/pe2ra8x
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SFC Rear Detachment Ncoic
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We don't know the full details but some people need help and are afraid to get it. Mental illness is also hard to battle and some times its to late to help those who need it.
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SPC Eddie "Nemo" Aiumu
SPC Eddie "Nemo" Aiumu
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I agree with you on that. But the DOD have to set up incentives for those who are or have been affected by Combat to seek treatment.
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