You're a Problem If We Say You Are
his views are different from the views of the President
and others of his kind.
Differences of opinion should be tolerated,
but not when they're too different.
Then he becomes a subversive mother.
Fielding Mellish: You cannot bash in the head of an American citizen
without written permission from the State Department.
--Bananas (1971), Woody Allen
________
From the September VFW magazine:
"'If you have a combat tour and you are getting labeled as a personality disorder, there is something wrong.' said Jeff Peskoff, a 10-year Army vet who recently quit his job 'in disgust' as a civilian employee at Ft. Carson in Colorado. 'It's a quick way to get rid of that body and bring in another body. And it's a quick way to save money.'
"Peskoff told ABC News that over several months he processed hundreds of personality disorder discharges of combat vets who he believed were suffering from PTSD."
"A letter from 31 senators to Defense Secretary Robert Gates called for an investigation" (22,000 Troops Discharged with "Personality Disorders.)
Many soldiers severed from service by a "Chapter 5-13" — "separation because of personality disorder" — are not informed that they will lose medical benefits, and may have to pay back enlistment bonuses, as well. The Army defines Ch. 5-13 as a preexisting "maladaptive pattern of behavior of long duration" that interferes with the soldier's ability to perform his duties.
"In practical terms, this diagnosis means the personality disorder existed before military service, and therefore medical care and disability payments are not the military's responsibility. But some veterans and veterans' advocates have been vocal in their belief that personality disorder is being misdiagnosed in combat veterans "(Questionable Treatment for Some Iraq Heroes.)
This gambit is a serious breech of trust on the part of the Army bureaucracy. It is entirely unfair to prey upon combat veterans by diagnosing preexisting personality disorders after the completion of a combat tour. Adequate psychological testing prior to enlistment would filter a great percentage of unfit personnel.
These soldiers deserve an even-handed approach to both service connected PTSD and preexisting disorders. Psychologists are not personnel management tools.
Labels: chapter 5-13, personality disorder, PTSD Iraq veterans
posted by rangeragainstwar at 1:24 PM
8 Comments:
One of the posters to my forum knows such a young man--her daughter's former planned husband---now he says he doesn't deserve a wife. Once an outgoing, happy kid planning to go to school on GI Bill to become a school teacher. Now,a wreck who proclaims he is a "bad person who doesn't deserve to be thought a person" who sits in his room drinking and playing violent video games....the Army washed their hands of him, pronouncing him "bipolar"....odd that never showed up prior to a combat tour in Iraq, eh?
labrys,
A great tragedy. Denial of disability status and psychiatric care is yet another obscenity hurled at our brave warfighters, once they've outlived their usefulness.
Your Army, my Army, Ranger. I just feel like retching. What a shameful organization it's turned out to be. Everything in the past is viewed through rose-tinted glasses, but I swear the Army we served in wasn't nearly this bad. Bad, sure, but nothing like this.
One gratifying piece of news is that the VFW can apparently do something other than serve as applauding props when the decider-in-chief demonstrates his vast knowledge of history.
Boy, do the stables need to be cleaned out. Where is Hercules when we need him?
You know, this might actually be tolerable if the same criteria were applied to Senators and Congressmen...but only if they served a tour first. I bet there'd be personality disorders popping up like dandelions in a country lawn! As for recruiting practices, it's hard to believe that the military could impose pre-screening for personality disorders at the same time as they're lowering recruitment standards. I can't imagine anybody in their right mind volunteering at the moment although I know that economic exigencies drive a lot of enlistments. I wonder how Senator Craig would make out in such an assessment? Not that being gay is a personality disorder, but adamantly refusing to admit that you're gay whilst trying to pick up guys in an airport bathroom definitely strikes me as wacko.
This is consistent with the under-funding, under-staffing, under-equipping of WRAMC's facilities.
Privatize the US Military and just let the poor soldiers rot.
Viva Bush!
I was surprised to see this article in the VFW Magazine. The Veterans of Foreign Wars, The American Legion, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart have known that this has been happening for years and have done absolutely nothing about it. When Specialist Jonathan Town testified infront of the House Veterans Affairs Committee 2 months ago about his situation, where were these Congressionally Chartered Veterans Service Organizations? Specialist Town is a member of both Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Military Order of the Purple Heart, where was his representation? These organization have failed todays combat veterans. They are toooo politically driven and care only about getting us involved in their organizations to boost their numbers and to get us into their clubs/bars to get us drunk.
ssg peskoff,
Ranger is glad to have you here, and agrees with your analysis of the abandonment by these groups. They are letting down not only the present veterans,but all veterans. If they can ignore the returning vets, they also ignore the old vets.
Ranger has publicly resigned from the VFW and the American Legion due to their unthinking pro-war stance. After reading your letter, and considering the objective facts, it appears that Ranger may have to do the same with the MOPH.
publius,
It's not a question of the Army alone changing, but the entire complexion of the nation.
Take a look at the Armed Services Committee, for example. We have people on the Committee who don't even know how to spell the word military. The military will have to change by necessity, as they are a reflection of public law and policy.
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