ptsd Ptsd Stressor

[Mike77]

I have a question I was hoping you all could help me with. I have just recently decided to go ahead and file for PTSD. I understand that they will be sending me paperwork to do soon on the stressor and I want to be careful on what I put down, because we all know the VA would never screw some vet over.

I worked in the fire dept. in the AF and dealt with some issues, car accidents, drownings, and a couple of f-16 crashes.

The stressor I would sadly like to use is this.

I joined the AF right after high school at 18. I had always lived with my older brother. A few weeks after completing basic training and while at tech school. I called home to find out that my brother was missing in a river. I of course took leave and helped look for his body. We were luckily and his body was found a few days later and we were able to give him a proper burial.

Alot of things I am leaving out here like the LT I had who originally tried to deny my leave, them not extending my leave so i could go to his funeral and etc.

Sorry about the half ass written story still tough for me to talk about this.

So as stated before I finished up tech school and had to continue on dealing with this type of stuff (drownings). I tried to change Carrier Fields but to no avail as it always seemed i was TDY or getting ready to PCS. So my question would be would the VA consider this a in-service stressor (my brother being killed).

I have an opinion but would like to hear from someone who knows more then me, or someone who may of even had a PTSD claim approved with the same type of screaiono.

Thanks for any help.

[Pete53]

If that is the stressor that caused your PTSD than it should. Considering what you wrote you could have more than one. The main thing is to get a current diagnosis and link it to your service.

Good luck

[Mike77]

So it would be right to assume then that since this did occour while I was active duty, that this should be considered inservice, even though it did not happen while on "duty".

I was also sent to the chaplin and psyc a couple of times for this issue as well.

Thanks for all the help in advance.

[Philip Rogers]

jmo but I'd use the other in-service stressors. My feeling is the VA adjudicator will feel/say "your brother died, live w/it." We all lose family, friends, etc., so it's not out of the normal range of events. You weren't there, you didn't witness his drowning, so I don't feel it would reach a stressor level. On the other hand, as a firefighter, responding to MV accidents, aircraft(a/c) crashes or potential a/c crashes, drownings or possible drownings, I feel they would qualify better. As a former firefighter/emt, myself, I can remember the things going thru my mind responding to an event. You must be prepared for everything and the adrenaline in your bloodstream had you so hyped, that you couldn't start to calm down until you'd done your own assessment or had a conformation of whatever the event is. Check the VA's PTSD criteria for stressors for the period you were in the service. I believe you need to have witnessed or feared the loss of life, yours or someone else's, or something along that line. I believe, a brother dying doesn't cut it. Sorry you lost him!!

pr