ptsd Army Kicking Out Sick Vets ,saying It Is Misconduct?

[Berta]

Army discharging ill soldiers for misconduct?

( Of course they are,in my opinion)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccaruiz/2013/08/02/is-the-army-improperly-discharging-wounded-ill-soldiers-for-misconduct/

Link courtesy of Colonel Dan.

In part:

“The Gazette series, reported by Dave Philipps, looked at three separate incidents each involving a combat veteran in which units at Fort Carson in Colorado appeared to willfully ignore mental and physical health conditions that played a role in misconduct, such as traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain.

Kash Alvaro, for example, was diagnosed with PTSD and TBI after enduring multiple bomb blasts in Afghanistan in 2009. When he returned to Fort Carson, he was cited and punished for violating code by missing appointments, missing work, arriving late to formation and getting in an argument.”

TBI and PTSD ,that might appear to lead to misconduct by the very virtue of these serious disabilities, in my opinion, have become the Mil's way of preventing retention and re enlistments when a war has pealed down.....

De javu all over again,post Korea, Vietnam, etc etc

It is crap plain and simple.

[Testvet]

I am sure it is a military wide problem but like anything else numbers LARGE numbers get attention and the Army being so large is naturally going to save more money by the hundreds or thousands caught in their nets, then I imagine the Marines and the other services a lot less just based on size the next decade is going to get ugly also. The days of professional military is going to change I just doubt it is going to be for the better and again the future will place a lot more dependence on the guard and reserves. without money to train they truly will be cannon fodder.

[john999]

The word I got on NPR today was that perhaps 200,000 OIF/OEF vets have PTSD. If any of them are still serving you can bet they will be headed for the door quietly and under the radar. There are so many ways soldiers with these problems can be discharged.....drinking, drug abuse, missing work etc.

[TiredCoastie]

The word I got on NPR today was that perhaps 200,000 OIF/OEF vets have PTSD. If any of them are still serving you can bet they will be headed for the door quietly and under the radar. There are so many ways soldiers with these problems can be discharged.....drinking, drug abuse, missing work etc.

Some of them already have left quietly or not-so-quietly. One problem is that a portion of that group isn't getting the right kind of treatment or enough treatment. I saw this during my last tour on active duty with a contractor who showed up for work drunk. Fortunately, he worked for a company that was all prior military and was supporting a military unit. It didn't take rocket science to determine that he was struggling and why. The company and the unit did the right thing by the guy, made sure he got the treatment he needed either through the company or through the VA (which was dragging its feet), and protected the man's job. Thankfully, he wasn't left behind on the trail...but how many others are?

[bhoward422]

This is exactly right, they will be using reserve troops even more to cut cost

[meghp0405]

I'm not sure if this practice is still continuing, but I do know for a fact I was working with an active duty soldier who was assigned to the WTB here at Fort Knox. I was putting her claim together for VA and in doing so I observed that she was on a great deal of medications. She had told me that it was hard for her to get up in the mornings due to the meds she was on. I told her that I couldn't do anything about that. I did recommend that she speak with a jag officer and her primary care doctor for some type of resolve. I didn't see her for a few weeks until she showed up and told me she was clearing. I asked clearing? I thought the WTB was doing a medical board, I asked. She told me that the Company Commander stopped the med board process and chaptered her out due to missing formations and appointments. Again, this was about 2-3 years ago. I haven't experienced anything like that since that time, but it still was a shame.

[Vync]

When I was on active duty during the 1990's, I saw this practice occur a lot, especially during the draw-down,