SUPPORT OUR TROOPS FOR THE LONG TERM -- LET'S NOT MAKE

THE "VIETNAM MISTAKE" AND IGNORE OUR VETERANS' NEEDS

Story here... http://www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060306/OPINION01/603060318/1007/MTCN0305

Entire story below:

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Support troops long term

The good news in a study of soldiers returning from active duty is that they seem to be more willing than ever to seek evaluation for their mental and emotional state.

The discouraging news is that one in every eight soldiers coming back from service in the first year of the Iraq war has been diagnosed with a mental illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder. Just as soldiers often have trouble adjusting after harrowing experiences in war, the military has come to grips with the fact that such problems should be expected and addressed. It remains a compelling obligation for government to help those veterans when the need arises. Sometimes, the problems may come much later than anticipated after the return home.

The military was able to study the records of 300,000 troops according to results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It is considered the most complete study yet on the mental effects of war. The study found that more than a third of the troops sought help for their mental health upon returning. Most of those needed only minimal assistance, but 12% were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder or other mental ailments.

Mental problems from war experience are not new. The illnesses were once called names such as shell shock or combat fatigue. What has changed over the years is that society has be gun to understand the problem better and that the stigma associated with such ailments is subsiding. Soldiers should be no more hesitant to ask for help in coping after battle than they are in seeking medical help when physically wounded. Tragically, this nation did not embrace such understanding when soldiers returned from the Vietnam War. Some lessons have been learned, as evident in utilizing soldiers' contacts with families through the Internet or telephone when away.

Veterans have a wide array of needs far after their battle experience. It is important that the nation stand at the ready to meet those needs long after their service is over. That's a way to truly support the troops, whenever they need it, not just in the heat of battle.

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Larry Scott

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