Posted on 01/06/2009 4:30:54 AM PST by PurpleMan
Based on the group’s findings, Dr. David Chu, undersecretary of personnel and readiness, has decided that PTSD does not meet the requirements for the Purple Heart, Lainez said on Monday.
"Historically, the Purple Heart has never been awarded for mental disorders or psychological conditions resulting from witnessing or experiencing traumatic combat events (e.g., combat stress reaction, shell-shock, combat stress fatigue, acute stress disorder, or PTSD),"
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
It keeps John Kerry from applying for his fourth, claiming a “seared brain”.
You beat me too it. Why not give one to every serviceman?
It’s pretty much meaningless after Kerry got his 3 for what?
I agree. The Purple Heart is reserved for those who actually shed blood in combat in the defense of their country.
While I am sympathetic to all of my brothers and sisters in uniform that have suffered the effects resulting from defending this country in war, the Purple Heart is not the right award. Perhaps the Pentagon could come up with a new medal for those who have suffered from PTSD (aka shell shock or battle fatigue) as the result of defending this country in battle.
I don’t feel that the fact that John Kerry was awarded the Purple heart three times on his own report of injury reduces the worth of the purple heart.
It only reduces the worth of John Kerry.
We must remember that three purple hearts in Vietnam allowed a person to leave Vietnam. The men who worked with John Kerry were happy to see he got the third so they could be rid of him. John Kerry is a low life if ever one lived, and I am sure most of us ,if we had known we would be rid of him with the reception of one more ,would have been more than glad to see that he received it. In fact if one more would get him out of the Senate , I would write up his report myself and he wouldnt have to write this one himself.
“These people are just cowards. They ought to be taken out and shot.” /Patton
_________________________________________________
Proving that everyone is an asshat sometimes.
But, if in-spite of that “cowardly fear” they stayed their ground, fought perhaps more fiercely for both their own lives and their comrades, and in-spite of that now tragically seared psychological injury returned to the battle field another day...I shall not call that man's courage, cowardly.
That would be helplful, another way to ostracize PTSD soldiers, sailors and Marines, a ribbon that the world interperts as:”I’m nuts.”
There’s always one in the crowd like you. Usually they learn to keep such senseless statements to themselves after getting punch in the mouth.
Sadly, the internet prevents such educational events.
Where a friend of mine works almost every Reservist/Guardsman he meets is getting a disability from the gubmint for PTSD. One got it from Desert Storm. He was in Bahrain the whole time. A woman he works with got hers from the current war. She never left Kuwait during her deployment.
ping
I never got medals. I always did my best work where I wasn’t supposed to be. ;-)
As a side note, Tramatic Brain Injury (TBI) is being re-classified wholesale by the Army (and the VA) to be
PTSD.
Seems they have treatment for PTSD, but not for TBI.
My son suffered from TBI due to a few too many close calls with IEDs while on patrol. THe VA recently reclassified him him as PTSD. He is contesting the action, remains to be seen where it winds up.
His concern is that a PTSD ‘finding’ could get him banned from firearms ownership/posession. That is another entire story for everyone.
SO, no, not all PTSD types are slackers, wuses or FOBBITs.
Some are Marine combat riflemen.
“Seems they have treatment for PTSD, but not for TBI.”
The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) serves active duty military, their dependents and veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) through state-of-the-art medical care, innovative clinical research initiatives and educational programs.
However, appears you’re in Alaska. Not sure where son is but you should... you MUST contact DVBIC. They can and will help.
http://www.dvbic.org/cms.php?p=Contact_us
Absolutely 180 degrees out of phase. Veterans who suffer with PTSD are anything but "nuts". They are severely, emotionally traumatized by the things that occur in combat.
Most of us grow up in normal neighborhoods where we go to school, play in the street, or at a park, or a friend's house, (maybe) go to church, etc. We live normal lives.
In combat, you see the people you may have been together with from the time you entered boot camp (or basic training) being blown up or severely wounded and you see civilians that have been the victims of torture or homicide bombers. The sheer destruction that you witness can also be overwhelming. All of these things can affect ANYONE who is not mentally prepared for the experiences they will have in combat.
There's nothing nuts about being traumatized by the sight of limbs blown off of people or watching a buddy bleed to death while you stand by helpless to do anything.
Thanks for info - I’ll get this to him today!
You make a very good point. Thanks for your service!!
Read my post again. The point was how the world views PTSD. I have first hand experience with the issue.
First, please accept my apologies if Icame across a little harshly. Secondly, thank you for serving your country and third, I hope you are doing better with your PTSD.
If I may, allow me to suggest that you re-read your own post from the standpoint of a stranger who doesn't know you and isn't aware of your personal experience with PTSD. It came across to me as something of a sarcastic response. Now that I know the rest of the story, I understand where you are coming from and only wish you well.
Nonetheless, I still disagree with your use of the word "nuts" to describe those (including yourself) afflicted with PTSD. That's what really set me off. You guys aren't "nuts", you've been exposed to some horrible things that most of us aren't emotionally prepared for. Why I haven't been diagnosed with it, I don't know, although in my war (Vietnam), I was only marginally involved in it as a sailor, so I didn't see or experience many of the things that you and so many others have and did. To top it off, the military, even today, does a lousy job of helping soldiers understand what they are in for before they go into combat, and they do an even worse job of helping AFTER the soldiers come OUT of combat.
To be sure, you were wounded in combat but a PTSD wound doesn't bleed. Perhaps I'm something of a jerk, but I still believe that your wounds should be recognized, just not with a PH.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.