Afghanistan veterans on disability now 6,000

[Prometheus Bound]

Forces, Veterans Affairs reluctant to disclose casualty records after eight years of war

By Tim Naumetz

More than 6,000 Canadian Forces members and discharged veterans who are receiving physical or psychiatric disability benefits from Veterans Affairs Canada have either served in Afghanistan or have a disability that has been related to their service in Afghanistan, the department says.

The majority of the soldiers receiving benefits are likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or war-related psychiatric conditions, according to global figures the department and the Canadian Forces provided The Hill Times. They also do not appear to be included in Afghanistan combat or non-combat casualty figures the Canadian Forces compiled, even though the veterans and serving members who have psychiatric conditions likely have them as a result of serving in the Afghan war.

The Canadian Forces said a week ago 529 soldiers were wounded in action from 2002—when Canada first sent troops to Afghanistan as part of a U.S.-led invasion following terrorist attacks in the United States—to last Dec. 31. The Forces said a further 913 troops had suffered "non-combat" injuries.

But the Veterans Affairs Department, in a series of email exchanges, told The Hill Times roughly 2,200 Canadian Forces "clients" are now receiving disability benefits related to their service in Afghanistan. The department said a further 4,100 veteran clients have Afghanistan service identified in their records "but their benefits are not necessarily related to the Afghanistan mission."

During a series of interviews with media relations officers from the Canadian Forces, The Hill Times learned the Canadian Forces does not disclose the nature and severity of wounds suffered during combat in Afghanistan or the nature of non-combat injuries. The veterans affairs department, for its part, said it could not link the number of specific disabilities, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, other psychiatric conditions or even limb amputations, with service in the Afghanistan war.

.....However, information Ms. Summerby provided in response to questions centered on psychological and psychiatric disabilities shows that the number of post-traumatic stress disorder injuries since 2001 has mushroomed.

In 2001, Veterans Affairs Canada had 389 clients, including veterans from previous wars, peacekeeping missions and RCMP veterans, who were receiving disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder. That number climbed to 8,196 by the end of September last year, according to the information provided by Ms. Summerby.

Overall, the total number of veterans and Canadian Forces or RCMP members and Mountie veterans receiving disability benefits for a range of psychiatric conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder, climbed to 12,063 last September from 2,137 in 2002.

A total of 5,375 Canadian Forces veterans were receiving disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder as of last September, Ms. Summerby said. She said the department could not say how many of those veterans began receiving the benefits after service in Afghanistan. Roughly 25, 000 Canadian Forces personnel have been deployed to Afghanistan at least once each since 2002.

Of the department's clients, 160 are now receiving amputee category benefits, Ms. Summerby said. She did not respond to a request to specify how many of those soldiers had amputations because of wounds and injuries sustained in Afghanistan.

http://www.rawa.org/temp/runews/2010/02/08/afghanistan-veterans-on-disability-now-6-000.html

pay to read original - http://www.thehilltimes.ca/page/view/ptsd-02-22-2010

[HeresyLives]

1. We should have been out of there years ago.

[daleo]

2. Wicked casualty rate

Worse than WW2, I think.

[Prometheus Bound]

3. I found the correct original URL from the Hill Times

http://www.thehilltimes.ca/page/view/afghanistan-02-08-2010