ABC's Bob Woodruff: Questionable Treatment for Some Iraq Heroes (Pre-Existing Personality Disorder)

[Hissyspit]

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/WoodruffReports/story?id=3368726&page=1

Questionable Treatment for Some Iraq Heroes
Veteran Care Under Review as More Than 22,000 Are Discharged With 'Pre-Existing' Personality Disorder, Which Some Say Developed During War



Army Spc. Jonathan Town went from earning a Purple Heart to challenging the Veterans Administration to maintain his benefit claims. (ABC News)From WN

By BOB WOODRUFF, JAMES HILL, JAIME HENNESSEY and JOSHUA KORS
July 12, 2007

Share Army Spc. Jonathan Town is back home in Ohio now, but still very much at war.

"When you see bits and pieces of actual people or people bleeding to death or anything, it's very unsettling. It's something you'll never be able to forget. Period," Town told ABC News' Bob Woodruff.

Since his discharge in 2006, Town has not only dealt with the emotional scars of war, but he has also found himself at the center of a national debate on mental health care for veterans as a crowd as diverse as singer Dave Matthews and members of Congress has questioned how 22,000 veterans were diagnosed and discharged since 2001. In Town's case, the discharge came two years after he was injured in an attack. In the fall of 2004, a 107 mm rocket ripped through his unit's headquarters in Ramadi, exploding two feet above Town's head and knocking him unconscious.

- snip -

It is known as a "Chapter 5-13" — "separation because of personality disorder." The Army defines it as a pre-existing "maladaptive pattern of behavior of long duration" that interferes with the soldier's ability to perform his duties. In practical terms, this diagnosis means the personality disorder existed before military service, and therefore medical care and disability payments are not the military's responsibility. But some veterans and veterans' advocates have been vocal in their belief that personality disorder is being misdiagnosed in combat veterans.

"A significant percentage of the ones who are discharged with personality disorder truly have it, but there is another percentage that are put out simply to eliminate them from military service. … It's done maliciously or as some sort of a policy," said Russell K. Terry, founder of the veterans' advocacy organization, Iraq War Veterans Organization.

MORE, VIDEO AT LINK

[rodeodance]

1. I heard that report. good way for military to get rid of people and not pay

out any benefits

[Hissyspit]

2. Wow, is the link freaking out for you now? It was working when I posted it.

I wonder if the site is crashing.

[blogslut]

3. Bastards

So how come the military doesn't pre-screen and ban potential enlistees that have existing personality disorders? Huh? I mean if they're so clever at recognizing PD then wouldn't logic dictate that these poor soldiers would never have been allowed to serve in the first place?

This scam by the military is bullshit.

[NMDemDist2]

4. K&N n/t

[mcctatas]

15. From what I understand, they are saying it is the resposibility

of the recruit to disclose any pre-existing conditions...Doesn't change the fact that it's bullshit...just what I heard on NPR.

[Spinzonner]

5. Maybe they can diagnose Bush's personality disorder

and we can muster him out under the 25th amendment.

And the deranged vice-President he road in on.

[Triana]

12. That's easy: Psychopath (n/t)

[Crunchy Frog]

6. Anybody who has served in combat is entitled to health care, PERIOD.

Or they should be. If they don't want to take care of people with "pre-existing conditions", they shouldn't be letting them enlist in the first place. After someone has given a literal pound of flesh, it's TOO FUCKING LATE. God I hate these fucking bastards. :mad:

[Solly Mack]

7. Gee, if they had only died then government could call them heroes

and politicians could have made flowery speeches about patriotism, duty and sacrifice...

How dare they survive......

[EFerrari]

14. I wonder what the numbers are. We have the numbers for

personality disorders in the general pop. I bet you a pot pie the Pentagon's don't match. :mad:

[babylonsister]

8. KICK, RECOMMEND, CARE!!!!!! nt

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. It would cost the tiniest fraction of the taxpayer's money that's been spent so far in Iraq to take

care of the American citizens that are soldiers who have been directly in the line of fire.

:cry: MKJ

[Triana]

10. Sounds like pure, unadulterated bu$hit to me!

What a SHITTY way to treat our vets. :mad:

[EFerrari]

13. IT IS BULLSHIT! AND IT'S CALCULATED BULLSHIT.

:mad:

[Decruiter]

11. BRING ALL OUR SOLDIERS HOME NOW AND MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF THEM!

NOW! Not tomorrow, not in September, NOW GOD F'ing DAMN it ALL, RIGHT THE F NOW!!

We as citizens of this country can not under any circumstances allow all the people serving in our military now to be mistreated and maligned by this government any more and never again. We promised our Vets from Vietnam that we would never let it happen again. What the f are we doing. We are letting it happen again.

We just can't let this happen, we just can't.................