PTSD victim booted for ‘misconduct’

[Karenina]

Kpete posted this in LBN. The soldier's mother has joined the thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3683711

Source: Army Times

PTSD victim booted for ‘misconduct’

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 10, 2009 7:00:58 EST

After serving two tours in Iraq — tours filled with killing enemy combatants and watching close friends die — Sgt. Adam Boyle, 27, returned home expecting the Army to take care of him.

Instead, service member advocates and Boyle’s mother say his chain of command in the 3rd Psychological Operations Battalion at Fort Bragg, N.C., worked to end his military career at the first sign of weakness.

In October, a medical evaluation board physician at Bragg recommended that Boyle go through the military disability retirement process for chronic post-traumatic stress disorder — which is supposed to automatically earn him at least a 50 percent disability retirement rating — as well as for chronic headaches. The doctor also diagnosed Boyle with alcohol abuse and said he was probably missing formations due to the medications doctors put him on to treat his PTSD.

But in December, Lt. Gen. John Mulholland, commanding general of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, signed an order forcing Boyle out on an administrative discharge for a “pattern of misconduct,” and ordering that the soldier pay back his re-enlistment bonus.

Read more: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/military_ptsd_discharge_010709w /

[newfie11]

1. and the army times has the page AWOL!

We sure help our troops yeah! Bullshit!

:sarcasm:

[unhappycamper]

2. Here's a working link:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/military_ptsd_discharge_010709w/%2e

(You must add a '%2e' at the end of the link posted from this web site.)

[unhappycamper]

3. Here's a working link:

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/military_ptsd_discharge_010709w/%2e

(You must add a '%2e' at the end of the link posted from this web site.)

[lauracurtiss]

4. Army may end counseling notifications

(edited for copyright purposes-proud patriot Moderator Democratic Underground)


http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2009-01-11-notifications_N.htm


Army may end counseling notifications

By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Army leaders are proposing to end a longtime policy that requires a commanding officer be notified when a soldier voluntarily seeks counseling in hopes of encouraging more GIs to seek aid, according to Army Secretary Pete Geren.

The potential move comes as combat deployments have been linked to increased alcohol abuse, and the Army Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) is straining to keep pace.

The proposal being worked out between Army personnel and medical commanders is "an important part of a comprehensive effort to reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health care and to encourage more soldiers to seek treatment," Geren said in a statement to USA TODAY on Friday.
Geren's efforts come as the number of soldiers seeking help for substance abuse has hit record levels. In November, USA TODAY reported that the number of soldiers asking for counseling had increased 25% in five years.

The Army, however, can't meet the growing demand. One-fourth of the 338 Army drug counseling positions are unfilled, spokeswoman Cynthia Vaughan says.
The program's clinical director, Wanda Kuehr, said soldiers have waited for help for "fairly long periods of time" at Fort Bragg, Fort Hood and other installations. She did not to elaborate.

[Karenina]

5. I've x-posted the original piece in GD

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4815186

Your presence there would be welcomed.