A marksman in Iraq; No gun permit in Omaha

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10578732

Published Thursday March 5, 2009
A marksman in Iraq; No gun permit in Omaha
BY KEVIN COLE
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER



Sgt. Tim Mechaley trained fellow Marines to fire .50-caliber machine guns. He qualified as a marksman. He fought in the battle for Fallujah, Iraq, and received a combat medal with a "V" for valor.


Sgt. Tim Mechaley

Back home, he uses a rifle for target shooting.

Yet, when Mechaley sought to buy a 9-mm Ruger pistol for protection at his midtown apartment, the Omaha Police Department rejected his application for a gun permit.

"I was trusted by the government to carry a loaded weapon, but now I am not allowed to purchase one by my local government," he said.

Mechaley, 32, has received counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder related to his service in Iraq. While completing an application for a gun permit, he responded "yes" to a question that asked whether he was being treated for a mental disorder.

"I circled yes because I wanted to be completely honest," he said.

FULL story at link.


Post-traumatic stress disorder

• 23 percent of veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and were treated by Veterans Affairs were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

• 21 percent of Nebraska veterans of those wars and who received VA treatment were diagnosed with PTSD.

Source: Dr. Ahsan Naseem, Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System.

[spanone]

1. if he's mentally unstable, he shouldn't carry a gun imo

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. PTSD does not necessarily mean unstable

it could, but not necessarily the case

Hell, we have far more people with PTSD walking around and functioning than folks realize

[spanone]

3. i had friends who returned from vietnam with ptsd...it wasn't pretty.

i don't mean to judge this man.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. Treated a gulf war I vet in the throes of it

it is not pretty

But most who have it are very functional most of the time... in fact, most folks would never even guess

[spanone]

5. the irony of this story is pretty stunning

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Yep, it is, trained sniper, who used it in combat

cannot get a 9mm for self protection