Pentagon challenges mental health report

Pentagon challenges mental health report

GAO questions care for veterans

THE WASHINGTON POST

May 14, 2006

WASHINGTON – The Pentagon's top medical officer contests the conclusions of a Government Accountability Office report that questioned whether service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are getting appropriate mental health care.

Although the report said only 22 percent of service members identified as at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder on a post-deployment questionnaire were referred for a mental health examination, that did not account for troops who were referred to primary care physicians or other treatment providers for mental health care, said William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.

(snip)

The issue of PTSD care in the military has become the subject of controversy. Democrats and several veterans groups have charged the administration with short-changing returning service members who are in distress, but the Pentagon has insisted that the quality of care being provided is historically unparalleled.

The Pentagon's official response to the GAO report broadly concurred with the report's conclusions and recommendations – including a call for better explanations of why some service members who were found to be at risk, but not others, were referred to mental health professionals. But the Pentagon said it disagreed with the GAO's contention that “reasonable assurance is not available to support that (Iraq and Afghanistan) service members receive referrals when needed.”

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Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060514/news_1n14trauma.html

It has been proven that the Pentagon has neglected returning veterans for decades. Why would we believe them now; especially given the neglect involved in the lack of adequate body armor, the lack of adequate vehicle armor, the lack of holding Halliburton accountable of payment received for services not rendered.

health of returning soldiers.

:sarcasm:

Still very, very quiet about Rove, though.