For some returning vets, war may not be over yet

Post-Dispatch- 02/22/2005

Ill.-For 14 months while stationed in Iraq, the battered Illinois National Guard 1544th Transportation Company had endured more than 100 mortar attacks and had driven more than 580,000 hostile miles transporting supplies and ammunition.

During that time, the unit of about 160 members had suffered more deaths and injuries than any other National Guard company in the nation, military officials said.

Five soldiers - Sgt. Ivory L. Phillips, Sgt. Jeremy L. Ridlen, Sgt. Shawna Morrison, Spc. Charles Lam and Spc. Jessica L. Cawvey - did not return, killed either by mortar attacks or roadside bombs. They accounted for half of all Illinois Army National Guard fatalities in Iraq. About 70 others were injured; about 20 of those were hurt seriously enough to be sent home.

>>>>But while the 1544th's battles in Iraq are done, the war is still not over for them and this community. Over the next few weeks and even months, in scores of individual homes here and in neighboring towns, returning veterans and their families will be quietly struggling try to deal with the hidden scars of the war.

According to the military, one of every six service members will return from Iraq with a mental disorder, and some experts believe the number could be even higher. Twenty-three percent of Iraq veterans treated at Veterans Affairs facilities have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Murder, suicide and depression . . .
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/cgi-bin/news/news.cgi?id=4436740249


Readjustment Counseling Services Vet Centers
http://www.va.gov/rcs/

Military Veterans PTSD Reference Manual
http://www.ptsdmanual.com/

National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ncptsd.org/

Information on the War in Iraq
http://www.ncptsd.org/topics/war.html

How Terroristic Acts May Affect Veterans
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/disasters/fs_veterans_disaster.html

Help for Veterans with PTSD and Their Families
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_help_for_vets.html

Managing Stress and Recovering from Trauma: Facts and Resources for Veterans and Families
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_managing_stress.html

PTSD and Older Veterans
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_older_veterans.html

The Legacy of Psychological Trauma from the Vietnam War for American Indian Military Personnel
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_native_vets.html

Traumatic Stress in Female Veterans
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_women_vets.html

National Military Family Association (NMFA)
http://www.nmfa.org/

The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc. (TAPS)
http://www.taps.org/

Very important information. Wouldn't it be great if rumsfeld or bush would take a little time and read and reconsider budgetary considerations? We are the greatest country on the planet? And yet you bring to us the sad story in all its far from great glory.

my site which I started at the beginning of the Iraq war is a resource center for returning soldiers. It should be back online as soon as they get my money order. First time it's been down since I began. I'm a typical '70's hippie type who decided that I would have too much fun reliving my anti-war glory days and I dedicated myself to advocating for the soldiers. God bless them all.

here's the site address:
http://www.returningsoldiers.us

30s. They have great drugs now - to get you focused & enjoying your life. Watch for the slippery slope of alcohol. But otherwise they should be able to balance your brain chemistry so that you don't get haunted all the time or go into horrors when you are reminded of the original trauma. In other words - you should almost be as good as new (after a period of trial & error).

There is much hope for PTSD

But without spending any time on therapy or money on medication, I'd say the hope gets shaved down pretty quickly to waiting for a miracle.

If you get discharged you will have to apply at the VA for any counseling services they offer. There is now a $200+ fee to enroll and you likely won't even get an interview for 6 months or so. It's up to the community and individuals who care for these folks to step up and help. Let's not let these people fade away assuming that the government cares enough to help. There are many dedicated public servants and volunteers, but the system is overburdened with new returnees and Gulf war vets, and new cases of elderly applicants who are just now taking advantage of benefits. Best wishes to all.

When these men and women come back from the combat zone, the VA isn't going to be in any shape to help them, and it will be up to the bleeding-heart liberal social workers to try to help put them back together again after their shattering experience. Without remuneration, naturally.

Part of the reason I marched in the streets was because I knew I wouldn't have time to devote to these folks when they got back. For my trouble, I had the likes of the idiots at the Oregonian newspaper call me "unpatriotic" or "naive." Well, here's some home-grown domestic terrorism coming down the pike into our states, cities, towns and localities. But at least Dick Cheney got a $90,000 tax break in 2003, right?

just wanted someone to know that there is hope. And yes - putting people back together requires a great amount of care and time and doctors. I hope and pray the Repukes in power do something about that. The right program will make all the difference.