Independent Casualty Report On Most Recent Wars

[Wagon]

Thought I would post this one. Good report. Although very very sad. PTSD is on page 8.


http://www.google.no/url?sa=t&rct=j...-ry_CQ&usg=AFQjCNFDqAymeblwofxDVYzn41WMkVerrw

 

[Jimmy1]

That just pisses me off. Those of us who have sacrificed ourselves whether be by death, bullet, shrapnel, or the invisible injury PTSD are just numbers to all governments. Imagine if 100 veterans with PTSD stormed the senate or parliament, there would be a shit storm.

 

[Wagon]

This is an independent report because the government tries to sugar coat the stats.

What I was looking at was the PTSD rate. Quote

As of the fall of 2010, 2,200,594 service members had ever been deployed to the two war
zones; 867,003 of them had been deployed two or more times. While most have
returned home, what these numbers suggest is that a significant percentage, even the
majority, has suffered mental and/or physical injury.

Actually what I did not like about the report was the lack of statistical analysis. They did some, but could have done more. BUt one number does stick out.

A study of almost 290,000 veterans of the two wars treated at the VA in the period 2002-08 found that 37 percent
had received mental health diagnoses.

One of two things is happening with this last quote. Either the purported PTSD rate in all the other wars is complete hocus (10%) Or this current war is completely off the map. Possibly due to multiple deployement. I mean FFS, the rate is starting to push 40%. Almost 4 in 10.

Thats what caught my eye anyway.

Wagon

 

[Ned]

I think that, at least, they are now looking at the presence of PTSD as a part of the initial assessment process, whereas in previous conflicts they may not (certainly not any of my Dad's ones).
But, multiple deployments is bound to exacerbate it, as is permanently being on the 'front line', the characteristic of both the conflicts examined.
A lot of WWII theatres involved limited time at the front before being rotated out. Of course, I'll bet you'd see a significantly higher degree of PTSD indicators in:

Troops in siege of Bastoigne/Hurtgen Forest
Battle of Britain fighter pilots
Bomber Command crews
Fire Brigades in most big UK or German cities
Merchant Navy (convoys)

Apologies for all omissions, thats just to show what I'm trying to say.
From my own experience, Northern Ireland has produced a significant number of cases.

 

[reddevil1111]

I think That at first PTSD was being treated and people were getting help. Then the surge came and it was more important to have the boots on the ground that to help those that needed it. Its not like your arm fell of so get back at it.
Then the budget and politics came into play and those who suffer are relabled and told things will only be short term. All in the hopes that the PTSD will just go away.
What a shitty way to treat people. I hope the next generation of kids can see that treatment and realize the risk BEFORE going in. Its hard to accept even now but its true. To them your just a hunk of meat.

 

[Barberian]

Through the years I've watched many documentaries about vets and thier mental health. Most of those documentaries have shown that todays front line vets get diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, unable to sleep, etc, they get heavily medicated, enough to make it so they can barely function, then sent back out to the front lines. Really? That soldier basicly just becomes a number to pad the books. They arn't effective in combat. They don't contribute much to the unit they are attatched to, and become a liability as others now have to watch out for them. What ever mental condition(s) they are suffering from only become worse... the list goes on.

Another thing that pisses me off to no limit is that most service members medical records serving out in the frontlines with the mental health issues "disappear" or at least the sections that address the mental health issues before they are returned stateside or major base overseas out of theater.

When will the politians and military leadership stop the f*cking games with our servicemembers lives, both while they are in the service and after they leave the military for what ever reason? The military stresses honor, yet the leadership has none.

Promises were made...