Veterans For America

Philip Dine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

WASHINGTON - Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond said Thursday he will urge President George W. Bush to set up a special panel to review the cases of 22,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who have been discharged for “pre-existing personality disorders.”

The military told the veterans their postcombat disorders didn’t result from the war, but from personal problems they brought with them when they signed up.

That has resulted in lesser treatment for them and, in some instances, bills to repay signing bonuses with interest and penalties.

After the Post-Dispatch reported the issue in September, dozens of veterans from Missouri, Illinois and around the country called the newspaper about their situations.

“It should not require the bright lights of the media to bring justice to these heroes,” Bond, R-Mo., said Thursday. “A Special Review Board is needed to give all the troops a chance to have their stories heard and where appropriate, be restored to their benefits and have any stigma taken off of their record.”

Pentagon officials have acknowledged that at least 100,000 troops have been diagnosed with pre-existing disorders, with the 22,000 being the most serious cases.

Bond said he will seek broad support for a review board when lawmakers return to Washington Monday and send the request to the president before the congressional session ends. Bond is co-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

His proposal drew some quick support from Bond’s Missouri colleague.

“I think it’s a great idea and I look forward to working with him on it,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Legislation proposed by Bond and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., would limit the Pentagon’s use of the personality disorder discharges. Bond said it’s important to rectify the situation for those already so diagnosed.

The review board would closely examine each case where a veteran has signs of post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury, and determine whether those symptoms resulted from combat rather than from a prior condition. If so, the veteran’s status would be changed.

A precedent occurred in 1977, when President Jimmy Carter set up a panel called the Special Discharge Review Panel to look at Vietnam veterans. It examined records of more than 28,000 veterans who had received less than honorable discharges - and 16,000 had their discharges upgraded.