News Analysis: May 15, 2009
Will the silver lining to this week’s horrible shooting incident at a mental health clinic at Camp Victory, Iraq be passage of a mental health bill for the military? The bill calls for a $300 million increase in mental health funding for pre- and post-deployment screenings to help get those in need into treatment faster. Anything to avoid future tragedies — especially those that some say they didn’t see coming. “Combat deployments are, by their nature stressful,” said Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey. “I can’t say that the deployments contributed [to the shooting], but I can’t believe that the stress of combat deployments, added to the stress of family issues, is not some sort of contributing factor.”
The military is over-diagnosing brain injuries? “It stretches credulity to believe that all the people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan are getting the treatment they need,” said Jason Forrester, VFA’s director of policy.
Still, stigma about psychological injuries prevents many from seeking treatment.
Sexual assault in the ranks remains a problem, demanding that all members of our military “stand up” against such behavior.
Helping our Guard members and their families cope with deployments and post-deployment stress is a good idea. The Yellow Ribbon program in Montana is going nationwide to help more of our stressed Guard families. Our military families face daunting challenges largely unheard of beyond the ranks, such as children losing their parents — but no longer their schools.
Will Gen. McChrystal refocus the war in Afghanistan, or put a new face on the long slog? How much depends on Pakistan? As in Iraq, where faulty wiring has killed at least three US service members, officials are looking to inspect wiring done by contractors in Afghanistan. And what awaits our troops in Iraq after June 30?
Housing assistance for our war- and economy-battered troops and their families…