It seems that the sociopaths in the Bush administartiomn has found a new way to screw returning Iraqi war veterans. The Nation has a piece on returning soldiers with injuries and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) are told they really are suffering from a pre-existing condition. Anything to save a buck to line the pockets of defense contractors.
Defense Department records show that across the entire armed forces, more than 22,500 soldiers have been dismissed due to personality disorder in the last six years.
Well, it seems like the Army will just sign up anyone, without psychologically screening them.
Col. Knorr of Fort Carson's Evans hospital says he's confident his doctors are properly diagnosing personality disorder. The colonel says there is a simple explanation as to why in so many cases the lifelong condition of personality disorder isn't apparent until after serving in Iraq. Traumatic experiences, Knorr says, can trigger a condition that has lain dormant for years. "They may have done fine in high school and before, but it comes out during the stress of service."
Well? Not according to Keith Armstrong, a clinical professor with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco.
"Personality disorder is a diagnosis I'm very cautious about," he says. "My question would be, has PTSD been ruled out? It seems to me that if it walks like a duck, looks like a duck, let's see if it's a duck before other factors are implicated."
So why is the Army doing this? By discharging soldiers under Chapter 5-13, the military could be saving upwards of $8 billion in disability pay. That's money better served lining the pockets of those wonderful folks at Halliburton, which recently announced it's moving it's headquarters to the UAE. Probably to be closer to the action.
4 comments:
Both my brother and I joined and left the active duty military within a year of each other, respectively. It took less than 4 months for my VA disability claims to be processed and the monthly check to start arriving. My brother, who got out latter waited the full year for his claim to be settled. There is an overwhelming flood right now because of this war. It's simply a god damn shame.
It's despicable that the military is twisting diagnoses just to save paying out disability money to soldiers. No wonder they have trouble filling recruitment levels. Why would anyone want to enlist and subject themselves to war based on lies, inferior equipment, inadequate medical care, a revolving door of duty, and the possibility that their disability claim will be denied because they found doctors willing to twists the facts?
Supportin' the troops! Whatta bunch of bullshit. Goddamn shame indeed.
I agree with Kathy...despicable! Not surprising, but despicable.
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