What's the link between PTSD, TBI and violence?
By Dr. Charles Raison, Special to CNN
updated 8:53 AM EDT, Thu March 22, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
A lawyer for Sgt. Robert Bales says the soldier may have been suffering from TBI, PTSD
Sometimes our understanding of psychiatry is unsatisfying, Dr. Charles Raison says
Raison: The backstory to someone's life is just as important as the current situation
Editor's note: Dr. Charles Raison, CNNhealth's mental health expert, is an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Arizona in Tucson. He has not personally examined the suspect in the Afghanistan mass shootings, Robert Bales, but has used news accounts as the basis for his views.
(CNN) -- Q: Sgt. Robert Bales has been accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians. He served three tours in Iraq before this and his lawyer says he may have been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury. What's the link between violence and those disorders?
A: Psychiatrists understand some types of aberrant behavior pretty well and can do things to help resolve it. But, unfortunately, in other instances -- and often the most interesting ones -- we can only mumble generalities that require no special expertise and that offer no hope for a diagnosis or treatment. read more here
Marine says Corps kicking him out for criticism
By Julie Watson - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 22, 2012 5:39:18 EDT
SAN DIEGO — A Marine sergeant who started a Facebook group that is openly critical of President Obama and posted comments saying he will not follow the unlawful orders of the commander in chief is facing possible dismissal from the Corps.
The Marines on Wednesday told Sgt. Gary Stein — a Camp Pendleton Marine who started the Facebook page called Armed Forces Tea Party — that he is in violation of Pentagon policy barring troops from political activities.
Stein, a nine-year member of the Corps, said he started the page to encourage fellow service members to exercise their free speech rights. He has also criticized Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for his comments on Syria. read more here
Carson soldier held in motorcycle club shooting
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Mar 21, 2012 20:27:41 EDT
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Colorado Springs police say a second man taken into custody after a deadly shooting near the clubhouse of the Sin City Disciples motorcycle club is a Fort Carson soldier. read more here
Military is no closer to understanding how many deployments are too many. Why?
Because they didn't care about what they knew back then!
Researchers wrestle with how many deployments are too many
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
After nearly 11 years of war and hundreds of millions of dollars in research on the mental health of troops, the military is no closer to understanding how many deployments are too many for individual soldiers, researchers say.
Military leaders have said the nation has never fought wars this long with this small of a military, deploying troops over and over. Yet questions about how many times a soldier can recycle into combat without psychological harm remain unanswered, reseachers say.
"I think it's definitely disappointing that we don't know. I wish we did," says retired Navy Capt. William Nash, a psychiatrist studying resiliency in Marine battalions. read more here
CNN on hand at Nicholas Horner murder trial
Kathy Mellott
The Tribune-Democrat
March 21, 2012
HOLLIDAYSBURG — A crew from CNN put in an appearance at the Blair County Courthouse this morning as the double-homicide trial of Nicholas Adam Horner entered its third day. A reporter, producer and a videographer were on hand as testimony continued in the prosecution’s case against the former Johnstown man.
While unable to have a camera in the courtroom, as per Pennsylvania law, the CNN crew was taking outside shots of the courtyard and public entrance area of the courthouse.
Their primary interest in the case stems from Horner’s claim that he suffers from PTSD as the result of three tours of duty in the Middle East.
It was the PTSD, his defense attorney maintains, along with drug and alcohol use, that led to his allegedly shooting and killing two men and wounding a woman on April 6, 2009, in Altoona. read more here
Army examining mental health programs
March 21, 2012
The Army inspector general is conducting a system-wide review of mental health facilities to determine whether psychiatrists overturned diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder to save money, a move that comes as the case of a U.S. soldier suspected of killing 16 Afghan civilians has brought fresh attention to the strains of war.
By DONNA CASSATA
Associated Press
The Army inspector general is conducting a system-wide review of mental health facilities to determine whether psychiatrists overturned diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder to save money, a move that comes as the case of a U.S. soldier suspected of killing 16 Afghan civilians has brought fresh attention to the strains of war.
Army Secretary John McHugh told Congress on Wednesday that the service is trying to determine whether the change in diagnosis was isolated or a common practice. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who pressed McHugh at a committee hearing, said the forensic psychiatry unit at Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord is being investigated for reversing diagnoses based on the expense of providing care and benefits to members of the military.
"Not only is it damaging for our soldiers, but it also really furthers the stigma for others that are - whether they're deciding to seek help or not today," Murray said. read more here
Soldier receives Silver Star for defending OP in Afghanistan
Published: March 21, 2012
Soldier Michael A. Moynihan recently stepped away from his duties with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division in Afghanistan to receive the Silver Star, the U.S. military's third-highest combat decoration for valor.
The Army awarded Moynihan the medal on March 5 for defending his observation post in Kunar province for three long days in October 2011, according to the Army Times.
As a team leader with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, then-Cpl. Moynihan helped coordinate the defense of Observation Post Shal, repelling attacks and firing on at least a dozen enemy positions, the Army Times reported. His team's responsibility was guarding the OP's northern flank. read more here
Troops stressed to breaking point
Report cites sustained combat, redeployments
By Rowan Scarborough-The Washington Times Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A recent Army health report draws an alarming profile of a fighting force more prone to inexcusable violence amid an “epidemic” of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the mental breakdown attracting speculation as a factor in a massacre of Afghan civilians this month.
Based on an exhaustive study of nearly 500,000 soldiers, reservists and veterans, the report finds that troops are more likely to commit suicide and violent sex offenses, and notes that as many as 236,000 suffered from PTSD since the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
For military analysts, the reason is the nightmarish experience of sustained combat: Soldiers have been fighting the longest war in U.S. history, with frequent stressful deployments and compressed rest time back home.
“The real issue here, which I’ve been tracking for a long time, is 10 years of combat,” said military analyst Robert Maginnis, a retired Army officer.
“I see these kids who have been in combat year after year after year. It is taking a real toll, not only medical, but being able to sort out their lives. What this kid caved to I think could be an epidemic. It is really long term what we are doing to a generation of volunteers.” read more here
Will anything change after Sgt. Robert Bales actions?
by
Chaplain Kathie
To say that Bales is "accused" won't make much sense, since he said he did it when he turned himself in. The only question that has to be answered now is why he did it. No matter what the outcome of the trial he will face, all of us should understand what has been clear for over 40 years. We do a lousy job of taking care of the men and women we send into combat.
We are a nation of over 300 million people but only have about 24 million veterans. Less than one percent serve in the military today. That tiny portion of the population have been suffering but there hasn't been any kind of public outrage over the reports we've been reading since the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq started. We can talk all we want about this nation, our blessings and our pride in our country, we can talk about how patriotic we are and all of that is true in most cases, but we cannot honestly say we support our troops or our veterans.
While Sgt. Bales' story is big news today, the issue is far from new. Local media stations have been reporting trials of veterans for years but cable news stations have not been interested in reporting them on a national scale. Why? The nation sends them into combat and the nation is ultimately responsible for what happens to them after combat. Aren't we? We pay for all of it with our taxes. What we don't do is pay for it with our interest and actions.
In Washington there have been countless hearings and testimonies. Organizations like the DAV, VFW, American Legion, IAVA along with an ever growing list of non-profits testify on the suffering of millions of veterans, but nothing really happens. Each branch of the military issues statements they are doing all they can to address the strain on the military but sooner or later we read that what they are doing isn't working. When we read between the lines we notice they are repeating the same mistakes, using the same failed programs and in turn, failing our troops. The VA repeats mistakes in some locations while others are thinking outside the box and coming up with programs of their own. Claims are approved in one part of the country while the same type of claim will be denied in another.
Communities may come together to help a veteran while in another part of the country, the same thing is happening to another veteran but no one notices or does anything to help. One part of the country may welcome facilities to treat veterans and help them heal while another community does all they can to keep a facility out of their neighborhood because suffering veterans don't belong there and will hurt their property values.
We have elected official after elected official showing up, talking to veterans when they want their support but avoiding their suffering the rest of the time they are in office. At most, lip service is all veterans get.
They all knew what redeployments would do but kept sending servicemen and women back for repeated tours. In too many cases, they were sent back wounded and on medication. It is disgracefully clear that nothing will change after all the reports surrounding Sgt. Bales come out for one simple reason. Nothing has changed before this.
Lawyer on Bales: 'There may be explanations'
By Adam Levine, Chris Lawrence and Michael Martinez CNN
Tue March 20, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Charges against Bales are expected Thursday, his attorney says
The military's administrative review is in addition to a criminal investigation
U.S. general tells Congress probe will look at why Bales was sent to Afghanistan
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is the suspect in 16 Afghan villagers' deaths, including nine children
Washington (CNN) -- A lawyer for Sgt. Robert Bales said Tuesday "there may be explanations" for the alleged shooting this month by his client of 16 Afghan civilians, but -- even if that is what happened -- the government will have a difficult time making its case.
"I don't know if the government is going to prove much," lead attorney John Henry Browne told CNN about the shootings of nine children, three women and four men in a village in southern Afghanistan. "There's no forensic evidence, there's no confessions."
He added, "Nothing really justifies killing women and children in a noncombat situation. But there may be explanations if that's true. And right now I want to say once again, I'm not sure that's true."
Bales, who had served three tours of duty in Iraq before being sent to Afghanistan, may have been suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, Brown said. Bales suffered a traumatic brain injury during a roadside bomb explosion and lost part of his foot in separate tours in Iraq, his attorney has said. "Anybody that has seen what he's seen and done what he's done at the request of the military -- and I'm not talking about these allegations -- I think would have PTSD ... Dragging parts of bodies around is not something you forget very often." read more here
McHugh: Army reviewing mental health programs
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Mar 21, 2012 12:26:58 EDT
WASHINGTON — The secretary of the Army on Wednesday said the service is reviewing mental health programs amid renewed attention to the stress of war after a U.S. soldier was suspected of killing 16 Afghan civilians.
John McHugh was pressed on the issue by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., who said the Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington state reversed 40 percent of diagnoses of post-traumatic stress disorder for candidates for military retirement. read more here
40% of PTSD cases at Madigan were reversed
A Madigan Army Medical Center screening team reversed more than 40 percent of the post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses of patients under consideration for medical retirement since 2007, according to information released by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
A Madigan Army Medical Center screening team reversed more than 40 percent of the post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses of patients under consideration for medical retirement since 2007, according to information released by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.
The statistics were compiled as part of an ongoing Army Medical Command investigation into the screening team's practices. The team has been suspended from PTSD evaluations, and the Army Medical Command is offering new evaluations to patients whose diagnoses were reversed.
Citing a need to "protect the integrity of the process" during ongoing investigations, the Western Regional Medical Command, in a statement released to The Seattle Times, declined to comment on the statistics released by Murray.
The investigation was triggered, in part, by soldiers who were concerned by the decision to take away their PTSD diagnoses and, in some cases, tag them as possible malingerers.
Originally diagnosed by other Army or Department of Veterans Affairs doctors, some had been receiving extensive treatment for months or years when the screening team evaluated them.
A PTSD diagnosis can qualify a soldier for the considerable financial benefits of a medical retirement. Those include a pension, health insurance for spouse and dependents and commissary privileges. read more here
Fort Hood soldier dies in Temple
Officials are investigating his death
Updated: Tuesday, 20 Mar 2012
FORT HOOD, Texas (KXAN0 - Fort Hood officials have released the name of a soldier who died March 15 in Temple, Texas, from injuries suffered from a gunshot wound March 14 in Killeen.
Sgt. Timothy Daniel Dupree, 27, whose home of record is listed as Phoenix, Ariz., joined the military in August 2003 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. He arrived at Fort Hood in February 2004 and was currently assigned to Company C, 62nd Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, Fort Hood since November 2009. read more here
Renee Paxton watched as the outgoing, quick-witted man she loved and would later marry slowly came undone.
A load master in the Air Force Reserve with 240 combat missions into Afghanistan and Iraq, Rick Paxton stopped eating, stopped seeing friends. Loud noises spooked him; the American flag flying on a building stopped him dead in his tracks. He hardly left the house.
The 49-year-old became combative at the very suggestion that Renee Paxton get them help, worried that revealing his troubles would jeopardize his chances to advance after 25 years of service.
"He said, 'We don't talk about this,' " she recalled. "Military people push that stuff to a different part of their brain."
But the fear that is keeping soldiers from seeking help for their mental wounds is also tying the hands of those closest to them — the silence like a fence around the family.
"Often they are living in fear, silently, like women in domestic violence," said Jennifer Ferguson, a licensed marriage and family therapist who worked for a year in a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) program at Madigan Army Medical Center south of Tacoma. red more here
Marine rescues man from attack
March 20, 2012 12:08 PM
By Marine Corps Cpl. Lucas Vega - Marine Forces Reserve
LANCASTER, Calif. — Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Joshua Escandon was going to lunch here with his wife Feb. 26 when his instincts kicked in because he heard a woman screaming for help.
He stepped out of his car and immediately knew something was not quite right. He scanned his surroundings and spotted a commotion involving a group of people.
When Escandon heard a woman yelling, “They are going to kill him! Help him!” he knew he had to take action.
The radio operator with 3rd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company ran toward the crowd, where he was blocked by onlookers from what appeared to be a fight.
“Everyone was watching, but nobody was helping,” said Escandon, who returned from a seven-month deployment to Afghanistan in December. “Like Marines look out for each other in combat, we have to protect our fellow man too and stop letting stuff like this happen, or it will just happen more.”
As he wove his way through the crowd, Escandon saw a man being kicked and punched by two others.
One of the men was holding what appeared to be a sword, Escandon said. He later learned from the Lancaster Sheriff’s Department that the two men were gang-affiliated, and that their weapon was a cane-sword -- a cane that incorporates a concealed blade. read more here
Store clerk describes being shot by Iraq war vet in Pa. robbery case centered on PTSD
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: March 21, 2012
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. — A woman shot by a Pennsylvania Iraq war veteran in a sandwich shop robbery says the man apologized to the co-worker he killed before fleeing the scene and later killing another man as he tried to make his escape.
Michele Petty told a jury Tuesday that Nicholas Horner then shot her in the hip and warned her not to move. read more here
Many Soldiers Shoulder Burden Of Post-Combat Stress
War Memories Can Intrude On Civilian Life
March 20, 2012
CINCINNATI -- Michael Mather and Stephen Tam are war veterans who share more than just war stories and a family connection.
Both men suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mather retired from the Army as a sergeant after he was shot in the face by a sniper.
"The bullet came in here, entered my jaw bone, shattered it, so I lost 40 percent of the bottom of my jaw, and it fractured it in three places and it blew out my neck," Mather said.
He still doesn't like to be around tall buildings or crowds, which reminds him of the shooting.
"I seclude myself," Mather said. "I don't like going places where there's a lot of people, a lot of activity."
His father-in-law suffers similar anxieties from dodging sniper fire and mortars during the Vietnam War. for video and to read more go here
PTSD Expert Visits Fairmont
Written by Whitney Wetzel
Last updated on March 20, 2012 @ 7:30PM
Created on March 20, 2012 @ 6:51PM
You may have seen a story last week here on 5 News, about post-traumatic stress disorder and how many of our military troops are affected by it. But the problem is that lots of folks in the community don't understand the disorder, which makes it hard to relate to troops once they come back from war.
Dr. Edward Tick has been at Fairmont State University all day, teaching folks in the community how they can better understand and care for our veterans. read more here
Tracking reports on PTSD across the web often includes reports from other countries. It stuns me when I read about another country ahead of the game because they learned from research begun right here in the US. We've known about the increased risks of PTSD redeployments cause but have not done a thing about correcting the problem. We just keep sending them back over and over again, usually on medication, while expecting a different outcome. The reports keep getting worse on suicides, attempted suicides, crimes, domestic problems and accidents. Kudos to the UK on this one because they've learned from out mistakes.
Britain Limits Deployment to Reduce P.T.S.D.
Mark Phillips is a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a British research group focusing on defense and security issues.
MARCH 20, 2012
The Ministry of Defense tries to manage the impact operations have on its people through "harmony guidelines." For the British army, individuals should deploy for six months at a time and for no more than 12 months in every 3-year period. The guidelines also apply to other personnel deployed on land operations.
Research has shown that personnel who deploy within the guidelines show no ill-effect related to deployment length, except in relation to alcohol intake. On the other hand, spending more than six months away, or having these periods extended unexpectedly, can have adverse effects on health and well-being for both personnel and their families. These effects are even greater for deployments lasting longer than a year, resulting in cumulative stress.
It is interesting that the harmony guidelines contrast with those of the United States Army. The longer deployment of American personnel may contribute to large differences in the prevalence of mental health problems (including operational stress and post-traumatic stress disorder). One study found that personnel who deployed for 13 months or more in three years were more likely to fulfill the criteria for P.T.S.D. read more here
Soldier who halted robbery gets heroism medal
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 20, 2012
Staff Sgt. Eddie Peoples, who recently received the Soldier’s Medal for catching a bank robber while on leave in Florida, has had a lot of time to ponder how others define heroism.
Some people consider his actions courageous, and others think he was foolhardy, he said.
“I would never, ever recommend anyone put their life in danger. I believe life is a precious thing,” said Peoples, of the 386th Movement Control Battalion. “I made that decision on my own person.”
Now the Army has officially recognized him as a hero.
Nearly a year after Peoples used his Army combatives training to subdue an armed bank robber in Pensacola, Fla., Brig. Gen. Aundre Piggee presented him with the Soldier’s Medal — the peacetime award for heroism — at a ceremony in Vicenza, Italy.
“He is an example for the United States Army,” said Piggee, commander of the 21st Theater Sustainment Command, at the Feb. 28 ceremony. “This is what this medal is about — true personal courage in the face of danger or adversity. It is living the warrior ethos, in or out of uniform.” read more here
RIO RANCHO, N.M. -- A Rio Rancho couple said they're dumbfounded after someone stole their wheelchair ramp over the weekend.
Vietnam era veteran Ernest Lee is a man who made a huge sacrifice for his country. Over the weekend, Lee's mobile wheelchair ramp disappeared from outside their home.
Lee's wife uses the ramp primarily to load him up into their van. read more here
UPDATE NJ Mayor Admits He Never Was in Vietnam
Stafford Township mayor clarifies his military service
Wednesday, Mar 21, 2012
A South Jersey mayor whose military record was called into question has admitted he never served in Vietnam.
Stafford Township Mayor John Spodofora apologized for misleading anyone and told the township committee meeting Tuesday that his “feet were not in Vietnam.” read more here
Stafford mayor denies exaggerating Vietnam War military service
Posted: Tuesday, March 20, 2012
By DONNA WEAVER Staff Writer
STAFFORD TOWNSHIP — Mayor John Spodofora served his country during the Vietnam War in a highly classified position, childhood friend and fellow veteran Everett Giberson says.
“I know he was a spook. They called them spooks because you didn’t know where they were or what they did. Everything he did was top secret. I’m not allowed to say what he did,” said Giberson, 67, of Stafford Township.
Neither can 66-year-old Spodofora, whose claims of military service have come under attack from a member of the township’s Republican Club, who accuses him of faking his war record for votes.
Spodofora stands by his claim that much of his Vietnam military service is classified.
The Republican mayor said he plans to address tonight, at Township Council’s 7 p.m. meeting, what he calls false accusations leveled against him by township Republican Club president and former township employee Martha Kremer. He says he won’t be able to tell everything, because many of his records remain classified. read more here
