Army launches PTSD awareness program

James Blake Miller, the 'Marlboro Marine', became an icon of the gritty American warrior in a picture published world-wide. After separating from the Marines, he was treated for PTSD and depression.

The Army has launched a nationwide program to teach soldiers and their families how to identify signs of possible psychiatric injuries suffered in the war on terrorism that may have gone unnoticed.

The Army is responding to widespread reports that soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with mild brain damage and post-traumatic stress disorder were treated as malingerers or unfairly dismissed from the service...

The military has acknowledged facing an unprecedented problem, and said that even with the best treatment and preparation, some soldiers will suffer lifelong mental injuries.

"At no time in our military history have soldiers or Marines been required to serve on the front line in any war for a period of 6-7 months, let alone a year, without a significant break in order to recover from the physical, psychological, and emotional demands that ensue from combat," a military report released in May said.

Previously, the draft had guaranteed commanders had replacements for those who had spent considerable time in combat.

Read the rest at the Washington Post

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