Report: Soldiers seeking care being discharged, denied benefits for 'pre-existing' mental illness

After enduring a rocket attack in Ramadi, Jon Town was told his PTSD was a pre-existing personality disorder, then discharged from the service and denied disability.

Thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq — as many as 10 a day — are being discharged by the military for mental health reasons. But the Pentagon isn't blaming the war. It says the soldiers had "pre-existing" conditions that disqualify them for treatment by the government.

Many soldiers and Marines being discharged on this basis actually suffer from combat-related problems, experts say. But by classifying them as having a condition unrelated to the war, the Defense Department is able to quickly get rid of troops having trouble doing their work while also saving the expense of caring for them.

The result appears to be that many actually suffering from combat-related problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries don't get the help they need...

Defense Department records show that 22,500 cases of personality-disorder discharges have been processed over the last six years.

Read the rest at the St. Louis Dispatch

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