Diva Veteran's warrior reporters hold Q & A at Walter Reed

All veterans should thank Priest and Hull for fighting for you!


Post Reporters Hold Chat on Walter Reed Series

The Washington Post
Below are excerpts from a recent Washington Post online reader chat with Washington Post reporters Dana Priest and Anne V. Hull, who discussed the latest installment in their "Walter Reed and Beyond" series chronicling the care and treatment given to service members returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The story focused on First Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside and how the military handles mental problems differently than physical wounds.

Q: Why do you suppose those in charge remain so uninformed about wounds of the mind?

A (Hull): Some "get it" and others seem to still be a product of the culture. Like all culture shifts, these are slow to change. And yet the high numbers of returning soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental problems have forced them to take notice. Many initiatives launched and in the works from the Army, but still the disturbing trend continues of service members with mental issues not getting treated the same as the physically wounded.

Q: How is the mental stress of soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan different than those who returned from other wars?

A (Hull): What's different about this war is that they come back to hometowns and cities that are not really engaged in the war. Less than 1 percent of Americans are serving. Also, the battlefield in Iraq is everywhere, with no clear-cut front lines. The randomness of violence and the mutilating nature of bombs and explosives make every day stressful. Just driving a car once home again sets off a lot of soldiers.
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