Brig. Gen. David R. Hogg doing what is needed for PTSD

Vilseck unit soon to start PTSD forums
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Friday, February 15, 2008



VILSECK, Germany — Vilseck’s newly formed warrior transition unit will establish a forum for soldiers and spouses to talk about problems associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

The unit, known as a WTU, was formed in December and has 59 injured and wounded soldiers assigned to it. Most are from Vilseck’s 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, which deployed to Iraq last summer.

Joint Multinational Training Command chief Brig. Gen. David R. Hogg, who addressed WTU members during a town hall-style meeting Wednesday, said soldiers in the unit have only one mission — to get better.

The PTSD meetings — due to start in the next two weeks — will be for soldiers and spouses, he said.

“Sometimes you think you are the only person with this issue,” he said. “They (PTSD sufferers) can find out they are not the only person and it helps with the healing process.”

Vilseck WTU 1st Sgt. Paul Ninelist said most soldiers in the unit who were wounded downrange have bomb blast injuries: traumatic brain injury or PTSD.

“The PTSD group is being put together so wives and husbands can understand PTSD,” he said.

Many soldiers suffering from the condition are nervous, added the former tanker, who survived three IED blasts in Iraq.
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This is one of the best things they could do for the troops with PTSD and their families. Support groups provide what doctors cannot. The families need to be very involved in the healing of their family member because PTSD involves the whole family. There are so many issues that change family life and it is difficult to cope with. Understanding what it is, being supported by others going through it and learning from each other are all vital to healing. All too often the families are forgotten when a military member is diagnosed with PTSD. This is a wonderful thing. The problem is that it isn't happening here. There is a great need all across the country for this kind of support. If we are going to support the troops for real, we need to also support them when they are wounded along with their families with everything we have.

National Guardsmen and Reservists are dealing with much higher rates of PTSD and they are not getting the kind of support they need. Think of how little it costs to have a support group running and think of the tremendous healing that can be done for the active members and for the veterans.