Back at home, war toll grows

Back at home, war toll grows
BY MARTHA BELLISLE • mbellisle@rgj.com • June 1, 2008


As Ryan Gorgoglione manned a gun on an Army Humvee during a patrol north of Baghdad, his best friend strolled out on point 5 feet in front of the vehicle, stepped on a buried bomb and disappeared in a flash of light.

"The blast threw me back, and I woke up on the deck," said Gorgoglione, a 24-year-old Hug High School graduate who spent more than a year in Iraq. "There was nothing but dust. You can't see anything. You can't hear anything. And they were still hitting us from across the river."

When the patrol regained control, Adam Frolic was found with his throat ripped out, a leg torn off and most of an arm gone, Gorgoglione said.

The look on the doctor's face said it all, Gorgoglione said. Frolic had just turned 21.

The bloody battle that ended his buddy's life is one of dozens of tales Gorgoglione can tell, when pressed, about his time in the war. He doesn't think about it much, he says, and goes about his days like a normal guy. He rejects the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder by a psychologist at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Reno.

But after dark, he's plagued with nightmares that keep him awake. Soon after his return, he started drinking heavily to make himself pass out when he went to bed.

His drinking led to his first driving under the influence charge, then a second. He awaits a court hearing to determine punishment and counseling to ensure he doesn't get a third DUI citation, a felony in Nevada.

Help before the crisis

Gorgoglione's story has become increasingly common as more young men and women return from Iraq and Afghanistan with mental health issues and physical ailments that sometimes land them in jail.

The VA hospital in Reno has begun working with the Washoe County public defender's office to identify veterans who might be struggling with PTSD or traumatic brain injuries and get them help, said Alicia Adams, manager for the hospital's Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom program.

"The idea is to be proactive and get to them before they end up in crisis," Adams said. "When they come back home, in their mind they're fine, but within a year or two, they're in crisis, and often a family member steps in and says, 'Get in and get help or I'm going to leave you.' It doesn't need to be that way."

Kathy O'Leary, a chief deputy public defender, said the effort has helped the staff and attorneys understand the veterans' special needs.

"We are trying to ask the right questions at an early stage," O'Leary said. "That way we can connect our clients with appropriate services and make sure they get the screenings they need."