Ed Kemp • Hattiesburg American • July 9, 2008
As many as one in eight soldiers returning from Iraq suffer from post-traumatic stress, the Department of Veterans Affairs has concluded.
The wife of one such soldier is forming a community group to combat the problem.
Last month, Heather Smith, 33, established PTSD Military Support Group in Mississippi, designed to allow veterans and their families to meet and discuss the issues they face as a result of the disorder.
So far, 15-20 people have expressed interest in the group, Smith said. An opening meeting date remains to be set.
"People don't know it's hard for the veterans to come out and admit anger issues and guilt issues," she said. "It took my husband five years."
Her husband, former Marine Sgt. Marty Smith, 27, was diagnosed with the disorder after being deployed to Iraq in 2003.
Among those aiding Smith in her endeavors are Master Sgt. James Benefield, who works with the Family Assistance Center at Camp Shelby; Col. Peter Bauer, chief of behavioral health for Medical Task Force Shelby; and Chaplain Tommy Fuller, the camp's instillation chaplain.
Fuller, who has ministered to PTSD sufferers, expressed enthusiasm for the idea, stating that he was unaware of any precedent for a community PTSD group. He said it's a necessary addition to the resources available for returning soldiers
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http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS/807090359/1001/news
Would have been really great if someone had told some of these people it is what we did in the 90's but the programs were dropped.
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