Bases brace for surge in stress-related disorders
By LOLITA C. BALDOR (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
November 29, 2008 10:24 AM EST
FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky - Some 15,000 soldiers are heading home to this sprawling base after spending more than a year at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and military health officials are bracing for a surge in brain injuries and psychological problems among those troops.
Facing prospects that one in five of the 101st Airborne Division soldiers will suffer from stress-related disorders, the base has nearly doubled its psychological health staff. Army leaders are hoping to use the base's experiences to assess the long-term impact of repeated deployments.
The three 101st Airborne combat brigades, which have begun arriving home, have gone through at least three tours in Iraq. The 3rd Brigade also served seven months in Afghanistan, early in the war. Next spring, the 4th Brigade will return from a 15-month tour in Afghanistan. So far, roughly 10,000 soldiers have come back; the remainder are expected by the end of January.
Army leaders say they will closely watch Fort Campbell to determine the proper medical staffing levels needed to aid soldiers who have endured repeated rotations in the two war zones.
"I don't know what to expect. I don't think anybody knows," said Gen. Peter Chiarelli, vice chief of staff of the Army, as he flew back to Washington from a recent tour of the base's medical facilities. "That's why I want to see numbers from the 101st's third deployment."
What happens with the 101st Airborne, he said, will let the Army help other bases ready for similar homecomings in the next year or two, when multiple brigades from the 4th Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division return.
Noting that some soldiers in the 101st Airborne units have been to war four or five times, Chiarelli said he is most worried the military will not be able to find enough health care providers to deal effectively with the troops needing assistance.
Many of the military bases are near small or remote communities that do not have access to the number of health professionals who might be needed as a great many soldiers return home.
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I hope they actually do more than brace this time! As we all know, the record of both the DOD and the VA has been doggedly poor in dealing with PTSD and other closed head trauma disorders for eons.
ReplyDeleteOur troops deserve recognition of their individual issues, and not being lumped together, as PTSD and closed head trauma leading to brain disorders is NOT a global one-size-fits-all issue! They need support, ADEQUATE, not just cursory, treatment, followup, support, support, and more support. We can't have a new generation that is left to their own devices, as the Vietnam Vets were. Alcohol, drugs and suicide are paths that lead nowhere but to ruination; there is no one that needs to go that route with the care they should be getting. Every warrior is owed quality care. They signed the blank check to the US giving them their life if need be, and now it's time for repayment!
As a survivor, it's nothing to take lightly. Believe me, the war goes on inside every day. 42 years after coming home, I'm still not all home in many ways. Thanks to God, and my soulmate, I'm much better off than many, and I count those blessings every day.
Hi AllAmerican,
ReplyDeleteI hear you on all of that and you put it well. When people say to veterans "Weclome Home" I often wonder if they really have a clue what it means to not come home the same. 42 years ago for you and my husband came home in 1971. I want to be able to look all of you in the eyes and say "Welcome Home All The Way" and know you've all been taken care of by a country doing all it can to help you heal.