Fort Carson continues bad behavior with deadly endings

When Graham took command of Carson, it didn't take long for me to change my mind about hoping he would turn around the deadly endings of the men and women in his command when they made it back home from combat. All the words I've been eating ever since have left a huge lump in my throat. Use the search at the top of this blog and find Fort Carson just to get some idea of how many problems were talking about. What all of this boils down to is that they can claim whatever they want but while we still have them being mistreated instead of treated, punished instead of provided with the mental health care they were promised, charge for "bad behavior" instead of helped, there will be many more they will have to answer to the families of. They still don't get it. I wonder if they will ever notice their own bad behavior has done more damage to the military than anything else ever could have?

Right: Courtesy Heidi Lieberman

Army Pvt. Adam Lieberman attempted suicide on October 30, 2008, leaving a suicide note scrawled on the wall of his Fort Carson, Colorado barracks.

"You know," Heidi fired at Phelps, "I still have a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that my son is being charged with defacing government property and you people are more concerned about your wall than my son," she stammered. Then she threatened, half jokingly, "I will paint that wall and make this stupidity go away."

Salon"The Death Dealers took my life!"
Salon - USA
Adam Lieberman tried to kill himself when he returned from Iraq. Only then did the Army take his mental health seriously.

Editor's note: This is the first story in a weeklong series called "Coming Home." Read an introduction to the series here; see photos of Heidi Lieberman painting over her son's suicide note, and a copy of the "Hurt Feelings Report," here.

By Mark Benjamin and Michael de Yoanna

Feb. 9, 2009 FORT CARSON, Colo. -- The day before Halloween 2008, Army Pvt. Adam Lieberman swallowed handfuls of prescription pain pills and psychotropic drugs. Then he picked up a can of black paint and smeared onto the wall of his room in the Fort Carson barracks what he thought would be his last words to the world.

"I FACED THE ENEMY AND LIVED!" Lieberman painted on the wall in big, black letters. "IT WAS THE DEATH DEALERS THAT TOOK MY LIFE!"

Soldiers called Lieberman's unit, the 1st Battalion, 67th Armored Regiment, the Death Dealers. Adam suffered serious mental health problems after a year of combat in Iraq. The Army, however, blamed his problems on a personality disorder, anxiety disorder or alcohol abuse -- anything but the war. Instead of receiving treatment from the Army for his war-related problems, Adam faced something more akin to harassment. He was punished and demoted for his bad behavior, but not treated effectively for its cause. The Army's fervent tough-guy atmosphere discouraged Adam from seeking help. Eventually he saw no other way out. Now, in what was to be his last message, he pointed the finger at the Army for his death.
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