Sgt. Ben Driftmyer "spent 8 years serving" now feels betrayed

The good news is that Congress is trying to make it easier to file and have a PTSD claim approved now, but it comes too late for people like Sgt. Driftmyer. Why? Because they ended up suffering. To this day I still wonder what happened to the over 22,000 given discharges under "personality disorder" allowing them nothing for their service and no help for PTSD.

'The military didn't want to pay for me for the rest of my life'

By Kim Quintero KVAL News
COTTAGE GROVE, Ore. - A turning point in the Iraq war: Tuesday is the deadline for US combat troops to withdraw from Baghdad and other Iraqi cities after a six year occupation. This is the first phase of a full withdrawal by the end of 2011.

Those returning are facing serious combat related mental health issues. According to a study conducted by RAND Corp. last year, one in three combat veterans will return home with PTSD, traumatic brain injury or major depression requiring treatment.

"I had spent eight years serving the military. I never got in trouble. Never did anything bad. And I got treated like I was a piece of crap because of it," said Ben Driftmyer, discharged U.S. Army Sergeant and Cottage Grove resident.

Driftmyer was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder by Eugene doctors after he was chaptered out from the special forces unit in Baghdad. He suffered several mental breakdowns during his service, but his discharge was classified as "other than medical."

"Because the military didn't want to pay for me for the rest of my life," said Driftmyer.
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