Gen. Peter Chiarelli says mental health toughest battle of his 37-year career

General Chairelli is right. I've been in this since 1982 and never thought it would ever get this bad for them. We should never, ever lose more after war than during it, but we do during a time in their lives when they should be healing.

Army general is point man in Pentagon's push to improve soldiers' welfare
Seattle Times

Army general is point man in Pentagon's push to improve soldiers' welfare
Gen. Peter Chiarelli, a Seattle University graduate and the son of a Magnolia butcher, ascended the ranks to become the Army's No. 2 uniformed officer. He has emerged as an outspoken advocate in the push to improve the welfare of soldiers.

By Hal Bernton

Seattle Times staff reporter

STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Speaking to cadets at Seattle University, Gen. Peter Chiarelli rose from the same ROTC program to become the No. 2 officer in the Army and an outspoken point man trying to improve conditions for soldiers.
Earlier this winter, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, on a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, learned a hotel for injured soldiers had a faulty hot-water system. The four-star general told his staff that if the problem should recur, he wanted to know right away.

A few weeks later, Chiarelli was awakened around 3:30 a.m. with word of another complaint about the hotel plumbing. He got dressed and drove to Walter Reed to demand the replacement of a troublesome valve system.

The Seattle-raised Chiarelli is an emotional man who has emerged as an unconventional and outspoken advocate in a Pentagon push to improve soldiers' welfare. The son of a Magnolia butcher, during the Vietnam War he attended the Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Seattle University, far from the West Point path, and then improbably ascended the ranks to become the Army's vice-chief of staff — its No. 2 uniformed officer.

In recent years, the Army has been battered by scandals about its outpatient care for the wounded. In addition, surging numbers of soldiers have returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

Chiarelli, who served two tours of duty in Iraq, says the mental-health crisis in the military has been the toughest battle of his 37-year career.
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Army general is point man in Pentagon