Suicides, disputes spur probe of Fort Bragg Warrior Transition Battalion

Suicides, disputes spur probe of Bragg WTU
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 4, 2012 9:27:37 EST
In the wake of six suicides and 25 domestic disputes reported among soldiers at Fort Bragg, N.C., over a five-week span, 18th Airborne Corps commander Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick has called for a “thorough investigation” of the post’s Warrior Transition Battalion.

Helmick’s announcement followed an emotional meeting between a dozen wounded soldiers, spouses and other advocates Feb. 15. The group voiced complaints about the alleged overmedication of soldiers in the warrior transition battalion and their inability to get the care they need.

Toni Woodman-Mc-Neill told officials at the meeting that her soldier husband was denied needed surgeries while his condition deteriorated and his dependence on pain medication increased. Her husband, Sgt. Lee McNeill, 43, suffers from cognitive problems, post-traumatic stress disorder and spinal injuries from an explosion while he deployed to Iraq, she said.

“The problem is when [injured soldiers are] going to be med-boarded out, they stop medical treatment and just give them pain medication,” Woodman-McNeill told Army Times. “I had to give up my career to take care of him because they weren’t taking care of him.”
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