Australia Victoria Cross Vietnam Hero Offers Mirror Image To US Treatment of Veterans

What happens to veterans in the US is not much different from what it happening in the UK, Canada and Australia. We managed to send men and women to fight battles but are AWOL on what they need in return afterwards.

We have problems with broken safety nets unable to find a way to make sure troops are not discharged into the abyss waking up suddenly on their own, fighting alone.

We have Medal of Honor recipients talking about their struggles with PTSD and then have to hear from military brass that PTSD is a weakness topped off with the lack of intestinal fortitude as General Ray Odierno said in 2013 interview with the Huffington post.

"Some of it is just personal make-up. Intestinal fortitude. Mental toughness that ensures that people are able to deal with stressful situations."

What we have also seen is this attitude has also been carried on into Warrior Transition Units as reported by NBC and Dallas Morning News out of Texas.

"New Army records uncovered by NBC 5 Investigates show injured soldiers have filed more than 1,100 complaints about mistreatment, abuse and lack of care from their commanders at more than two dozen Warrior Transition Units (WTUs) nationwide, many of those in Texas."

"New Records Show Injured Soldiers Describe Mistreatment Nationwide From Commanders at Army Warrior Transition Units (WTUs)

North Carolina’s Fort Bragg records the most complaints, Texas not far behind"

For all the talk from leaders in the military and congress, this attitude lives on, no matter how much they deny it.

We can just accept what they say or we can actually pay attention to this detestable disgrace.

You'd think that since the US has been the leader in PTSD research we would have been way ahead of other nations. But we aren't. We're far from it. The only difference is, we just have more suffering and more suicides because we sent more men and women to fight in our name.

Defence, Veterans Affairs may contribute to post-traumatic stress suicides says VC recipient
The Age National
David Ellery
April 8, 2015

Former Chief of Army and Soldier On board chairman, Professor Peter Leahy, is concerned psychologically injured soldiers are being dismissed without an adequate safety net

Rob Pickersgill and Keith Payne VC at the launch of the Soldier On, Hand Up program. Photo: Jay Cronan

Defence may be contributing to suicides by war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder by discharging them before their Department of Veterans' Affairs cases are settled, according to Australia's oldest living Victoria Cross recipient, Keith Payne VC.

Mr Payne, a Vietnam War hero who has fought his own battle against PTSD, wants all service personnel with cases before DVA kept on strength until their matters have been resolved.

The 81-year-old Soldier On ambassador was at Crace for the launch of the service charity's Hand Up program by Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Robert Pickersgill, a graduate of the Hand Up pilot program who spent 23 years in uniform and served in Rwanda, East Timor and Iraq, agreed.

"Soldier On is taking up the slack," he said. "It shouldn't need to be here but I am very grateful it is."

It is believed almost 200 Afghanistan war veterans have taken their own lives. Another 2600 have been confirmed as suffering PTSD.
read more here

So we all send them, then betray them, refusing to make sure they have what they need from us in return. Are you ok with that?