Veterans Court, A second chance for vets

A second chance for vets
New program: County Veterans Court helps those in trouble with PTSD
CHRISTIAN HILL; The Olympian • Published July 26, 2009


A former Army Ranger, he served a combined 18 months in combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, and lost his best friend in an attack.


Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Harrington, 26, couldn’t hold down any one of a series of eight jobs. Always on edge, he’d binge drink to get a good night’s sleep; otherwise, he’d be up for days. He fired three therapists after exploding in anger when they wanted him to talk about experiences he had locked deep inside.


A man who served and lived by the motto “Rangers lead the way,” Harrington had lost his way in civilian life.


“I thought I was invincible, and I can’t hold a (expletive) job,” said Harrington, who left the Army more than four years ago.


In April 2008, he hit his wife. A neighbor called police, and Harrington was arrested and charged with fourth-degree assault. She has since left him.


Harrington will not be locked up as a result of a new Thurston County program that convened for the first time last week.


Thurston County Veterans Court offers a second chance to current and retired service members who commit crimes while struggling with war-related psychological wounds, notably PTSD and traumatic brain injuries. Buffalo, N.Y., started the first such court last year, and numerous communities have followed in its footsteps.
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A second chance for vets