How Far Would YOU Go?
It’s taken me a coupla days to calm down enough to post this one. I kept reading about the thing and getting pissed. For something different each time, mind you, but even as semi-literate as I am a post with little more than WTF! said over and over seemed a waste of time.
So here goes: Army vet with PTSD sought the treatment he needed by taking hostages – but got jail instead
Fifteen months of carnage in Iraq had left the 29-year-old debilitated by post-traumatic stress disorder. But despite his doctor’s urgent recommendation, the Army failed to send him to a Warrior Transition Unit for help. The best the Department of Veterans Affairs could offer was 10-minute therapy sessions — via videoconference.
So, early on Labor Day morning last year, after topping off a night of drinking with a handful of sleeping pills, Quinones barged into Fort Stewart’s hospital, forced his way to the third-floor psychiatric ward and held three soldiers hostage, demanding better mental health treatment.
“I’ve done it the Army’s way,” Quinones told Henson. “We’re going to do it my way now.”
Aside: As a ‘Nam vet watching friends and others trying to get help before there even WAS a diagnosis of PTSD around; and watching civilians who had watched one too many movies about Crazy Vietnam Vets cringe away from me when it became known I’d visited the place I reckon I’m just a bit sensitive.
The story of “Q” gets worse as it unfolds:
He saw an Army therapist twice a week, and he was prescribed high doses of medications to treat anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and depression. In March 2009, his psychiatrist completed the Army’s Warrior Screening Matrix, a tool implemented by the service to determine when a soldier should be assigned to a Warrior Transition Unit, a medical unit for injured soldiers.
The doctor answers questions about a soldier’s ability to perform his duties, his behavioral health, treatment needs, drug or alcohol abuse, suicide history, medical compliance, life stressors such as divorce and whether the illness or injury affects self-worth.
Each answer gets a corresponding number, which are all totaled for a score.
Less than 29: no need for the WTU.
Between 30 and 199: Possible need for the WTU.
Between 200 and 999: Needs to go to the WTU.
A score of 1,000 or above: Failure to assign a soldier to the WTU is likely to hurt treatment.
Quinones scored 2,331. The psychiatrist underlined it twice on the paperwork.
He left a voicemail for Quinones’ company commander, but in the Army’s system, medical professionals are largely consultants. The decision on how to proceed is up to the commander.
Quinones was never sent to the WTU.
There’s a lot of Army terms I’m unfamiliar with, but the story DOES come from S&S. The comments offer further validity.
And it pisses me off! Not quite sure what to do next, but it’s for certain that this story needs to get out there.
Category: Disposable Warriors, Geezer Alert!, Historical, Veteran Health Care, Veterans Issues, Veterans' Affairs Department
Read this, became outraged.
This is the extent one has to go to in order to get care from the nation it protects and serves. And STILL the VA tries to justify its position.
Shameful.
I’ve seen the VA system at work and I understand completely the frustrations that can build up.
I was going to post something, but I’m so angry that I’d best not post.
Besides, what’s the use? I’ve given up on getting help through the VA. I’m tired of fighting that fight.
I can understand his rage and anger at wanting help and not getting it. I stopped using the VA a long time ago when I sought treatment for an injury sustained in Nam and they wanted me to see a Pysch first. I finally sat down with myself and figured out that the lion doesn’t apologize for being a predator and killing the Gazelle, why should I feel bad and apologize for having to kill the enemy in Vietnam. Thats what I was trained to do, I did my job well and I survived. Once I came to that conclusion, you don’t know the weight that lifted off my shoulders. I haven’t looked back since.
This story doesn’t make sense. Why would an active duty person be going to the VA? If you are active duty, you go to active duty medical treatment centers. Why would the VA be responsible? The Ft Stewart hospital is not a VA one…
Oh ok, it is two separate issues. He got out when he couldn’t get into a WTU, and then apparently couldn’t get into a VA. Not sure I get the hostage taking at a Army Medical Center when it would appear his real beef was with the VA and the commanders. Either way, hope he gets the help he needs.
I can understand the outrage. The Stars & Stripes story is packed with detail, none of it good.
TSO…See the story. He and his unit were in seriously deep stuff for a prolonged period of time. He was not at VA before he ETS’ed. Even the guys he took hostage are on his side!
The care regimen sounds like the same as would have recieved at a WTU, at least per my experiences in med hold at BAMC for 2.5 years. Being sent to a WTU would not have been some magic cure for his problems. The only arguement is that he would be in a unit dedicated to care and not a normal duty station.
Yet, unless things have drastically changed in the 4 years since I left med hold, care is not the main concern of med hold– processing people through the system as fast as possible is the main concern.
It was the 2nd and 3rd sentence of the first para up there that threw me off. Says the Army wouldn’t do anything and the best the VA could do was….Just thought it meant at the same time.
And the fucking Pied Piper from Shitcago wants to divert attentions elsewhere to illegals and amnesty? Seeing red, red, red.
Not surprised. The Army still attaches a stigma to needing long term medical care. And if you’re not missing a limb, you’re a shitbag trying to get out of work. There needs to be a better SOP to provide a check on the unit commanders power to ignore medical providers advice.
What’s going on folks? The Army avoids the whole problem with this poor guy and now everyone just wants to rag on the VA because they couldn’t pick up the pieces of his life quick enough.
Where’s your outrage with an Army system that just kicks him to the curb? Two different company commanders that seem to be focused on getting rid of him, not getting him fixed. What the hell happened to “leave no man behind”. Let’s put the blame where it belongs, an Army system that doesn’t particularly care.
Has everyone forgotten the VA’s motto? Deny ,deny, until they die…
How many guys offed themselves after they ETSd? How many are barely able to hold a job. I think it’s far under reported
His CO needs to get a general court for failing to take care of his people.
VA is bureaucratic shorthand for BOHICA.