Colonel relieved over PTSD “under reporting”
Dallas Homas M.D., an Army Colonel who’s the head of JBLM’s Madigan Army Medical Center, has been relived after concerns arose of “under reporting” of PTSD among soldiers. Initial coverage by local ABC affiliate KOMO News claims that the Army’s Medical Command has determined soldiers were essentially having their PTSD swept under the carpet in order to reduce PTSD diagnosis and save money. Much of the focus was the result of my old Congressmen, Norm Dicks-(D), voicing concern that Madigan chose to close a PTSD clinic. Two things immediately occurred to me.
First off it would seem that KOMO, who seems to go out of their way to find the lowest of the low in order to generate sensational quotes they can place next to sympathetic descriptions, has enlisted the help of yet another communist activist, Chanan Suárez. Suárez, at least, is merely a member of the Seattle Chapter of the Trotskyite International Socialist Organization and generic IVAW goon. The last time JBLM was generating controversy in the news the producers at KOMO slithered all the way to the bottom of the heap and enlisted the help of the Stalinists of International ANSWER and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Way to get out the true feelings of the veteran’s community on the PTSD issue, KOMO.
Tangentially, the other Navy guy they found to stump for the evils of military medicine is Adam Horton. Horton, who is either a former aviation electrician on the EA-6B Prowler according to a profile piece, just recently “won” his own PTSD claim. On the other hand his LinkedIn profile says he got out as an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 2nd Class. I don’t always speak Navy that well so maybe my confusion is simply a matter of failing to translate.
The disgusting tendency of local Seattle media to distort the views of the veteran community aside, the second thing to occur to me is that this is probably an old and largely resolved issue that’s catching up to the command staff only now. I never worked in the medical field in the military and I never filed for PTSD but it seemed to be fairly common knowledge among Marines during my time that the flood of disability requests hitting the Navy’s desk during the height of the Iraq War was causing medical to “tighten their belt” when it came to claims. Whether there was an active conspiracy to short PTSD claims, a consensus that standards needed to be reevaluated to ensure funds were available for the highest priority claims or it was all the habitual scuttlebutt of perpetually paranoid Marines, is out of my lane. I’m sure some readers have their own, more qualified, perspectives.
Category: Antiwar crowd, Iraq Veterans Against the War
the really insidious part about this is there is a real health crisis here, and there are real soldiers being under-diagnosed. Sadly most Americans are not informed enough to know that this is being used as another issue to bash the DoD.
As a Company Commander, I would be asked to evaluate whether my Soldier being evaluated had depression or PTSD. In many cases, Soldiers would claim PTSD yet never saw any combat or were deployed.
There are real cases of PTSD, just not as blown out as people would like it to be.
PTSD is a tricky one. Yes, there are people who suffer from it. Yes, there are people who pretend to suffer from it so they can get a check. It’s very easy to fake, which makes it difficult to sort out the phonies from the real deal.
I think some people take offense whenever the military or the VA try to root out fraudulent claims. They will always find a veteran somewhere who claims that he’s being turned away in a cold and cruel fashion, after having sacrificed so much for his country. Maybe, just maybe, he’s telling the truth. But it’s important to keep in mind that everybody who’s ever tried to fleece the government and failed says the same thing.
A personal anecdote or two of my own. I once sat down with a representative of DAV who prodded me to file a PTSD claim. He was very persistent. No matter how many times I told him that I didn’t suffer from it, he still told me I should at least try to get in on some of that big payday. Another guy I know has a screwed up white trash uncle who deliberately injured himself to avoid deploying to Vietnam. Years later he filed a claim for agent orange exposure. Obviously, he was lying. He never set foot in country. He still managed to get his money.
#3… my guess… 10-15% are real. 25% need, but will not reach out. In today’s society you are expected to get “help.” Grief counselors etc… but is it really needed? Bad things happen… and I’m going to get paid for it? Cut out the bucks, and see what happens.
Horton, who is either a former aviation electrician on the EA-6B Prowler according to a profile piece, just recently “won” his own PTSD claim. On the other hand his LinkedIn profile says he got out as an Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 2nd Class.
He’s (or was) a fucking PR2.
http://www.navycs.com/navy-jobs/aircrew-survival-equipmentman.html
Aircrew Survival Equipmentmen inspect, maintain, and repair parachutes, seat pans, survival equipment, and flight and protective clothing and equipment. They pack and rig parachutes, pack and equip life rafts.
PRs troubleshoot oxygen systems and repair and test oxygen regulators and liquid oxygen converters removed from aircraft. They fit and maintain oxygen masks, flight clothing, anti-exposure suits, and anti-G suits PRs operate and maintain carbon dioxide transfer and recharge equipment. They operate and repair sewing machines, and conduct special calendar/periodic inspections of survival equipment.
I’m still wondering what he experienced on the carrier that was so horrific. And NO, doubt he was ever flight crew, either.
The clear oddity here (to me anyway) is that a fella who manages to not see the PTSD boogie man behind every tree is castigated, while a real boogie man, also in the medical profession, is ignored and allowed to not only cause psychological damage to our warriors but to later kill and maim some.
Conclusion: It’s OK to conspire against and kill our warriors but it’s not OK to attempt to protect them from a casual label of mental illness, something which will follow them the rest of their lives with some serious negative consequences.
Googleing EA-6B Afghanistan shows that there are some on the ground there, but I’m certain that the ground support guys never go outside the wire.
At my last Post Deployment Health Survey, the doc was practically begging me to say that I had signs of PTSD. The worst thing that I saw was how the DFAC ruined steak.
“I’m still wondering what he experienced on the carrier that was so horrific. And NO, doubt he was ever flight crew, either.”
The food on board ship will give you PTSD. I can understand sliders at midrats, but do they HAVE to be made out of mystery meat?
“I once sat down with a representative of DAV who prodded me to file a PTSD claim. He was very persistent. No matter how many times I told him that I didn’t suffer from it, he still told me I should at least try to get in on some of that big payday.”
Currently, as a service officer, I have seen my share of dubious cases; not necessarily PTSD. A lot of SO’s are into trying to get a PTSD claim for their vets, but will allow the Veteran to make the ultimate call. Those cases are right up there with the ones that say, “…I was in places “we” weren’t supposed to be….(wink, wink)” or “I don’t have any records; I stood by as my 1SG shredded them….”, who am I to say he wasn’t. I’m not privy concerning all that secret squirrel stuff.
Also, I find the AO exposure case you cited as not very probable (anything is possible in the VA). You HAVE to prove boots-on-the-ground in Vietnam. You can’t just say you were there and that’s good enough. I have more cases of veterans having been there, i.e.: AF pilots landing in various places in Nam but not having orders. In that case, we try to find alternate records, and in this case, flight manifests, etc.. By far, the greatest injustice concerning the AO exposure is being done to the blue water navy vets with all the same disabilities but are unable to claim AO exposure. Tell me that the AO stayed at the shoreline!
I meant to ANSWER Ben’s comments
Poohbah–carrier food after 40-50 days at sea is a fuckload better than submarine food after the same amount of time out. At least the bird farms get COD.
Ever tried to drink “death milk”? One SRA, a bunch of us cleaned out the potable water tanks. I swore to NEVER drink water on a boat that hadn’t been boiled to death ever again.
Can I get this right,
Sorry Ben
I imagine that the worst thing he ever lived thru was the maintainers screaming at him to hurry the hell up and make those little velcro loop holders for their gloves, velcro belts, and other associated things to keep them FOD-FREE while on deck. Either that or the horror associated with running out of thread for his sewing machine gave him bad dreams.
And the good thing about shipboard chow, where Gastro is a seasoning, is the ability to eat anything you want later in life and have absolutely zero negative effects.
22 years USN, 17 of it on sea duty… I can eat just about anything I want and think it’s good stuff.
The VA rep at our demobilization referred to my shiny (well, flat black) new Combat Action Badge as a “15% badge,” being documented evidence that I had undergone combat stress that was good for 15% disability (whether there was anything wrong with me or not). A lot of things made me angry back then, but that made me VERY angry.
If anyone has ever read my blog you’ll know that I do in fact suffer from PTSD. If you read my medical records you’ll think I shouldn’t be able to go outside let alone hold a job and go to school.
I was denied my PTSD claim. I’m not bitter about it. But if I were ever to get really bad, I might well be screwed. Apparently calling a suicide help line is also a great way to land my ass in Jail. . . so what can you do?
Doc Baily:
If you’re within 1 year of being denied, put in an appeal with the VA regarding the denial for PTSD. Then gather any additional evidence you might have and go for it. In addition to extracts from your med records regarding treatment, witness statements regarding any traumatic situations you witnessed as a medic might help – particularly regarding combat actions. Also include statements regarding post-trauma duty performance and/or lifestyle issues from other than family. These might be difficult to get, but could be persuasive.
This might well not do any good, but sometimes the VA does change their mind when presented with evidence they overlooked. And if nothing else, you’ll know you gave it your best shot.
Doc Bailey: my apologies for botching your name above. Early. Need. More. Coffee.
Hondo, I’m not bitter, I don’t want to up my disability or anything like that. I just want it known that it does happen. The army as a whole is guilty of it.
I also want to say that the fact that it is becoming more and more difficult to seek help means a lot of troops out there are going to be isolated, and when they really need it that help may not be there.
Doc,
as Hondo said, if your denial is less than a year old now, you can put in what’s known as an NOD (notice of disagreement). Sadly, this appeal can take up to 5 years to resolve itself, but IT WILL KEEP IT OPEN and when you finally win a service connection, will retro (compensation wise) to the day you made the initial claim.
I agree that “Buddy Statements” are your best evidence along with the diagnosis. Anyone you knew before you went to war can make a statement on your behalf; Mom, Dad, siblings, girlfriend, wife, kids (if they are old enough.) These statements can contrast how you were before and how you are NOW. I deal with a lot of PTSD cases and you can’t give up.
If your denial has gone past that year’s time, you need to REOPEN and all evidence must be “new and material”, that means any evidence the VA used for the denial cannot be used again (check your denial letter for all evidence the VA used.) Here is where your Buddy Statements come in, but your date will be moved to the “reopen date” not your back to the initial claim date as far as retro pay goes. That’s why that first year after denial is so important.
Good luck.
Just a hint, saw your blog. Reads well, but font is awfully small and the blue is just too hard to see against the black, but solid blog. Keep on……
I would like to add to the record that the Adam Horton that the piece was written about is not the same Adam Horton that is being discussed here. I served in the US Navy as an aviation electrician on EA-6B Prowlers and have never once applied for compensation due to PTSD or related issues. I would really appreciate it if this problem could be resolved. I have a common name, and mine should not be put into the mix when discussing fraudulent or otherwise claims.
I would, however, appreciate if anyone would contact me when “reporting” on issues that involve me and not have me find them when working to ensure clean google searches that involve my name.
Please feel free to contact me.
However, I appreciate what you are all doing on here.
No surprise here.
Three sides:
1) Fools like WWP pressing everything (injury, or conceptualization of such to make bank [NBI, PTSD, Boredom]) before they pull a “Phildo” and split with the safe door still open.
2) The VA sucks. You have physicians practicing out of their scope of licensing (Department of Labor and Industry/ by state). Illegal? Seeing a Gynecologist for an ocular injury?
Wow.
3) And Shitbag Field Grade Officers. Especially non “FUCKING” Infantry Officers, making the call.
Cut the budget. Fuck the boys. VA GS-15 appointment “I am on my way”.
Love the lack of the CMB. Probably an old photo.
Turd.