Army veteran withdraws from Kansas City mayor campaign to focus on depression and PTSD
Jason Kander (Photo: Whitney Curtis/Getty Images)
Jason Kander, army veteran, former Missouri secretary of state, and current Kansas City, Mo., mayoral hopeful, announced on Tuesday that he was withdrawing his candidacy. The reason for his withdrawal has sparked messages of support and kindness from people who want to see more attention paid to mental health awareness.
Kander, a Democrat who was seen by many as the favorite to win the 2019 election, issued a statement on his websiteand his Facebook page announcing his decision to withdraw and to instead focus on his treatment for depression and PTSD.
Kander served on a four-month tour in Afghanistan in 2006 as an army intelligence officer, investigating activities of al-Qaida and the Taliban. He told himself that he couldn’t “have PTSD … because [he] didn’t earn it.”
Despite those feelings, four months ago he contacted the VA for help. “I went online and filled out the VA forms, but I left boxes unchecked — too scared to acknowledge my true symptoms. I knew I needed help and yet I still stopped short. I was afraid of the stigma. I was thinking about what it could mean for my political future if someone found out,” he wrote.
He buried himself in his work, but despite becoming a best-selling author, leading an effective Let America Votecampaign, and finding out he was on track to raise more money than any Kansas City mayoral campaign ever had in a single quarter, Kander still found himself troubled enough to call the Veterans Crisis Line, where he acknowledged he had suicidal thoughts.
“Instead of dealing with these issues, I’ve always tried to find a way around them. Most recently, I thought that if I could come home and work for the city I love so much as its mayor, I could finally solve my problems. I thought if I focused exclusively on service to my neighbors in my hometown, that I could fill the hole inside of me. But it’s just getting worse.
So after 11 years of trying to outrun depression and PTSD symptoms, I have finally concluded that it’s faster than me. That I have to stop running, turn around, and confront it,” he wrote.
He hopes that his honesty will help “veterans and everyone else across the country working through mental health issues realize that you don’t have to try to solve it on your own.” He added, “Most people probably didn’t see me as someone that could be depressed and have had PTSD symptoms for over decade, but I am and I have. If you’re struggling with something similar, it’s OK. That doesn’t make you less of a person.”
Messages of support and gratitude are already pouring in.
I do not know Jason Kander, I am glad he is seeking help. I detest it when anyone makes a public spectacle out of being victimized by their service in the military. I guess he will be seen as a humble hero for being so brave. Raising “awareness” is a tough business.
Category: Veteran Health Care, Veterans in the news, Veterans Issues
Sigh…………….
I’m glad Mr Kander is addressing his demons before they best him.
If anything, this is a teachable moment: you can not accomplish your way out of PTS.
Best of luck to you Sir.
Or…. he is attention seeking?
That was my fear in this as well. Good for him to get the help he needs, but fuck him if he’s just doing this to score political points and hope for a late victory. I can see too many politicians doing something like that, and despite dropping out, it’s probably too late to get his name off the ballot. So when he’s elected, then he “has to take office, it’s the will of the people!”
PTSD from a 4 month tour as an intelligence officer?
I guess it’s possible… of course it begs the question about the fragility of his mental state prior to deploying (becoming a democrat might be further evidence on this front), but as you said Dave, I’m glad he’s getting help, and I hope he recovers from whatever it is that is ailing him.
you cannot know the depths of trauma those intel weenies see on the FOB at the Green Beans. Why, they actually ran out of soy for lattes once.
A 4 month tour makes me think there is more to the story…most tours are 6, 9 or 12 months. He is also very young.
My Sergeant Major sense is tingling. I smell a show cause REFRAD for some disciplinary issue…..
Yup, I’m sensing a disturbance in the force as well. Something is missing here. I’m glad he’s getting the help he needs. Maybe, just maybe, other folks affected by PTSD will follow his example.
If he does have teh PTSD, then yes.
I’m betting he does not have teh PTSD, but the PSAD (Post Stupid Activity Disorder) better known as “Oh Shit!” syndrome.
The short tour length is indeed suspicious for his MOS. But I remember we had 1st Army personnel who did 3 month tours in Afghanistan during the “surge.” The Army decided those guys wearing the big “A” unit patch at Fort Dix should also have a combat patch since they were training deploying Soldiers. Something about credibility was mentioned. I never got the full memo…
I don’t know about big army, but on the guard side we do have 3 month deployments. Maybe he did one of those and extended for 30 days at the end of it. Of course the ones I’ve seen have been to kuwait (or was it qatar?), so i’m not sure how much combat one would see there.
I’ve seen four month tours for Air Farce Personnel in places like Manas, Kyrgyzstan. I’ve been in the Guard and I only did a twelve month tour in A-stan and ten months in Kuwait! I’m with Ret_25X, I think he has an “OH,SHIT!” episode in his past he’s trying to whitewash!
In his FB message, He wrote, “I’ll close by saying this isn’t goodbye. Once I work through my mental health challenges, I fully intend to be working shoulder to shoulder with all of you again.” Talk about depressing. I wish he’d just get a job and stay the hell out of politics. The PTSD stuff I’, not believing for an instant. Either someone dug some shit up on him or he’s suffering depression unrelated to service. The PTSD crap is a nice touch, though.
People like him don’t get jobs because in the private world, you get fired for being as useless as he was as state AG.
“thought that if I could come home and work for the city I love so much as its mayor, I could finally solve my problems”
Vote for me so I can solve MY problems.
What a stand up guy!
Sorry, but I just can’t seem to work up any sympathy. A four month tour as an intelligence officer in a “war” where every casualty makes headlines? Did his air conditioner break down? Did his night lite go out?
Shit! Now I’m depressed.
Four months overseas and he’s depressed over it? I worked with sailors, for God’sake! I had to put with more crap asinine practical jokes than you can shake a stick at. 5.5 long years of it. I should have joined the Marines instead, because then I could have pounded them for their crap. And I didn’t even get to deploy anywhere!
So what is he really bitching about?
Not fair! Not fair at all! Wienie!
I need a hug… and a steak with fries.
Interesting Ex-PH2, am just wondering about time in country versus health works out in your theory here. Have neighbor next door who was only in country 3 months of 1 year tour, another I worked with was 6 months of one year tour, H/S class mate did not complete his tour of 1 year and brother-in-law who only did about 9 months of 1 year tour and none of these guys were KIA. Course now 50 years later only one of them are still alive. Guess I need to sit down and reevaluate the people I respect.
Next.
Dude is a socialist Democrat. Given their antics in the political field, I don’t believe a word he says. He pulled some pretty shady shit in the past too, so I call bullshit, and frankly, don’t care. This tale just don’t add up, any more than Ford’s tale of woe.
Precisely.
I suspect his stint with the Army was less than stellar, so because of that its possible he feels victimized.
Naturally, once the “I’m a victim” mindset sets in, that behavior carries over into other life endeavors.
On the other hand, if he’s truly suffering with PTSD, he should get help and drive on without making a spectacle of himself.
I’ll remain skeptical, especially since he’s an aspiring politician.
Another drama queen…sorry you’re mentally ill, glad you’re getting some help to treat your disease.
I didn’t need to know about any of it zippy….best of luck though and for your constituents sake get a job outside of politics moving forward.
Too many of us here know what real PTSD is and what it’s all about.
There’s a lot I could write but won’t…this asshole doesn’t deserve to read any of our hear-felt comments.
He lost me when he admitted to being a Democrat, i.e., Socialist.
KMIA!!
Speaking of The PTSD. I heard the most bullshit story ever today. I swear on my life this is a true story. To dermatology for psoriasis and to have a nasty looking mole attended to. Took biopsy of mole and was told it was ‘probably cancerous.’ Oh, joy. Now, the story. A particularly nice nurse commented on my Navy cover. We got to talking. It seems her son has the PTSD. He survived boot camp and about six weeks of A school. However, he had a particularly difficult/nasty/mean spirited Chief Petty Officer. He began to have dreams about harming the Chief. The Navy, being the understanding institution it is known to be, threw the Chief out of the Navy for being an asshole. (And all this time I thought being an asshole was a prerequisite to become a Chief. Just kidding about that. Really.) Anyway, the Navy gave the twink the option of accepting another A school or getting an honorable discharge so he could ‘return home and go to college.’ After college he could come back into the Navy if he chose to do so. He chose to get out and is now a student at a local college. This is the line of shit he told his mother to explain how it is he is home four months into a 48 month enlistment. The mom told me this with a straight face. She did not begin to suspect anything was amiss, that he was feeding her a line of bullshit. I didn’t have the heart to blow her story out of the water. I wear a little cross on my collar. She asked if I would pray for her son. I said I would. I will. I will pray he didn’t get an other than honorable discharge and that he gets his pussified life back on track and gets out of his mother’s basement. That last part was BS … we don’t have basements in Florida. Also, he is having some ‘difficulties’ with the VA for treating his PTSD. I have no idea what is the criteria for… Read more »
Not quite believable, that story he tells.
She works for the VA and believes that drivel? No wonder they pay benefits to orders of magnitude more POWs than men have actually been taken prisoner.
I’d guess an ELS that early on. Probably failure to adapt. If an ELS, it would be possible to come back later. Can’t imagine an officer board looking too kindly on that though.
Only Mr. Kander knows if he has the PTSD. Maybe he feels presenting his condition to a wider audience will further the understanding and treatment of this very real issue. I do wish him well. OTOH, however, maybe …
PTSD is becoming the Mantra for the phonies that are out there…particularly on the left.
My Social Worker at the VA (Northport) told me that they can see those PTSD phonies a mile away.
Let’s hope that’s true.
Once again…KMIA!!
Give these guys a cupcake and send them home to mommy.
I’m now convinced I have PTSD: (Pretty Tired of Stupid Democrats) …and it’s getting worse by the day!
4 months as an intel officer and he catches the PTS? really? i wonder what my 60 months in Iraq as infantry and a Medic gave me….
I’m thinking someone found out he was a tickle monster or something and that’s why he pulled out of the race….
Thanks for the good advice from all of you, it further strengthens my own views from the past 50 years in that this PTSD thing is a joke and Agent Orange is BS.My problems are my problems and do not come from a wasted year of my life and I probably will be better off going back to Alcohol to cope with things that happened
and then I don’t need anyone or the VA to cope with them. I apologize for the almost 8 total years I stupidly took upon myself to do what was needed to help this unappreciative country.
“….it further strengthens my own views from the past 50 years in that this PTSD thing is a joke and Agent Orange is BS.”
Huh?
Are you saying that those afflicted with the documented, associated diseases caused by exposure to agent orange are BS? And that PTSD is a “joke”?
My response to your comment is not fit even for these pages on TAH.
I’m truly blown away.
Lossed a few buds to PTSD. still makes me cry.
Llright47 PTSD was the new and improved Shell Shock/Battle Fatigue and was supposedly for aid for returning Vets but the highly sophisticated Brain Fixers have made it into a catch all for everyone whether they were in combat or not or even in the military and now it has become somewhat a joke for others here. Granted I’ll give you that the person in this article may be using the announcement he made to sometime in the future to further his career, but then I was not in his shoes during his time in country nor was I setting next to him during his time there so I can not judge him as to any health conditions. As for Agent Orange, many entering the VA that served during that war have been told by the medical professionals there that they never served in an area that Agent orange was used or present and that is funny as to one was told this and upon further exploration on the net he found out that there are 3 hot spots from that war and he was neither at Danang or Benhoa but the one in the center of the country. Check F/B site Phu Cat and people there handled the chemical, used the empty barrels for trash, diesel fuel storage and the early ones were even using the barrels that were cut in half to take a crapin, loaded the chemical, and many C-123’s were there for loading and refueling. As for me I no longer give a crap, I’m in the process of burying the past and probably should destroy any pictures of 50 years ago as they are my memories and pictures and don’t mean shit to you or any others here. Now pin your hero medals back on and brag, I’ll just throw the useless ones I have in the trash.
I spent one tour as a targeting cell leader. I have to say I enjoyed it. Best tour ever out of four tours (two long, two short). Now if for some strange reason you identified with the targets I can see where you might have a tough go of it. Never knew anybody like that. Everybody liked what they were doing.
Catching the PTS while living on the FOB is simply a bridge too far for me to cross. This is all most odd. He ran for mayor for less time than he served overseas.
Catching PTSD is a hard ailment to determine in any way as the basic cause is usually determined by someone who has never faced any semblance of that which another has faced in any war zone. Many who are considered to be on the front line think of those else wheres as having a cushy job in the rear but as we are quickly learning, the front line is no longer an easy thing to establish on a map and so is PTSD. Aircraft (twin towers), Rockets (London WWII), mortars (supposed rear havens in VN)and IED’s (Tim Mcvey) can be anywhere and everywhere. PTSD is so commonly used today in our everyday life that even women are getting diagnosed for it during pregnancy and other people from car accidents. As I have found out PTSD is easily diagnosed as to having or not, go to VA and they have a PRN check you for it, easy exam as can also include Agent Orange. All that is required is stand up fully dressed and simply turn around in front of them and they determine their diagnosis. End of your exam.