Colorado Springs is the location of the Army's
Fort Carson - home base for the 3rd ACR, the 2nd BCT, some Special Forces Units, and much more.
About 14,000 troops [actually, that sounds kind of low, but I can't find a good number.] have gone through Fort Carson going to or from Southwest Asia. Several thousand came here from Korea as part of the drawdown in that part of the world. Some of those guys are already in Iraq or Afghanistan now or will be there soon.
Needless to say, we've lost many brave soldiers and had many return with wounds to both their physical bodies and their spiritual selves. PTSD is the most common manifestation of the assault on the mind and the destruction of the logical world view that happens to people in war. And Republican politicians at all levels never miss a chance to downplay what our soldiers go through or make political hay out of the health and well-being of our returned veterans.
The
Colorado Springs Independent is taking on the indifference and intimidation of the Army in this week's issue. They've written a damning expose of the cheap stunts the Army uses to get us to ignore the fate of our returning neighbors and to get those soldiers to stay quiet about their health concerns after their duty is done.
Here are a couple of high, er, lowlights in our Army's treatment of their charges, and their idea of "support" for our troops:
A large body of research indicates a heightened risk of suicide among soldiers with PTSD, with the highest rates among those who were repeatedly injured or who are experiencing survivor guilt.
Last year, 83 active-duty Army soldiers committed suicide; 58 of them outside war zones. That's a 24 percent increase over the prior year and the highest rate since 1993.
A mental health worker at Fort Carson estimates that three soldiers a day are placed on watch at various psychiatric clinics in Colorado Springs because they threaten suicide or violence to others.
....snip....
Yet most of the soldiers interviewed by the Independent say the system is failing them. And some have filed for federal whistleblower protection through Sen. Ken Salazar's office.
Salazar spokesman Cody Wertz confirms that "several" soldiers have sought protection, citing complaints over a "variety of mental health issues."
....snip....
Former Pvt. Alex Orum, who received a Certificate of Achievement for "phenomenal" service as a gunner in Ramadi, also says the Army forced him out.
By the time he returned to base last August, Orum was mourning the loss of several friends and grappling with having witnessed or participated in several combat deaths. After his wife threatened divorce, he sought psychological assistance from Fort Carson for his violent outbursts, nightmares, alcohol abuse and other problems.
Orum, a corporal at the time, alleges that he was harassed by a sergeant, who allowed word to circulate that Orum had visited the mental health ward at Evans U.S. Army Hospital at Fort Carson. Fellow soldiers began referring to Orum as "psycho" and a "shitbag."
The 20-year-old says his sergeant shot him repeatedly with a pellet gun � a story corroborated by a still-active Fort Carson soldier interviewed by the Independent. The same sergeant and other direct superiors began to find fault with Orum for things like failing to carry a pen and notebook, according to his Army records.
More on Orum here. Another soldier, Corey Davis, was also having a hard time on his return. And how the system is ignoring the problems here. The CBS Evening News also cooperated on this story. Their report is here.
So this is where we're at, once again: soldiers left to their own devices, our leaders ignorant of the health of returning vets, their commanders hiding the problems and downplaying the injuries to our soldiers and society.
Plenty of evidence, plenty of facts. More excuse making than answers. It's one more failure of the Bush Administration to do its job. And it's another story that could have been prevented had our leaders taken their jobs seriously, and actually supported our troops as much as they say they do.
Crossposted at SquareState.