The other day I had to go to the hospital to check on a soldier.  He had gotten in a serious accident related to his drinking, driving, then wrapping his car around a tree at a high rate of speed.  When I saw him, he was in relatively serious condition with a spinal fracture and a long road of therapy ahead.  He is now unsure about his future, but it probably involves some UCMJ, jail time, and possibly a less the honorable discharge.  I spoke to his parents afterward as they were concerned about his treatment and they brought up that he had been complaining of PTSD symptoms.  The thing is this particular soldier had never left the FOB, and our FOB never had a rocket or mortar land close to populated areas.  His job didn’t even require him to leave the TOC.

It has become the new thing for any soldier who gets in trouble to claim PTSD, whether he has a real reason or not.  PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is caused by a seriously traumatic event, say getting blown up by an IED, or watching a friend get killed.  It is not something that occurs just because you were in a combat zone!  Everyone has a stressful job in Iraq, but not everyone has a job that involves traumatic events.  Using PTSD as a safety net for your own irresponsible behaviors degrades the severity of the problem for all those people who really do suffer from its effects, and clogs up the military healthcare system with a bunch of crap so that those who need the care don’t get it.

Grow up please!  If you are dumb enough to get in trouble, be man enough to at least stand up and take responsibility for your actions.  Don’t deny the people who need help the ability to get it because you are trying to avoid punishment.  Also, just so you slugs know, the army will still punish you and hold you responsible - PTSD or not. 

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