We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/va_to_accept_mi.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:01:20 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification It was a simple move - but can have a wide-ranging impact. VA has announced that veterans who are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) while on active duty will now be recognized as having PTSD for VA purposes. Finally, a little rationality in the bureaucracy. This means a transitioning warrior with an existing PTSD diagnosis will not have to provide additional evidence of exposure to specific stressors during their service in order to establish their diagnosis of PTSD. Hey, because it's already been done, eh? The announcement came as a result of a question posed by Senator Daniel K.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/va_to_accept_mi.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/va_to_accept_mi.html Tue, 26 Feb 2008 06:44:36 -0600 Am I the only one who sees great danger in this? You are on active duty, flying in the war zone. You have some issues related to your marriage falling apart back home, and you get no help for those issues. Then one day you are seen at the O'club after a harrowing flight mission that you survived, and you are seen having a drinki-poo too many, dancing with go-go girls "lewdly" (in front of CinC/SAC). Next, you get to see the friendly flight surgeon, who thinks you would benefit from a three-day pass, so he orders one, but you are removed from flying status for the three days. Next time you are alone with your medical records (next time you rotate), you observe a note with a "P" on it. You have to make an extra visit to the Human Reliability pshrink, who finds you healthy enough to babysit nukes. Close call? You bet, it happened to someone I know well... Jump with me now to the present. Take the above scenario but now you muster out off of active duty and back into the reserves, and that "P" note follows you, and when you get out, you are awarded a disability. The next time you try to buy a gun, you are denied. Still think it's a good idea, Major? I don't. My daughter doesn't, either (USMC E-5, Desert Storm, one of the few WMs who actually jumped off and went North when Shield became Storm). When she got back to her Reserve outfit, she was treated like a freak, so she gave up a VERY promising USMC career (and hasn't looked back). Nope, standardizing labels in the case of PTSD doesn't help ANYONE, IMHO. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/va_to_accept_mi.html#comment-70111 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2008/02/va_to_accept_mi.html#comment-70111 Tue, 26 Feb 2008 22:09:35 -0600