Arrested AWOL Soldier Needs Your Support

And he's not the only one, nor is he going to be the last!

First I'll give you the jist of the Why Sgt. Brad Gaskins made the news, AWOL and Arrested, the reason for why he was AWOL in the first place.


AWOL soldier seeking treatment arrested

The article title says it all.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — A soldier who served two combat tours in Iraq was arrested Wednesday for leaving the Army without permission more than a year ago to seek treatment for post traumatic stress disorder.

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Tod Ensign, an attorney with Citizen Soldier, a GI rights group that is representing Gaskins, said the case is part of a "coming tsunami" of mental health problems involving Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

The "tsunami" is already here and growing, explained further after initial article on the sarge.

Last month, the Veterans Administration said more than 100,000 soldiers were being treated for mental health problems, and half of those specifically for PTSD.

That's only part of the story, those are the numbers, as stated, being treated.

An eight-year Army veteran, Gaskins served two tours in Iraq and a peacekeeping tour in Kosovo. He said his mental health began deteriorating during his second tour in Iraq, which began in June 2005, when his job was to conduct road searches and locate improvised explosive devices.

He said after returning to Fort Drum in February 2006, he began suffering flashbacks and nightmares, headaches, sleeplessness, weight loss and mood swings that took him from depression to irrational rages. Military doctors sent him to the Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, where he spent two weeks and was diagnosed with PTSD. When he later asked his commanders about returning to Samaritan, they told him it would delay any chance he had at obtaining a medical release, Gaskins said.

At the time, the Fort Drum mental health facility had a staff of a dozen caring for approximately 17,000 troops, Ensign said.

A dozen in staff caring for 17,000, again only part of the story.

PTSD a growing problem for the military

Just as his press conference about his mental illness was coming to an end Sergeant Brad Gaskins was arrested. When Gaskins asked what he did wrong an officer responded "you're a deserter".

Watch Video about Sgt. Brad Gaskins arrest {Windows Media Player}

Now lets get to even more about what is going on here and the Why? Sgt Gaskins took it on himself to go AWOL searching for care not given by the Military, with their Huge Defense Budgets, nor the Society, with their magnetic "Support" ribbons and their Representatives, especially the R's, who didn't forsee this "tsunami" coming. Giving everything wanted to the administration rushing to invasion but giving little to those sent to invade!

Those that follow the reports, on PTSD, aired on NPR Radio, know well those reported by Daniel Zwerdling, well he's got another updated report today, 11-15-07.


Army Dismissals for Mental Health, Misconduct Rise

You can listen to Zwerdlings report at above link.

Here's a few snippets from the site writeup.


All Things Considered, November 15, 2007 ·

New Pentagon figures released to NPR show that since the United States invaded Iraq, officers have kicked out far more troops for having behavior issues that are potentially linked to post-traumatic stress disorder than they did before the war.

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NPR has reported that servicemen and women who come home with serious mental-health problems, such as PTSD, often can't get the medical treatment they need.

And some commanders, in fact, have kicked troubled troops out of the military instead of trying to help them.


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We've heard the reports now Zwerdling has the Army Report, once again Army report, the Marines never got back to him on his request.

Rise in Personality Disorder and Misconduct Dismissals

an Army chart, which NPR recently received, shows that since the United States invaded Iraq:

— Commanders have discharged almost 20 percent more soldiers for "misconduct" than they did in the same period before the war;

— Commanders have discharged more than twice as many soldiers for "drug abuse" (a subset of the "misconduct" category);

— Commanders have discharged almost 40 percent more soldiers for "personality disorder."

In all, the Army has kicked out more than 28,000 soldiers since the war in Iraq began on the grounds of personality disorder and misconduct.

Those statistics "trouble me," says Stephen Xenakis, a psychiatrist and retired brigadier general who used to help run the Army medical system.

"It raises questions," he says. "Are we doing the right thing by the soldiers?"

Behaviors Linked to PTSD

"That's exactly how those problems would show up," Xenakis says. "Drinking, drugs … (the soldiers) medicate themselves. They say 'Why should I keep my uniform all starched and neat when I just buried two of my buddies?'"

Yet, the troops NPR has interviewed had trouble getting intensive medical treatment. Instead, their commanders discharged them for "misconduct," which means the soldiers lost some or all of their military benefits.

Booted out of sight out of mind and back into the society unawares of how troubled some of these military personal are nor how self destructive they may become!

Personality Disorder: 'Deeply Stigmatizing Diagnosis'

Shay says that when the military diagnoses soldiers with personality disorder, it is saying, in effect, that fighting in the war didn't cause their mental health problems.

"It's saying, in essence, you're rotten and have been rotten since childhood," he says.

And those who Support what is going on, and a Congress Unwilling to Stop it nor hold those Responsible for creating, once again, a National Tragedy, are telling these troops the exact same thing!


Avoiding Paying Disability Benefits?

"It troubles me that it appears that sometimes, mental-health professionals are ready to be the willing servants of the command," Shay says.

He worries that military doctors are telling commanders, in effect, "'If you want me to get this kid out quickly, I'll do it. It doesn't matter how much I have to bend my own conscience or bend the facts to do it.'"

It isn't only the mental health professionals, what this Shays says above falls More on the Civilian and Military leadership, and This Whole Damn Country, who Are Totally Responsible for their Apathy and Self Centered Ideologies!!