"Officials say, however, that no test is considered diagnostically definitive for mental illness in general or PTSD in particular." Well that's such a brilliant statement! That is why these soldiers NEED to be seen and Evaluated by psychiatrists on an ongoing basis to determine if they do indeed have PTSD or not and how to treat.

While PTSD is somewhat a self diagnosis at first (because a soldier recognizes that something just "isn't right" about his/her mood/behavior it takes counseling to determine if if indeed the signs and symptoms of PTSD are manifesting themselves. One or two times with a mental health professional won't cut it.

One who knows.

There have been numerous problems at JBLM in the last 3 years. Most don't make national news but we hear about it locally. It's interesting that a such a high percentage of the PTSDs have been over turned at a base with various issues making the news.

"Ok when we start rolling....I need everyone in the back to LOOK busy. That way American taxpayers won't think we're all slackers....ah ha ha!"

Every soldier/Marine/sailor who has been in combat most likely has PTSD in some degree.

With the high rate of suicide at Ft. Lewis/McChord, I would think anybody even with no medical training would come to the conclusion that there is a problem. Probably not all attributed to PTSD, but a large percentage most likely are.

One of the treatments for PTSD is the drug ecstasy. No wonder they're lining up for treatment.

Some of the psychs have been using the MMPI test to shoot down legitimate cases of PTSD. It is not an appropriate test to be given these people. Most people fail it and it is not an accurate test to begin with. They do it on purpose to improve their numbers so that it looks like fewer are diagnosed PTSD like they should be.

I wonder if the vets are being given short shrift because their commanders want it that way? It looks better for them.

The whole concept and psychological diagnosis of PTSD is very relative and varies clinically from person to person. The major problem with JBLM is that they have not been utilizing the extensive MH agency's and services of the county which surrounds them.

Post Deployment Health Assesment... What a joke...

When I went though they did one in country and then they did one when you got back and everyone waiting in a long line where the person interviewing you filled out. They changed answers telling you they just copied the same thing off your other form, just sign it. Afterward found out they changed some of the answers during this cattle call.

Those that have been there know what I am talking about. Again, what a joke...

Actually, having a PTSD diagnosis oveturned is actually a good thing. No one will see it at the time, though. Just wait 5, 10, 15 years out of the military. If you ever get involved in a domestic dispute, and your significant other is a crab apple Mcnasty, the first thing told to officers is that you have mental problems. Lord help you if you ever come down with an infection that causes confusion; leading to what appears to be an obvious assault or battery, too. If you have to rely on a public defender, the only thing that will matter is that you have PTSD, or maybe you were on drugs, yeah, that will work, too. All the medical bloodwork in the world indicating otherwise won't reverse that kangaroo court decision, and the felony will stick. Everything from where you can live to getting a loan will be affected after that. What fun, right? So, trust me. Having a PTSD diagnosis overturned is actually a good thing. If everyone knew their place, and propriety was tantamount to integrity, it would be a different story. However, as it is, having a diagnosis of PTSD is just one step above being labeled a pedophile.

I,m a Nam vet---I was told long ago, "mano a mano" by my VA doc that I was a walking-talking text book case of Post traumatic stress, but I was turned down for the diagnosis and accompanying benefits. I don't excuse what Ssgt Bales did, but our government and a lot of useless bureaucrats share the blame. Bring those troops home and use the resources saved to address the major problems we have right here in the land of the free and the home of the brave. Help the Vets whom the country has uselessly placed in harm's way for the sake of oil and imperialism and Dick Cheney's Swiss bank account.

As a mental health professional and ex-military I can say without equivocation that the likelihood of 40% being changed is outside the bounds of anything normal. This is the military beaurocratic approach to most everything. In short these "professionals" are incompetent just as Nidal Hassan was.

Let Cheney, Haliburton and all there cronies pick up the tab, since they're the ones who pushed for the wars, and are the ones who profited off them. Makes me sick! The tyrants deserve prison for what they've done to our troops!!!

IF THIS MAN WAS PRESCRIBED THE NEWER ANTIDEPRESSANTS, IT WOULD EXPLAIN A LOT. WANT TO READ HORROR STORIES, GO TO SSRISTORIES.COM.

THE NAVY TIMES Mar 17, 2010 Medicating the military

EXCERPT: The DLA records detail the range of drugs being prescribed to the military community and the spending on them:

• Antipsychotic medications, including Seroquel and Risperdal, spiked most dramatically — orders jumped by more than 200 percent, and annual spending more than quadrupled, from $4 million to $16 million.

• Use of anti-anxiety drugs and sedatives such as Valium and Ambien also rose substantially; orders increased 170 percent, while spending nearly tripled, from $6 million to about $17 million.

• Antiepileptic drugs, also known as anticonvulsants, were among the most commonly used psychiatric medications. Annual orders for these drugs increased about 70 percent, while spending more than doubled, from $16 million to $35 million.

• Antidepressants had a comparatively modest 40 percent gain in orders, but it was the only drug group to show an overall decrease in spending, from $49 million in 2001 to $41 million in 2009, a drop of 16 percent. The debut in recent years of cheaper generic versions of these drugs is likely responsible for driving down costs.

Antidepressants and anticonvulsants are the most common mental health medications prescribed to service members. Seventeen percent of the active-duty force, and as much as 6 percent of deployed troops, are on antidepressants, Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, the Army’s highest-ranking psychiatrist, told Congress on Feb. 24.

In contrast, about 10 percent of all Americans take antidepressants, according to a 2009 Columbia University study.

XXX cut XXX

Doctors — and, more recently, lawmakers — are questioning whether the drugs could be responsible for the spike in military suicides during the past several years, an upward trend that roughly parallels the rise in psychiatric drug use.

From 2001 to 2009, the Army’s suicide rate increased more than 150 percent, from 9 per 100,000 soldiers to 23 per 100,000. The Marine Corps suicide rate is up about 50 percent, from 16.7 per 100,000 Marines in 2001 to 24 per 100,000 last year. Orders for psychiatric drugs in the analysis rose 76 percent over the same period.

“There is overwhelming evidence that the newer antidepressants commonly prescribed by the military can cause or worsen suicidality, aggression and other dangerous mental states,” said Dr. Peter Breggin, a psychiatrist who testified at the same Feb. 24 congressional hearing at which Sutton appeared.

Other side effects — increased irritability, aggressiveness and hostility — also could pose a risk.

P.T.S.D.: Unintended consequence of increasing survivability of warfare.

I think it's a shame and a disgrace the way this country treats it's veterans. From the amount of the death insurance policy that remained the same since Vietnam until someone got all up in arms and the Congress changed the benefits, to the way our guys were treated at Walter Reed. We were called everything but a good milk cow when arriving at San Francisco from SE Asia in '68. If this sort of crap continues, we should institute the draft again. There will be singing from a different hymnal when the sons and daughters of US Congressmen are in uniform. We won't be quite so quick to rush into war. It's not fair to the families of this all volunteer armed services we have today. And believe me, my hat's off to all these guys and gals, we just need to take care of them.

My opinion. I am a vet: Nam, Desert Shield-Storm, Granada. My Dad: Korea, Nam. My oldest Brother: Nam, 3 tours. My next older brother: Nam 2 tours, Desert Shield-Storm. My little brother: Iraq 2, Afghan, home now.

PTSD? Probably but no big probs. Why not? FAMILY!!!! We talk, we care, we watch eachothers backs. I have one mom and one dad. One of each! We do not go to church but we all believe in God and His Son. GOOD STRONG CONSERVATIVE VALUES AND LOYALTY TO EACH OTHER, OUR COUNTRY. As I said, it is my opinion and I actually fought and bled for mine. Did you?

I seem to remember reading that the team of Drs that overturned so many of the PTSD cases just looked at the health records no one on one interviews. I remember when I visited Seattle VA hospital to try to apply for help,a male nurse talked to me for about five minutes after I had been kept waiting for about an hour,the nurse told me that he thought I was ok,I could go back to work,. I was just barely able to hold it together then. I still have some anger problems,but so far I haven't lost it.I am a vietnam vet and I retired from the army in 79,so I don't have any first hand knowledge of what todays soldiers are going through,but I think that 2-3-4 deployments in 10 years is just too damn much.

Our government continues it's 60's mentalities by repeating the exact same mistakes they made with the Vietnam Vets. It is so easy for them to decide to go to war and spend trillions of dollars. Our politicians will continue to give foreign aid to other countries, even those who do not like us, before they set aside money for the returning veterans. That tells us that our sacrifice means nothing to our government, other than a thanks a lot now get in your closet and don't make a noise. It only took the VA 20 years before they finally admitted I had severe PTSD. Even today, the VA has a policy of delay, deny, and frustrate the veteran enough and he will give up and go away. All in the name of the almighty dollar, big business, foreign diplomacy, and the continued greasing of all the politicians. Maybe something good will come out of this tragedy, hopefully America will voice their discontent with the government that they will make some changes out of fear of losing their jobs. They will not make any changes out of sympathy, loyalty, or responsibility to those who sacrifice for this country. My war was from another era, but the returning veterans today and yesterday are still my brothers, the strongest bond that can be forged is forged in combat. Capitol Hill, you disgust me and dishonor those who have died for this country. Too bad you will never read this comment and all of the others here, but then again, your politicians, what else would you expect.

BTW, three tours of Vietnam, with a fourth year in Laos and North Vietnam with NSA. I think that gives my comment a little validity.

BTW, thank you all who seved who are commenting today.

Here we go again....the higher ups want to brush this PTSD thing under the carpet. They are negligent in their care for our soldiers suffering this debilitating condition. I blame the lack of funds to adequately treat these soldiers and now Obama wants to cut their health benefits and that is just criminal and wrong. These soldiers should have the best medical, mental healthcare, dental, vision care available. But military medicine is wanting. Sad.......

Religion has no place in politics. Politics and government is designed (or should be so) to help ALL COMMUNITIES, NEIGHBORHOODS, CITIES, STATES etc. There is no place for bias. EVERYONE across the board needs fair housing, medical care, good schools, affordable necessities, aid for seniors, as well as programs to help those who have fallen upon hard times.

We cannot afford to become a nation of those who HAVE, and those who HAVE NOT. This would produce a terrible unbalance, and the scales of justice would tip wAAAAAAAAyyy too far to the 'HAVE's' side, with their self rightesouls attitudes that have been eschewed by their religious fervor. I fear that their 'religious beliefs' would give them permission to further repress those who do not hold to the same thought process as they do.

Ssgt Bales – 17 counts of murder, but killed 16, why 17 counts?

First let’s look at the circumstances. He left a Army compound Camp Belambay .75KM South of the first kill zone. Point to note, no US personal can leave a camp alone, all recon or missions need cleared and are recorded. This would mean he would need to sneak out, if this was the case the camp security is flawed and open.

The fists kill zone being .75km would have been heard by the camp, and they in turn would have sent out a QRF (Quick reaction force) to investigate or engage, secondly, the camp would have roving patrols, and a visual (Night vision) exceeding 0.75 km.

If the camp did not respond, it will have known either a nato or US mission was being conducted in this area and at this specific time.

The first kill zone, was a house with kill in a separate house, and more kills in a duplex abode (2 families in 2 seprate houses in one construction. The family home was Alkozai (Four kills), so far three house breaches. 3 separate shooting bursts, in a time frame one can assume, either instantaneous 3-10 seconds if a group, or alone -30 seconds plus, this in both cases, if you know the layout, and entry security (Doors, people and sleeping, armed or not etc).

Alone the first insurgency and kill zone would have used short burst fire 3 to four times, since it was reported that head shot were taken, it could be possible additional single shots were administered. This event time frame and situation would have alerted the camp, the surrounding civilians and the Taliban if they were in the vicinity, given that a US base is here the Taliban would be monitoring, and more than likely within and from the local community.

From this kill zone, one or more (The latter give the conditions), moved 1.5 km south (Najiban) to the next kill zone, by foot, this would take (Given the carry weight is between 10-20 KG) if fit and given this is at night, over 5 minutes, this is a long time after a incident, the location 1.5 km apart (Moussada’s house) . This location would have been alerted and residence would have been vigilant, even armed, including the camp and possibly the Taliban. This leaves the possibility and logic that both locations were attacked in coordination and in the same time frame.

The second location had 12 kills, in the dark. If one man did this he would need to be blinding fast, know every position, know if they are armed, and the targets would need to be sleeping, unaware, even sedated, or drunk. He would need more than one magazine, so a change of magazine while in the kill zone, the whole area would be alerted. He would need at least 10 seconds to take the first kills, and would need double shots and 2 seconds of the change, then 2-3 seconds to take out the rest, in the dark, and given the nuzzle flash, this is almost impossible.

In all we have 6 minutes, to clear two location, room by room, 4 houses, two locations 1.5 km apart, in the dark; this would make one person superhuman. Even in ‘daylight’ conditions, and having SF fitness and training with static (Non reacting targets), and in training scenario (Sterile without obstacles, and pre-planned) is a feat that would be more or less impossible with 100% kill rate.

Point to note: Ssgt Bales has injuries from combat in the part, and is missing part of his foot, this makes the 1.5km tab/Run with weight an accomplishment in its own right, he would be fatigued, even in the best of conditioning with all working parts. More over his age is not the peak of fitness, he is a sniper, so CQC is not his instinctive shooting method. If he had been drunk, this makes the whole scenario all the more impossible, in fact absurd.

So was this a nato or US targeted strike by a SF team that went wrong?