Employers do not want to deal with the problem because they mandated by law once the person is hired and done his probation time. They have to deal with his problems. They are not the only ones they target. If you have depression don't let the employer know it because they will find a way to get rid of you, like FIRE YOU, for unreal reasons like a small factory employer did to me..

It's scary how prejudiced and ignorant American people can be. I guess I know how black people feel now. I don't have to put my military service (92-96 1/1 1st Mar. Div, awesome experience) on the resume, but they can't hide their skin.

I remember people in NY after 9/11 scared out their minds and how they cheered Rangers para dropping on he hot LZ in Afghanistan in November 2011, but now, after a decade of war they are basically unemployable.

Now, looking back, I've realized that US is not beacon of Freedom, but a Empire of Evil v2.0. More people are in prison than in communist China and Russia during Stalin.

Just another lame excuse for some ass who never had the guts to serve his or her country not to hire someone who has put it all on the line so that this individual who will not hire the Veteran can enjoy the freedoms taken for granted.

i hate to say this but i can understand what and why they are afraid. i am a retired vet and if it was not for my knowing about combat stress and what it does to a person( i went through it) i'm not sure of the outcome had i not been there. we had a worker come back from iraq he had been in some pretty good fire fights. one day someone ran over some bubble wrap with a forklift. you can imagine the sound. this young man freaked out totally lost it. no one knew what to do. they came and got me from my shop because they knew i was a vet. i talked to this young man until the perimedics arrived and even than he wouldn't move without screaming. i finally was able to calm him down enough to get him out to the medic van. i stayed with him all the way to the hospital and got him admitted. i know this is an extreme case but i do think that is what they are afraid of. who knows what could of happened if i wasn't there to talk to him as a soldier and brother. sometimes ptsd does not manifest itself until later on. we think we are strong and can handle what we went through and for the most part we can. all it takes is a trigger and it's back in front of us. for this guy it was the bubble wrap popping. i just want people to know we ARE okay. we need to have work to keep our minds occupied and things work themselves out. I made it so will he. time heals all wounds. give them a chance to prove there a good choice.

I would suggest that the employer who fails to hire a vet because of a fear of PTSD is missing a good employee. I am a Vietnam Vet..I still flinch at backfires and have a quick startle response, but those conditions certainly never affected my employment. I spent 38 years working for private and public enterprise and was very successful in my endeavors. When I was discharged a friend gave me some advice that stuck..never let anyone diagnosis you as crazy. So you do what you did in the service put the event in its compartment and move on. There is a lot of people who bad mouth the VA, but my experience with their groups sessions showed me that I was not alone and that I could get on with my life. While I haven't claimed PTSD and never will, I did avail my self of the VA's medical service for a few years. It helped and I move on and there are a lot of vets like me out there...give them a chance.

PTDS has been around for many centuries. The symptoms and traits
have always been there. Today it has a name. There is more knowledge today
about PTSD. It is despicable when employers use PTSD as a scapegoat not to hire
military veterans. The employers who hide behind PTSD are out of touch. They
are not staying with the times and are certainly not a proponent of society. These
managers should be dismissed from their positions!

You certainly do not have to be in the military to be diagnosed
with PTSD. As a matter of fact, a young girl would most likely be diagnosed with
PTSD after she was raped or sexually abused. Gang members are another group
that would be diagnosed PTSD after being exposed to violence or other traumatic
experience.

Type in “PTDS” into your favorite dictionary website and you’ll
learn what PTSD stands for and the definition for this term.

The worst case of PTSD I know of is not from the military, its a ex cop! but guess what? cops cant have PTSD according to the medical that covers them. I would rather hire a ex soldier any day! at least with Military they can get treated for it.

Get a grip people! these men fought for us! they bled for us! all so the bunch of chickens that call themselves Americans can live the good life and not contribute one moment of time for our nation. Both the people that wrote this as well as those that think former military should not be hired sicken me. please find a nation somewhere that you deserve to be in, cause it is not America!

Before anyone gets all teary eyed about the trials of the employer, think about why we have labor unions, child labor laws, Minimum wage, co medical insurance, 40 hour work week, open shop, OSHA .. the list goes on of things that were done to help the worker avoid becoming a slave to the corporation. Not all companies are bad but they learn quick.

Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.

For Phil and Nixon, I went in the Navy out of High School and wanted to see the world. I have visited 26 countries. I have been to Saudi Arabia and was in Lebanon when the American Embassy was blown up. We were there as part of a multi national peacekeeping force. I served 20 years and have been retired for 16. I was honored to serve and would gladly do it again. I met people from all races, religions and ethnic backgrounds and liked them one and all. I have never considered my self a hero of any sort or my service heroic. I ask for no recognition and want none. I currently work with two females one of whom is half my age and my boss. I have the utmost respect for her and she for me. I have benefits that I earned, yes I recieve a retirement pension but it is half of what my base pay when I retired at 20. It make a house payment but you can't live on it. I do get medical but I pay for it because its not free. I have retiree dental also but I pay for it too. I have had two good paying civilian jobs since I retired because of what I can and most military vet bring to the table which is maturity, multi-taskind skill's and organization. I have worked at my presnt job for 13 years and just got a nice raise so I must be doing something right. Most of the people I have met both active duty and retirees have a understanding of what it means to serve your country, and local community. Oh yeah I have never had a drug problem or A DUI. I have never had any problems at work whatsoever. By the way I do suffer from PTSD! I witnessed a young sailor get his head crushed in a cargo elevator abord ship. I was the only person present. I reversed the elevator and pulled the man out and proceded to run through a crowded messdeck during the evening meal and carry this fellow up 3 levels to sickbay. That youg 18 year old sailor was medivaced off the ship and died in Portsmouth Naval Hospital that night. You see I still feel guilty that I may have injured him more by pulling him out of the elevator, if I had left him there he would have bled to death. So don't you dare sit there like the keyboard commando you are and judge what you know nothing about. The military is not for everyone but most of those I served with were very good people. If I had not joined I would have been a Policeman or Fireman/Paramedic, you public service appeals to me! I do have a sense of duty and pride. You sound like a liberal who preaces tolerance but you sure don't live it.

Yeah I know my spelling sucks, was in a hurry!

This is a shame to even have a discussion on this subject.I am A USMC VN Vet and a veteran service officer.Our veterans that were injured during their time in service whether wounded in action or falling off a truck deserve to be compensated or their injuries.Everyone that is in the civilian workforce is covered by workman's comp. so guess if you would accept any monetary settlement while being injured doing their job theymust be dirt bags.The veteran is entitled to the compensation he receives. The veteran that makes a career of the military has 25 and out that is true just like allot of civilian workers with retainage of their healthcare benefits.If the retired veteran ran comp. for service connected disabiity his pension is reduced by that amount Where is the logic in that ?

Phil just for the record the reason the IRA agreed to call a truce was directly related to 9/11 and the z ero tolerance for terrorists thru out the world

Phil it is shame that you take your freedomso lightly. Got out of hand because we had an issolation policy.Like you if it did not directly affect our country's borders we stayed out. WW2 escaleted due to the fact that the US took the same position.We allowed another country attack us which by the way was building a military that was much more than ever would be required to protect their borders.Both in Japan and Germany.The world stood by and let this happen.Much to its'demise. It was popular belief that this was happening again in various parts of the world. Rather that wait to be attached we snufed out the threat before it gathered any momentum. And yes I ama veteran and proud of it. FYI there no data that supports Philsnarrow thought process,that vets are more dangerous in civilian life after service than those who did not. Vets are a click when they are together.It is a common ground they can discuss with someone knows what they are talking about.They do not intend to exclude you any more than you do when youare discussing the football pool,baseball or anything else someone outside the groupmay not understand. The military can a kid with a highschool education and train him to do do some of the most difficult jobs around efficeintly and efectively.The private sector should take a lesson from the Military.The private sector has a dificult time getting their employees to show up for work everyday.Amazing !!! That is not everyone but I do know firms that have temp.workers on call that need to fill in on Mondays and Fridays due absenteism.

Hate to be the one to say "told you so!" Didn't take 90 days for the "flip side" of this PTSD crap to start torpedoing vets trying to enter the work force. Just last month this site was full of screaming, misinformed, "how dare you!" types screaming for a wider and more acceptable "PTSD" for , and I quote, "every service member suffers PTSD, regardless of combat or not." This is what happens...the lap dog public does it again. B.Black summed it up in its entirety. Ever stop to think of what those "trip wire" vets might resort to when they can't get a job? Can't wait to hear all of the b.s., from those who couldn't get enough PTSD support. I'll wager they're the first ones demanding to locking 'em up, and throwing the key away.

I have been researching PTSD since my undergrad work back in the 1980's. I became interested in the subject because when I was 18 years old I served as a Marine Rifle Squad Leader in Vietnam. I founded Flagstaff veteran services, with the help from local community and service organizations back in the 90's and received my veterans representative accreditation from the Veterans Administration. Most of my time is spent litigating claims (PTSD) or giving seminars (historical perspective & treatment for PTSD) to non-profits, Universities, and Police Departments. I hold a Gradate certification in Substance abuse and completing my M. ed at Northern Arizona University.

I thought it necessary to introduce myself because with the advent of the internet there are to many people claims to have knowledge or expertise in the area, that frankly don't know what they're talking about.

It has been my experience that combat veterans are the most trustworthy people walking around and any company would benefit from their experiences not only in combat, but decision making, managerial skills, trustfulness, loyalty and dedication. This is not only true of Vietnam, OIF, and OEF veterans but all combat veterans, so why does "workplace warriors" find it's way into our modern lexicon? Simple, these are unpopular wars and more driven by politics than science or empirical research.

It's true that about 20% of returning veterans have sought out help with PTSD issues, and I would argue that that number is considerably lower because of the stigma portrayed in the media or online Blogs, veterans put of seeking assistance and usually wait until another comorbid problem exists in order to take action.

Did you ever ask yourself why no one took the media never took this approach during WW II, where there was a high population of combat veterans dealing with "Combat Neurosis." Of course not, that was considered a just war. When I returned from Vietnam, there were none of the programs available to veterans that there are today, hopefully we have learned from our past mistakes; however, these article is proof that advances have fell on a lot of deaf ears.

Companies would be wise to not only seek out these veterans, but also have management an staff have a basic understanding of this issue. There are many programs/seminars provided free of charge through the VA or service representatives groups. I myself provided such a program locally free of charge sponsored by the American Legion here in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Once management has an understanding of the basics they will be able to identify possible issues concerning the returning veteran and employment, they could have the veteran utilize the very services that were available to them.

This should be looked at as benefit to the company rather than a liability as it will improve worker relations not only in the company but to the community in which they do business. Ergo, I would urge prospective employers to research and take advantage of local assists that may be available to them, and if they don't exist, I would urge them to coordinate with non-profits, or veteran groups in putting a program in place.

Note, If you have questions you may contact me through my web site @ www.flagstaffveteranservices.org

Respectfully submitted,

Edward J. Pennell

Finally! a Truthful story in the news! I would however like to add another portion related to the non-hiring of returning warriors.

The stigma of not hiring veterans goes as far back as the vietnam war. If employers do not want to hire veterans then the economy is notgoing to give them an out. The employer in short will find some reason not to hire them. My father returned from Vietnam as a foorgunner on a Huey in the Marines. He was trained as a helicopter mechanic at the time and the school the Marines attended then was the best school in the world for that profession. When he returned he couldnt tell them he was a Marine or they would say "we gave the position away" and he couldnt lie to them and say he wasnt because a background check would turn up differently and they would say "you lied on an application". After the war was over and later Carter was president , the president authorized an amnesty program to all the draft dodgers in the U.S. who fled to Canada. The draft dodgers would be given amnesty on the condition of 2 years of service in any Civil service job (including military). It could be post office work, social security , etc. What does this translate to? BY LAW draft dodgers had to be given a job but a Veteran who went off and fought could not find any work.

I don't understand only now the liberal media's obsession with PTSD, as if it was just decovered. Or that only the Military/Veterans are the ones to incurr and suffer from it. By the time I was sixteen years old, I had already suffered from three traumatic events. First, witnessing my father raping my mother, somewhere from 8-10 years old. Her crying out to me and me calling the police. Likely, just that incident, "acting out", skipping school, destroying things. One day, my father said he wanted to visit his friend in the "hospital". And if I wanted to go along, sure, along with my mother. Just before we went, I had negative vibes and ran off, my older siblings found me and brought me back to the house. Off we went to the "hospital", went to the administration building to drop-off my mother. Then behind the hospital to park the car. Walking up to the hospital with my father, and seeing bars on all the windows. I said, "it doesn't look like a hospital, he looks like a prison". Watching "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" brought back there. Then an attendant from the building I was to be in showed up. Let's go for a ride, off we went to that building. Father and attendant out out of the car and were walking to the building. I had stayed in the car, again bad vibes, they returned to the car. And I locked the doors, as what good that would do. They physically carried me to the building, I "fighting for my life". Took me up to the ward, crying all the time. Running up to the door and crying, "I want to go home, please let me out". Evening shift came on, couldn't stop, they put me in a strait jacket in the "side room". "Please let me out, I'll be good". Calmed down, they let me out and I cried myself to sleep. I spent at least one year there. Afterwards, a children's home, group home, psychatric center then a foster home. The third Traumatic Event was 16? getting in a fight with a younger brother and chocking him. He then went down to the basement, and I heard him loading a .410 gauge shotgun. I flew out the front door, across the street around the neighbors house and into their side door. Thankfully at that time people didn't lock their doors. This last incident was 1975-1976. In 2000 at American Lake VA Domiciliary, wanting to get sober after 17 years of alcohol abuse/alcoholism. While talking to my alcohol counselor, have no clue, something triggered that last event. And I was reliving that time and crying profusely. I'm glad that it had been bought to the surface. Unfortunately, as I'm sure other Veterans know. Though my Depression, Anxiety and PTSD had been in my records, since 2000. Only in 2011 !!! was there talk of Cognitive Behavorial Therapy, it never happened. And Only in 2012, after being told, "the VA only treats PTSD from combat". Did they offer Cognitive Processing Therapy, which is typically 12 sessions, total. I went through six sessions in good faith, my anxiety "went through the roof", so I stopped it. I had then requested EMDR Therapy for my PTSD. "Sorry we don't have a therapist trained in that". How about "fee for services" so I can receive it outside the VA, and that the VA will pay for it. "Denied, because EMDR hasn't been proven". I have read numerous stories online of it being successful. And here are other PTSD therapies that are working, though not "proven how and why they work".

Emotional Freedom Technique-Rapid Eye Technology-EMDR-Accelerated Resolution Therapy, latest, Healing Touch. Not at all surprised the corrupt and dysfunctional VA does not provide these therpies. I unfortunately have to receive my "care" at the American Lake and Seattle VA Hospitals. Where they have failed to properly treat my Depression, Anxiety and PTSD. Their typical treatment is to get you on psychiatric drugs, and call it a success. Please remember PTSD stems from a Traumatic Event. And others that have witnessed and endured the same, interestingly, are not affected.

Those Who Have Risked, Life and Limb for Their Country, Deserve ALL That Their Country Can Give. My sincere respect for ALL my fellow Veterans !!!

Just another excuse by the reaganomic free market supplyside capitalist to keep another large part of the population unemployed while pushing more on the employee's they do have with stagnate to lowering wage packages as well as benefit cutting while the bottom lines grow and prices rise!! No one listened to us Vietnam Vets as to PTS, nobody wants to do Sacrifice and pony up for the results of the wars cheered on, and we worked in many area's of the economy as did those of our other wars of choice when they came home and Especially the WWII Veterans who were a huge part of building what we once had and were!!!!!!!!!

Really: A brother Veteran in Nottingham Maryland in an LTE says; "few people want to deny benefits . . . to men and women who've served the country in the military" - REALLY??

No Revenues {nor private reagan capitalism economic investments, free market capitalism} = No Sacrifice = No Support = DeJa-Vu all over again!. Now a decade and counting, told to go shopping, added to the previous decades of under funding the VA. While the peoples reps, fed and state, Still try and lay blame on the Agency. After rubber stamping these wars and all costs, off the books till the present exec. admin. and all still borrowed, of and those represented cheered them on! Deficits started rising as surplus was depleted Before 9/11 and continued rapidly after!

While the wealthy and other investors garner their booty, still, from both and many have the chutzpa to call themselves more patriotic{?} than others while wrapped in those false flags, using false slogans and various cheap symbols of and then seek one day events or parades to wave all that patriotism, call it "Supporting the Troops", then go home and either ignore or forget about those that actually sacrificed for the country!

USN All Shore '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country '70-'71

Bloggou The veterans I see in the workplace have declared me their sworn enemy (since they had their pansy as*sess licked in every Third World country they