A Soldier's Perspective

Roman General My Prescription to Address Soldiers and Veterans Issues

• Revamp screening process for returning soldiers, the system as it stands detracts and dissuades soldiers from reporting traumatic stress and depression, thus impeding effective assessment. After a negative report of mental illness, the soldier will have a difficult time in receiving treatment after the fact. The question of "Do you have any psychological problems?", in contrast to the internal question of "Do you want to answer yes, or do you want to go home and see your family and friends?", does not fully appreciate and record the numbers of mentally wounded soldiers.

• Implement rigorous psychological training throughout the military from basic training and integrate into regular training at the company, squad and regimental levels on a continual basis. This will be the only way to break the stigma of psychological wounds. Additionally, it will increase the soldiers capability to recognize internal reactions and external signals from their battle buddies.

• Include a Clinical Social Worker in every Battalion to address psychological needs and counseling as they arise

• Double the Veterans Administration funding

• Replace every bureaucrat that has impeded veterans receiving benefits and care-their names are all over the news and internet

• Hire thousands of clinical psych-workers

• Implement effective national treatment and reintegration programs, such as the Minnesota veterans program

• Develop initiatives to fund university programs to teach Combat Trauma Therapy (to aid hiring quotas)

• Significantly increase research monies for combat trauma based disorders, attach funding to universities that have Combat Trauma Therapy programs

• Adopt Substance Abuse & Mental Illness (SAMI) treatment modalities, treating both disorders as primary illnesses, across all VA treatment facilities and contract facilities

• Open long term treatment centers specializing in PTSD, if possible, one in every state

• Fix the VA disability process, in 2005 after 7 tries and 15 years I finally received a diagnosis, treatment and compensation, for which I should have been receiving continuously for 15 years. My mental illness was too severe to navigate the process. Only after spending 20 months in a treatment center was I able to complete the process. The bureaucracy is to complex and overwhelming for someone suffering from PTSD or other psychological injuries.

• Increase Concentration in area of Veteran Criminality research concentrating on connections and implications for individual, family and societal impacts

• Federally mandate Veterans Courts for every major municipal entity, such as Rochester and Buffalo NY, and Tulsa OK. Mandate to direct veterans in rural areas to such courts