Did you hear, NP Radio tonight, 28000 GI's out of Service on Personality Disorder after combat in Iraq and AF?

Question

28,000 Troops Discharged after combat in Iraq or Afganistan on Personality Disorder which means reduced or no benefits. It is not something that a person gets after trauma but it can become more severe after trauma. These soldiers were allowed into the service because of the need for bodies, but when they were screwed up doing their job, the military with compliant military doctors pathing the way saved the government the need to treat and compensate these victims of combat. Check out the DMS 4 on the definition and system of personality disorder and the onset of the disease.

Answer 1

I'm not surprised.

Answer 2

Personality disorders are conditions which existed prior to entry. As for reduced benefits in these cases, that goes back to the Carter administration. The Congress in late 1981 passed a law which forbade the VA from giving care or disability ratings to personality disorder patients and even barred military hospitals from transferring such patients to the VA. I know. I was on active duty then. The reason for this barrier is simple. They do not lend themselves to any improvement through various treatment modalities. And these guys weren't let into the service because of a need for bodies. Most of the cases of personality disorders which I dealt with over my 25 year career in the Navy Medical Department had lied through their teeth on the SF 89 (Report of Medical History) at the time of their enlistment. Which makes me question if NPR or any of its sources ever bothered to really check and see if these 28,000 had ever been in Iraq or Afghanistan in combat situations. I can still recall the "prize-winning" documentary CBS aired in 1988 entitled "The Wall Within". It purported to tell the story of a half dozen or so guys whose health and lives had been screwed up by their experiences in Vietnam. The trouble was that none of them had ever been in Vietnam!
I didn't hear the NPR segment. But, I'll bet they didn't check this current story out too well.

Answer 3

If it was said on NPR you can be sure it is a lie. There have not been 28,000 OIF vets put out due to personality disorders. Stop drinking the cool aid and get some common sense. I'm not going to ramble on because someone has already provided a good dose of reality before me.