Source: https://lily.typepad.com/healing/academic-papers/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 11:15:50+00:00

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In honor of today being "Military Spouse Appreciation Day" -- hey, shouldn't that be all year long, given what they do?! -- here's a really stupendously great bibliography of books and articles relating to military families, spouses and children and all the various issues they can encounter in the mental health/social work realm.
Unfortunately, I don't remember where I found it on the Web back in February of this year, so I can't credit it appropriately. (And I've Googled it a bunch of different ways to find it again, but with no luck.) Like every bibliography, there are possible additions, subtractions and revisions -- but "as is, where is," it's a tremendous resource of information for finding out more about these very important subjects.
Barker, L. H. and K. D. Berry (2009). "Developmental Issues Impacting Military Families With Young Children During Single and Multiple Deployments." Military Medicine 174: 1033-1040.
Barnes, V. A., H. Davis, et al. (2007). "Perceived stress, heart rate, and blood pressure among adolescents with family members deployed in Operation Iraqi Freedom." Mil Med 172(1): 40-3.
Brom, D., R. Pat-Horenczyk, et al., Eds. (2009). Treating Traumatized Children: Risk, Resilience and Recovery Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Chandra, A., S. Lara-Cinisomo, et al. (2010). "Children on the Homefront: The Experience of Children From Military Families." Pediatrics 125(1).
Chandra, A., L. T. Martin, et al. (2009). "The Impact of Parental Deployment on Child Social and Emotional Functioning: Perspectives of School Staff." Journal of Adolescent Health In Press, Corrected Proof.
Chandra, A., R. M. Burns, et al. (2008). Understanding the Impact of Deployment on Children and Families: Findings from a Pilot Study of Operation Purple Camp Participants R. Corporation: 69.
Chartrand, M., D. A. Frank, et al. (2008). "Effect of parents' wartime deployment on the behavior of young children in military families." Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 162(11): 1009-1014.
Chartrand, M. and B. Siegel (2007). "At War in Iraq and Afghanistan: Children in US Military Families " Ambulatory Pediatrics 7(1): 1-2.
Cozza, S. and A. Lieberman (2007). "The young military child: Our modern telemachus " Zero to Three 27(July): 27-33.
Cozza, S. J., R. S. Chun, et al. (2005). "Military families and children during Operation Iraqi Freedom." Psychiatric Quarterly 76(4): 371-378.
Ender, M. G. (2006). Voices from the backseat: Demands of growing up in military families. Military Life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat, The Military Family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International. 3: (pp. 138-166). viii, 262.
Flake, E. M., B. E. Davis, et al. (2009). "The Psychosocial Effects of Deployment on Military Children." Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics 30(4): 271-278.
Fallon, M. A. and T. J. Russo (2003). "Adaptation to stress: An investigation into the lives of United States military families with a child who is disabled." Early Childhood Education Journal 30(3): 193-198.
Goodman, R. F. (2002). Caring for Kids After Trauma and Death: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. A. Gurian, The Institute for Trauma and Stress at The NYU Child Study Center: 57.
Hardaway, T. (2004). Treatment of psychological trauma in children of military families. Mass Trauma and Violence: Helping families and children cope. N. B. Webb. New York, NY, Guilford Press: 259-282.
Horton, D. (2007). The impact of deployment on children in military families, Horton, Denise: Walden U , US.
Houston, J. B., B. Pfefferbaum, et al. (2009). "Children of Deployed National Guard Troops: Perceptions of Parental Deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom." Psychiatric Annals 39(8): 805-811.
Huebner, A. J. and J. A. Mancini (2005). Adjustments Among Adolescents in Military Families When A Parent is Deployed, Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University: 50.
Huebner, A. J., J. A. Mancini, et al. (2007). "Parental deployment and youth in military families: Exploring uncertainty and ambiguous loss." Family Relations 56(2): 112-122.
Hutchinson, J. W. (2006). "Evaluating risk-taking behaviors of youth in military families." Journal of Adolescent Health 39(6): 927-928.
Jensen, P. S., S. N. Xenakis, et al. (1991). "The "military family syndrome" revisited: "By the numbers."." Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 179(2): 102-107.
Kelley, M. L. (1994). "The effects of military-induced separation on family factors and child behavior." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 64(1): 103-111.
Kelley, M. L., Hock, E., Smith, K.M., Jarvis, M.S., Bonney, J.F., and Gaffney, M.A. (2001 ). "Internalizing and externalizing behavior of children with enlisted navy mothers experiencing military-induced separation." Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry: 40(4): 464-471.
Lamberg, L. (2004). "When military parents are sent to war children left behind need ample support." JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 292(13): 1541-1542.
Lemmon, M. and L. Chartrand (2009). "Caring for America's Children: Military Youth in Time of War." Pediatrics in Review 30(6): E42-E48.
Lincoln, A., E. Swift, et al. (2008). "Psychological adjustment and treatment of children and families with parents deployed in military combat." Journal of Clinical Psychology 64(8): 984-992.
Morris, A. S. and T. R. Age (2009). "Adjustment among youth in military families: The protective roles of effortful control and maternal social support." Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 30(6): 695-707.
Paden, L. B. and L. J. Pezor (1993). Uniforms and youth: The military child and his or her family. The Military Family in Peace and War F. W. Kaslow. New York, NY, Springer Publishing Co: 3-24.
Ryan-Wenger, N. A. (2001). "Impact of the threat of war on children in military families." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 71(2): 236-244.
Warren, Z. E. (2006). Cognitive and behavioral development of at risk infants and toddlers exposed to stressful life events: The effects of trauma in early childhood, Warren, Zachary E : U Miami, US.
Wethington, H. R., R. A. Hahn, et al. (2008). "The Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Psychological Harm from Traumatic Events Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review." American Journal of Preventive Medicine 35: 287-313.
Kudler, H. and K. Straits-Tröster (2009). "Partnering in Support of War Zone Veterans and Their Families." Psychiatric Annals online 39(2): 64-70.
Levin, A. (2009). "Military Hopes Civilian Clinicians Can Shrink Treatment Gap." Psychiatry News August 21, 2009 44(16): 16.
Danieli, Y. (2007). Assessing trauma across cultures from a multigenerational perspective. Cross-Cultural Assessment of Psychological Trauma and PTSD. J. P. a. T. Wilson, Catherine So-kum. New York, NY, Springer Science + Business Media. Part 1: . (pp. 65-89). xxvi, 405.
Harris, J. J. and N. G. Jones (2007). African-American military service members and their families: A different environment. Human Behavior in the Social Environment from an African-American Perspective. L. See, A. New York, NY, Haworth Press: (2007). (2nd ed.). (pp. 133-150). xliii, 782.
Lowe, T. B., J. G. Hopps, et al. (2007). Stressors experienced by African-American armed service personnel during the Iraq War. [References]. Human behavior in the social environment from an African-American perspective. L. A. See. New York, NY, Haworth Press: 519-542.
Osterman, J. E. and J. T. V. M. de Jong (2007). Cultural issues and trauma. Handbook of PTSD: Science and Practice. M. J. Friedman, Keene, Terence M. and Resick, Patricia A. New York, NY, Guilford Press: pp. 425-446.
Bonanno, G. A. (2004). "Loss, Trauma, and human resilience, Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events?" American Psychologist 59(1): 20-28.
Lieberman, A., N. Compton, et al. (2003). Losing a Parent to Death in the Early Years Zero To Three Press.
Network, N. C. T. S. (2008). "Traumatic Grief in Military Children." Traumatic Grief in Military Children: Information for Medical Providers, from http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/military_grief_medical.pdf.
Network, N. C. T. S. (2008). "Traumatic Grief in Military Children." Traumatic Grief in Military Children: Information for Families, from http://www.nctsnet.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/Military_Grief_Families_final3.pdf.
Pearson, G. (2007). "Review of Military Widow: A Survival Guide." Perspectives in Psychiatric Care 43(1): 65.
Pfefferbaum, B., S. J. Nixon, et al. (1999). "Posttraumatic stress responses in bereaved children after the Oklahoma City bombing." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 38(11): 1372-1379.
Ronel, N., U. Lebel, et al. (2006). "When parents lay their children to rest: Between anger and forgiveness." Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 23(4): 507-522.
Stoppelbein, L. and L. Greening (2000). "Posttraumatic stress symptoms in parentally bereaved children and adolescents." Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 39(9): 1112-1119.
Wright, K. M., L. M. Burrell, et al. (2006). Military Spouses: Coping with the Fear and the Reality of Service Member Injury and Death. [References]. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 64-90.
Basham, K. (2009). "Commentary on the Keynote Lecture Presented by Dr. Jonathan Shay, Friday, June 27, 2008 titled <i>The Trials of Homecoming: Odysseus Returns from Iraq/Afghanistan</i>, and additional reflections." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 299-309.
Basham, K. (2008). "Homecoming as safe haven or the new front: Attachment and detachment in military couples." Clinical Social Work Journal 36(1): 83-96.
Bowling, U. B. and M. D. Sherman (2008). "Welcoming them home: Supporting service members and their families in navigating the tasks of reintegration." Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 39(4): 451-458.
Burton, D. L. (2009). "Commentary on the Reaction Panel in Response to the Keynote Lecture presented by Col. Carl Castro and Dr. Mark Chapin titled <i>The Deployment Cycle: Expectations and Implications</i>." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 283 - 285.
Garran, A. M. (2009). "Commentary on the Reaction Panel in Response to the Keynote Lecture presented by Dr. Jonathan Shay titled <i>The Trials of Homecoming: Odysseus Returns from Iraq/Afghanistan</i>." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 310 - 313.
Haas, D. M. and L. A. Pazdernik (2006). "A Cross-Sectional Survey of Stressors for Postpartum Women during Wartime in a Military Medical Facility." Military Medicine 171(10): 1020-1023.
Herzog, J. R. and R. B. Everson (2007). The crisis of parental deployment in military service. Play Therapy with Children in Crisis: Individual, Group, and Family Treatment N. B. Webb. New York, NY, Guilford Press: 228-248.
Packman, J., T. Paone, et al. (2006). When a Parent Gets Deployed: Helping Military Families Deal With Stress. Compelling Perspectives on Counseling G. Walz, Bleur, J. and Yep, R. Alexandria, VA, American Counseling Association: 67-69.
Pawlowski, L. M. (2005). Coping with military deployment: The C.A.R.E.S. resource for couples, Pawlowski, Lisa M : Regent U , US.
Peebles-Kleiger, M. J. and J. H. Kleiger (1994). "Re-integration stress for Desert Storm families: Wartime deployments and family trauma." Journal of Traumatic Stress 7(2): 173-194.
Rand, H. and R. N. S. R. Division (2008). Post -Deployment Stress: What Families Should Know, What Families Can Do, Rand Health and Rand National Security Research Division.
Russell, D. and D. Hamilton (2008). Reunion and re-integration with the family after deployment. Proceedings of the 6th Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Conference. G. W. Doherty. Ann Arbor, MI, Rocky Mountain DMH Institute Press/Loving Healing Press: 95-98.
Scaturo, D. J. and P. M. Hayman (1992). "The impact of combat trauma across the family life cycle: Clinical considerations." Journal of Traumatic Stress 5(2): 273-288.
Shay, J. (2009). "The Trials of Homecoming: Odysseus Returns from Iraq/Afghanistan." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 286 - 298.
Slosky, L. H. (2008). The use of rituals and routines in military families experiencing deployment, Capella U , US.
Taft, C. T., J. A. Schumm, et al. (2008). "An examination of family adjustment among Operation Desert Storm veterans." Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 76(4): 648-656.
Warner, C. H., G. N. Appenzeller, et al. (2009). "Psychological Effects of Deployments of Military Families." Psychiatric Annals 39(2): 56-63.
Bunch, S. G., B. J. Eastman, et al. (2007). "A profile of grandparents raising grandchildren as a result of parental military deployment." Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 15(4): 1-12.
Dekel, R. and H. Goldblatt (2008). "Is there intergenerational transmission of trauma? The case of combat veterans' children." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 78(3): 281-289.
Egolf, J. (2008). Flyboy's daughter. [References]. Proceedings of the 6th Rocky Mountain Region Disaster Mental Health Conference. G. W. Doherty. Ann Arbor, MI, Rocky Mountain DMH Institute Press/Loving Healing Press: 67-78.
Leiner, B. (2009). "The Legacy of War: An Intergenerational Perspective." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 375 - 391.
Scharf, M. (2007). "Long-term effects of trauma: Psychosocial functioning of the second and third generation of Holocaust survivors." Development and Psychopathology 19(2): 603-622.
Budzik, C. L. (2008). "Providing well child care for military families: what every provider needs to consider." Pediatr Ann 37(3): 185-8.
Collins, R. C. and M. C. Kennedy (2008). "Serving families who have served: Providing family therapy and support in interdisciplinary polytrauma rehabilitation." Journal of Clinical Psychology 64(8): 993-1003.
Erbes, C., R., M. A. Polusny, et al. (2008). "Couples therapy with combat veterans and their partners." Journal of Clinical Psychology: In Session 64(8): 972-983.
Gambardella, L. C. (2008). "Role-exit theory and marital discord following extended military deployment." Perspectives in Psychiatric Care 44(3): 169-174.
Faran, M. E., M. D. Weist, et al. (2005). Promoting resilience in military children and adolescents. Community Planning to Promote Resilience on Children. C. Clauss-Ehlers and M. Wiest. New York, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers: 233-248.
Guha, V. (2005). Stress, coping and adaptation to wartime separation by families of National Guard personnel, Guha, Vatsala: U Hartford, US.
Hall, L. K. (2008). Counseling military families: What mental health professionals need to know. New York, NY, Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.
Hutchinson, J. and L. Banks-Williams (2006). "Clinical issues and treatment considerations for new veterans: Soldiers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan." Primary Psychiatry 13(3): 66-71.
Jenkins, D. M. and M. J. Barry (2007). "Relationship 101: Couples therapy in theater." Military Medicine 172(6): iii-iv.
Lemmon, K. M. and E. M. Stafford (2007). "Recognizing and responding to child and adolescent stress: The critical role of the Pediatrician." Psychiatric Annals 37(6): 431438.
Moon, P. K. (2006). Sand Play Therapy With U.S. Soldiers Diagnosed With PTSD and Their Families. [References]. Vistas: Compelling perspectives on counseling 2006. G. R. Walz, J. C. Bleuer and R. K. Yep. Alexandria, VA, American Counseling Association: 63-66.
Saldanha, D. (2002). "Family intervention in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorders." Journal of Projective Psychology & Mental Health 9(1): 57-61.
Schumm, W. R., R. J. Crock, et al. (2008). "Reliability and validity of the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale with different response formats in a recent sample of U.S. Army personnel." Individual Differences Research 6(1): 26-37.
Storey, C. L. (2009). "The Psychotherapeutic Dimensions of Clinical Case Management with a Combat Veteran." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 443 - 452.
Webb, N. B., Ed. (2007). Play therapy with children in crisis: Individual, group, and family treatment (3rd Ed.). New York, NY, Guilford Press.
Wilson, R. M., S. Leary, et al. (2009). "Military Veterans Sharing First-Person Stories of War and Homecoming: A Pathway to Social Engagement, Personal Healing, and Public Understanding of Veterans' Issues." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 392 - 432.
Bradley, C. (2007). "Veteran status and marital aggression: Does military service make a difference?" Journal of Family Violence 22(4): 197-209.
Clark, S., B., K. Koenen, C., et al. (2007). "Intimate Partner Psychological Aggression and Child Behavior Problems." Journal of Traumatic Stress 20(1): 97-101.
Gibbs, D. A., S. L. Martin, et al. (2008). "Child maltreatment and substance abuse among U.S. Army soldiers." Child Maltreat 13(3): 259-68.
Gibbs, D. A., S. L. Martin, et al. (2007). "Child maltreatment in enlisted soldiers' families during combat-related deployments." JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association 298(5): 528-535.
McCarroll, J. E., J. H. Newby, et al. (2008). "Responding to domestic violence in the U.S.Army-The Family Advocacy Program." Family and Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly 1(1): 5-23.
McCarroll., J. E., R. J. Ursano, et al. (2004). "Classification of the severity of US Army and civilian reports of child abuse." Military Medicine 169(6): 461-464.
McCarroll, J. E., F. Zizhong, et al. (2008). "Trends in US army child maltreatment reports: 1990-2004." Child Abuse Review 17(2): 108-118.
Newby, J. H., R. J. Ursano, et al. (2003). "Spousal aggression by U.S Army female soldiers toward employed and unemployed civilian husbands." American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 73(3): 288-293.
Rentz, E., S.W. Marshall, et al. (2007). "Effect of deployment on the occurrence of child maltreatment in military and nonmilitary families." American Journal of Epidemiology 165(10): 1199-1206.
Rentz, E., S. L. Martin, et al. (2006). "Family violence in the military: A review of the literature." Trauma, Violence, & Abuse 7(2): 93-108.
Adler-Baeder, F., J. F. Pittman, et al. (2005). "The Prevalence of marital transitions in military families." Journal of Divorce & Remarriage 44(1-2): 91-106.
Goff, B. S. N., J. R. Crow, et al. (2007). "The Impact of Individual Trauma Symptoms of Deployed Soldiers on Relationship Satisfaction." Journal of Family Psychology 21(3): 344-353.
Huffman, A. H. and S. C. Payne (2006). The Challenges and Benefits of Dual-Military Marriages. [References]. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 115-137.
Adams, G. A., D. B. Durand, et al. (2005). "Direct and Indirect Effects of Operations Tempo on Outcomes for Soldiers and Spouses." Military Psychology 17(3): 229-246.
Adams, G. A., S. M. Jex, et al. (2006). Work-Family Conflict among Military Personnel. [References]. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 169-192.
Bowen, G. L., J. A. Mancini, et al. (2003). "Promoting the adaptation of military families: An empirical test of a community practice model." Family Relations 52(1): 33-44.
Castro, C. A., A. B. Adler, et al., Eds. (2006). Military life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat The Military Family. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International.
Chapin, M. (2009). "Deployment and Families: Hero Stories and Horror Stories." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 263 - 282.
Clark, D. (2006). "Review of Courage After Fire: Coping Strategies for Troops Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan and Their Families." International Journal of Emergency Mental Health 8(3): 218-219.
Durand, D. B. (2006). Army Wife, Army Mother. Military life: The psychology of serving in peace and combat (Vol 3): The military family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International: 3-10.
Harmon, A. L. (2008). A descriptive study of military family needs following a polytraumatic injury, Harmon, A Lisa: Virginia Commonwealth U, US.
Hoshmand, L. T. H. a. A. L. H. (2007). "Support for military families and communities." Journal of Community Psychology 35(2): 171-180.
Huitink, J., M. Rajnik, et al. (2006). "International Adoptions by Military Families: A Reexamination." Military Medicine 171(12): 1201-1205.
Kelley, M. L., M. J. Schwerin, et al. (2007). "A participant evaluation of the U.S. Navy parent support program." Journal of Family Violence 22(3): 131-139.
MacDermid, S. (2006). Multiple Transitions of Deployment And Reunion For Military Families The Military Families Research Institute at Purdue University.
MacDermid, S., R. Samper, et al. (2008). Understanding and Promoting Resilience in Military Families. Military Family Research. M. F. R. I. a. P. University. West Lafayette, Purdue University: 1-28.
Martin, J. and M. D. Sherman (2009). The Impact of Military Duty and Military Life on Individuals and Families: Resources and Intervention. Families and Change: Coping With Stressful Events and Transitions. S. J. Price, C. A. Price and P. C. McKenry. Thousand Oaks, CA Sage Publications.
Matsakis, A. (2007). Back from the front: Combat trauma, love, and the family. Baltimore, MD, The Sidran Press.
Palmer, C. (2008). "A theory of risk and resilience factors in military families." Military Psychology 20(3): 205-217.
Pavlicin, K. M. (2005). Surviving Deployment: A guide for military families Elva Resa Publishing LLC.
Pinder, R. J., D. Murphy, et al. (2009). "A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Perceptions of the Media by Members of the British Forces during the Iraq War." Armed Forces & Society 36: 131-152.
Richard, E. M. (2008). Constructing and contesting the public and private lives of military families, Richard, Elizabeth M : Arizona State U , US.
Rieth, L. S. (2007). Changes in the air force couple's ability to pay debts: Evidence from the 1997 and 1999--2000 air force community needs assessments, Rieth, Linda S: Capella U , US.
Robbins, L. S. (2005). Disorganized attachment in a military sample: Contributions from maternal trauma history, expressed sadness and narrative errors, Robbins, Leah Susan: Alliant International U, San Diego, US.
Schachman, K. A. (2010). "Online fathering: the experience of first-time fatherhood in combat-deployed troops." Nursing Research 59(1): 11-17.
Taylor, N. E., S. M. Wall, et al. (2005). "Mother and Soldier: Raising a Child With a Disability in a Low-Income Military Family." Exceptional Children 72(1): 83-99.
Ursano, R. J., H. C. Holloway, et al. (1989). "Psychiatric care in the military community: Family and military stressors." Hospital & Community Psychiatry 40(12): 1284-1289.
Wiens, T. W. and P. Boss (2006). Maintaining family resiliency before, during, and after military separation. Military life: The Psychology of Serving in Peace and Combat: The Military Family. C. A. Castro, A. B. Adler and T. W. Britt. Westport, CT, Praeger Security International. 3: 13-38.
Castro, C. C. (2009). "Impact of Combat on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Soldiers and Marines." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 247 - 262.
Cohen, S. P., C. Brown, et al. "Diagnoses and factors associated with medical evacuation and return to Freedom: a prospective cohort study." The Lancet 375(9711): 301-309.
Hoge, C. W., C. A. Castro, et al. (2004). "Combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, mental health problems, and barriers to care." N Engl J Med 351(1): 13-22.
Kennedy, C. H. (2006). Understanding one of our nation's greatest assets: Military personnel, PsycCRITIQUES Vol 51 (38), 2006.
Litz, B. T. (2007). "Research on the impact of military trauma: Current status and future directions." Military Psychology 19(3): 218-238.
Pierce, P. (1998). "Retention of Air Force Women Serving During Desert Shield and Desert Storm." Military Psychology 10(3): 195-213.
Weber, E. G. and D. K. Weber (2005). "Geographic Relocation Frequency, Resilience, and Military Adolescent Behavior." Military Medicine 170(7): 638-642.
Chisolm, J. S. (2007). The emotional impact and pastoral care implications of mobilization and deployment on national guard and reserve military members and their families, Chisolm, Joseph Steven: Texas Christian U , US.
Darwin, J. (2009). "Families: They Also Serve Who Only Stand and Wait." Smith College Studies in Social Work 79(3): 433-442.
Edwin, J. A. (2008). An evaluation of a military family support program: The case of operation: Military Kids in Indiana, Edwin, James Augustine: Purdue U , US.
Faber, A. J., E. Willerton, et al. (2008). "Ambiguous absence, ambiguous presence: A qualitative study of military reserve families in wartime." Journal of Family Psychology 22(2): 222-230.
Renshaw, K. D., C. S. Rodrigues, et al. (2008). "Psychological symptoms and marital satisfaction in spouses of Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans: Relationships with spouses' perceptions of veterans' experiences and symptoms." Journal of Family Psychology 22(4): 586-594.
Renshaw, K. D., C. S. Rodrigues, et al. (2009). "Combat exposure, psychological symptoms, and marital satisfaction in National Guard soldiers who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2005 to 2006." Anxiety Stress and Coping 22(1): 101-115.
Sahni, N. (2005). Perceptions of those left behind: An exploration of family dynamics within military reservist families during the 2003 Iraq wartime deployment, Sahni, Nameeta: Alliant International U, San Diego, US.
Tollefson, T. T. (2008). "Supporting spouses during a military deployment." Family & Community Health 31(4): 281-286.
Jackonis, M. J., L. Deyton, et al. (2008). "War, Its Aftermath, and US Health Policy: Toward a Comprehensive Health Program for America's Military Personnel, Veterans, and Their Families." Journal of Law Medicine & Ethics 36(4): 677-689.
Browne, T., L. Hull, et al. (2007). "Explanations for the increase in mental health problems in UK reserve forces who have served in Iraq." British Journal of Psychiatry 190: 484-489.
Evans, L., T. McHugh, et al. (2003). "Chronic posttraumatic stress disorder and family functioning of Vietnam veterans and their partners." Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 37(6): 765-772.
Galovski, T. and J. A. Lyons (2004). "Psychological sequelae of combat violence: A review of the impact of PTSD on the veteran's family and possible interventions." Aggression and Violent Behavior 9(5): 477-501.
Grieger, T. A., S. J. Cozza, et al. (2006). "Posttraumatic stress disorder and depression in battle-injured soldiers." American Journal of Psychiatry 163(10): 1777-1783.
Manguno-Mire, G., F. Sautter, et al. (2007). "Psychological Distress and Burden Among Female Partners of Combat Veterans With PTSD." Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 195(2): 144-151.
Nemeroff, C. B., J. D. Bremner, et al. (2006). "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A State-of-the-Science Review." Journal of Psychiatric Research 40: 1-21.
Outram, S., V. Hansen, et al. (2009). "Still living in a war zone: Perceived health and wellbeing of partners of Vietnam veterans attending partners' support groups in New South Wales, Australia." Australian Psychologist 44(2): 128-135.
Ray, S. L. and M. Vanstone (2009). "The impact of PTSD on veterans' family relationships: An interpretative phenomenological inquiry." International Journal of Nursing Studies 46(6): 838- 847.
Samper, R. E., C. T. Taft, et al. (2004). "Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and parenting satisfaction among a national sample of male Vietnam veterans." Journal of Traumatic Stress 17(4): 311-315.
Stein, M. B. and T. W. McAllister (2009). "Exploring the Convergence of Posttraumatic Stress and Mild Traumatic Brain Injury." American Journal of Psychiatry 166(7): 768-776.
Karney, B. R., R. Ramchand, et al. (2008). Invisible wounds, a working paper, Rand Health and the Rand National Security Research Division: 182.
Richardson, J. D., J. Sareen, et al. "Psychiatric problems in medically evacuated service members." The Lancet 375(9711): 257-259.
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Horton, D. (2005). "Consultation with military children and schools: A proposed model." Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research 57(4): 259-265.
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The other day, we published, with the author's permission, Scott Lee's thoughts as a combat veteran and student of social work, on dissociative PTSD, criminality and the combat veteran. Today we publish, also with his permission, the guide he wrote for combat veterans and their familiies, when a combat veteran with PTSD has run afoul of the law. Scott isn't a lawyer, so this isn't legal advice. But it is wise, compassionate, fellow veteran and fellow PTSD sufferer type advice. Keep it handy to refer to; it's really, really good. You can also look through the archives here for things previously written about legal issues and combat trauma. (See topics like "legal issues," "legal justice," and "crime and punishment.") Fortunately, in the several years since we started this blog -- at which point there were literally none -- some resources have sprung up in the legal community for helping combat veterans with PTSD to get legal advice for their situations. There's also a good video by the Norfolk County, Massachusetts' DA's office, which we've blogged about earlier, here, that gives a good overview of the challenges returning veterans face in their communities, including with law enforcement.
I would suggest that you start researching about PTSD right away. The mind-body connection and interactions, the psychology of PTSD, defensive mechanisms, how the mind responds to trauma, the symptoms of PTSD, how extended combat (such as multiple tours served) effects soldiers and veterans, legal ramifications of criminal behavior and PTSD, the processes of the psychic split from reality and past combat experiences, how anxiety plays an everyday part of our lives, how ordinary stress can lead to higher levels of stress and extreme responses and flashbacks, the nature of flashbacks, the nature of triggers and how they apply to PTSD, and the mental compartmentalization that happens to a PTSD survivor. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but should give you some kind of idea of where you might want to start.
Like it or not, this has consumed your life by no choice of your own, instead of letting that energy overwhelm you and feeling helpless, turn that energy into a useful endeavor and focus it toward finding out as much as possible about PTSD and the effects of combat. You have more passion about this subject than anyone, use this as an opportunity to help your loved one get a fair trial and to force the courts to consider his/her mental illness as a contributing factor in their actions.
Do not take no for an answer from his/her lawyer as to your wanting to get involved in your significant others case, jump into his/her pocket and become the "paralegal" and find them the information that needed for fair consideration of the case. Most lawyers will resist this from you, again do not take no for an answer. I am guessing that the lawyer will probably be a public defender; they are overloaded with cases and cannot really give the appropriate attention that their caseload needs. So, you need to assume that role of "defender" and information detective, this can greatly impact the outcome of the trial.
Consider trying to find a high profile lawyer who will take the case on pro bono; this type of case has become a hot topic in the news and media. A lawyer might take a case for this reason and could benefit the outcome. Go to the clerk’s office and get a copy of the court case file, this will help you by becoming familiar with the states perspective on the case and what exactly is being done. Educate yourself in Miranda rights (If they violated his rights here, this could have a considerable impact on the outcome), federal constitutional law concerning 1st, 4th (emphasis here), 5th, 6th and 8th amendments, along with state constitutional law. Educate yourself on how the court works, the proceedings, when and where evidence can be brought, the questioning of witnesses and how that process is different in every aspect of the trial.
Educate yourself on case law concerning PTSD and other mental illnesses where a consideration or precedent has been set, this can be used in your case and can greatly influence what happens. Look into your state laws first as they will have the most sway, because state law guides state cases first, then look to federal law to find precedents and findings where PTSD was considered in the sentencing phase. Concentrate on first on the main trial part where the evidence and witnesses will be displayed then on the sentencing. Both of these parts of the overall court proceedings will be the most important part, your soldier or veteran’s fate will be decided between these two proceedings.
I know that this seems like too much, just figure out what is coming next and then concentrate your efforts into that. Take one court proceeding at a time and concentrate on the legalities of that part of the process and use it as a guide to where you need to research and what you should do. The structure of the next proceedings will be your sign post for the direction you need to concentrate on. You can do this, if you accept that you have been put on this earth for this.
You were born to do this; this may be your purpose in life, to be the freedom fighter for all veterans and soldiers who will face similar tribulations. You have more vested in this than anyone else, you have more to lose, do not stand by and be a spectator. Get involved and later you will not have the guilt of "I wish I had done something". A most important issue to face would be finding a support group that you feel safe with and trust. You cannot do this alone, enlist the help of as many people that you can. Contact your congressperson, senator and your local VFW, AMVETS, DAV or American Legion. This is only a suggestion for what to do. I have compiled this list and information as a suggested guide for personal empowerment.
Editor's note: Scott Lee has an excellent blog, PTSD: A Soldier's Perspective, linked here, where he talks about his own experiences as a Gulf War combat veteran with PTSD, and his reflections as a student of social work, attempting to learn what he needs to learn, in order to help other combat veterans with their suffering. Go, Scott!
You've heard of Bruce Lee -- warrior, philosopher, actor -- now hear about Scott Lee -- Gulf War combat veteran, social work student, blogger. Scott writes an excellent blog, PTSD: A Soldier's Perspective, linked here, which has been a finalist for the MilBlog award (given to military bloggers).
Of particular interest to us, though, is this paper he just completed for a class in social work law, about PTSD, criminality and veterans. Scott's background as a veteran and a student gives him a unique perspective not shared by most, and what he writes could serve to open many people's eyes to the problems faced by returning combat veterans.
Scott has kindly given us permission to reprint his paper in full on this blog, so we're going to do that in two parts, because of length. First up, the section that follows; a subsequent post will include his guide for returning combat veterans and their loved ones, if the veteran has been charged with a crime. Scott isn't giving legal advice here (nor are we); he's sensitizing us all to the problem at hand.
The following is a paper that I have completed for my Social Work Law class, parts of the paper I have been writing about in my blog. The paper ties together the evolution in my train of thought concerning the veteran or soldier consumed by the ravages of full blown PTSD.
The paper is long, but relevant to the plight of our returning combat soldiers and veterans. If you want to understand more about why a veteran or soldier runs afoul with law and society then you should read this.
As of August 27, 2008, according to the Congressional Research Service (2008) 4,726 soldiers have lost their lives in combat and 32,977 troops were wounded in action, with 8,089 suffering from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The USA Today (2008) reported that 68% of all soldiers have been deployed to a combat zone, 31% have been deployed more than once and 2,358 have had more than five tours of duty.
The United States Department of Justice (2004) reports that, “[t]he majority of veterans in State (54%) and Federal (64%) prison served during a wartime period….[that] Vietnam War-era veterans were the most common wartime veterans in both State (36%) and Federal (39%) prison.” The 57% majority of State prisoners were serving time for a violent crime compared to less than half of non-veterans who were serving less time for similar crimes. The report indicates the Iraq-Afghanistan era veterans comprise 4% of both prison populations (U. S. Department of Justice [USDJ], 2004).
PTSD is a life-long endeavor; there is no cure for it. The triggering traumatic event changes the landscape of the mind, it no longer works in the same fashion that it did before. The mind has been rewired; the neuropathways have been altered into a continuous loop. The PTSD triggering incident converts the fight or flight response in the primitive portion of our brain. Imagine having that scared feeling you get without the fear while keeping the bodily reactions; the tenseness, the adrenalin rush, the mind racing, heightened senses, and the hyper response reflex to react without thinking.
The incident that solidifies the mental wound of PTSD results in a mind numbing, or psychic shift. In response to the trauma of combat, the person needs to make a mental detachment to do what needs to be done. The survival mode of operation forgoes the higher levels of functioning and depends on the primitive reactionary portion of the brain. When this unconscious detachment has been activated to frequently or for extended amounts of time it becomes part of conscious processing and interferes with everyday interactions (Lee, 2006; & Cerone, 2006). According to Howell (2005), dissociation refers to the separation of mental and experiential contents that would normally be connected.
The word dissociation is laden with multiple meanings and refers to many kinds of phenomena, processes, and conditions. Dissociation is both adaptive and maladaptive, both verb and noun, both cause and effect….Dissociation is often psychologically defensive, protecting against painful affects and memories, but can also be an organismic an automatic response to immediate danger….Dissociation can be understood as taxonic or, varying in degrees….It is both occurent and dispositional….It refers to such psychical events as spacing out, psychic numbing, and even experiencing oneself as floating above one’s body. Dissociation has been thought of in spatial metaphor, as acts of ‘keeping things apart’ as well as ‘vertical splitting’ (p. 18).
The mind can develop into split affective regions where multiple self-states dissociate incompatible values systems and set up residence along with establishing a unified substructure within matching internal guidance systems. The dissociated subsystems run parallel to other self-states and emerge when a particular skill set needs asserting pertaining to situational interactions. Here trauma based disorders may lead the symptomology to further entrenchment and compartmentalization that may lead to personality disorders. “A war veteran with PTSD might have more significant structural dissociation, involving the sequestration of more and larger portions of experience” (p. 22).
A defined preconditioned set of beliefs and values, the combat schema enables the warrior to navigate efficiently through the adversity of combat without a detailed consideration of consequences. I propose a unique set of beliefs, Combat Values Theory (CVT), based on the survival of self in relation to the context of war and the “combat-othering”, for we must wholly demonize our adversary and in the process dehumanize ourselves. The combat veterans primitive fight or flight defensive mechanism has been repressed through the training in the military, conditioning the troop to take up the fight portion leaving a proclivity for violence without a concern for personal safety. To engage in a mortal fight with the enemy this schema spells out the actions in a given situation without becoming preoccupied with survivability in the moment which could get a soldier killed.
The human animal may have a repertoire of discrete behavioral states that are adaptive to conditions of predation….[t]hese animal defense states may underlie different dissociative parts of the personality….[t]his begins a neurophysiological alarm reaction…[and]…a tendency to over read cues as threatening, which can increase the probability for violence (p. 29).
The ambiguity inherent in social dynamics can lead to mixed feelings or even a lack of feelings depending on the degree of interpersonal relatedness to the returning combat veteran (RCV). We rely on our parental figures to shape healthy personality and values structures through attachments with significant others, the attachments become avenues of exchange, a distillation of proper interactions and expectations according to society norms. When this exchange becomes distorted to the point of the child becoming a repository of negative energy, instead a healthy exchange solidifying proper boundaries, then the nature of our attachments may become warped and disorganized further compounding the RCV’s reintegration.
The combat attachments born of blood do not leave us because we depart the battlefield; they become an empty feeling inside of us. The soldier develops a highly narrow functioning self-organization in conjunction with his or her other squad members. This organization, "troop-organism," becomes an extension of the combat-self, no different than an arm or leg. We do not will our arms or legs to move, we react from the expectations of intentional imagery based upon the combat values structure. It happens, such as the members of the "squad-herd" where each part of the troop-organism and acts in a homogeneous way, each troop becoming part of the others self-states.
These attachments to the other require a splitting within the interpersonal self-states where many such dissociated selves birth into existence, as each of the value system constructs do not match and out of necessity, develops into a complete compartmentalized persona while maintaining the "whole" sub-self organizations. Each of the self-states run parallel to one another and have the capacity of switching back and forth when the proper situation requires appropriate specialized skill sets. The interpersonal self of the civilian self becomes supplanted and filed away by the combat self due to the incompatibility of the value structures for survivability that requires a conforming from a civilian society to the norms of the combat environment.
Attachments can be considered the path to rigidity or vehicles of spontaneity; to become spontaneous the person must develop a mechanism for the free exchange of intimacy through beneficial interpersonal skill sets. Without a healthy development of attachments then disorganized attachments (d-attachments) form. The d-attachments become the mechanism to gauge interactions in the environment and in doing so they become rigid, an if this then that experiential existence. The d-attachment arraignment only allows for what can be controlled under a series of contingencies plans, or procedural knowledge, usually modeled after our parental attachments, an identification with the aggressor or other such negative role model. Becoming an identity of an exclusionary “personal culture” where the individual becomes estranged from regular society and defending their boundaries as they were national borders between two hostile countries (Howell, 2005; & Lee, 2006).
The cycle of procedural enactments play out in significant others that we allow in our lives, the reason why we keep having the same dramatizations and arguments while never finding a resolution. We enact our past roles and project them into our relationships cast from our childhood in an attempt to resolve the attachments constructively. Since we have not been shown healthy attachment enactments we reside in the cycle of d-attachments and further compound our disorders through retraumatization and or neglect, predisposing the person to develop trauma based disorders and or personality disorders (Howell, 2005).
Without a reintegration of the self and of attachments and d-attachments, a combat veteran can and will run afoul of friends, family and society. The returning combat veteran faces hurdles that they have not been trained to handle, the training and experiences they have navigated and survived will lead them to think a civilian life will be easy compared to the battle life. What they fail to realize is that they have replaced their civilian self with an operational combat value system and attachments, where in American society the individual has the utmost consideration further combining and compounding issues of integration. Little concentration on developing healthy attachment systems the untenable situation can lead the RCV with severely dysfunctional interpersonal skills and a mechanism of perpetual isolation.
Combat alters and modifies the value system, a preconditioned set of beliefs, entailing a value-orientated constitute of definitions of situation in terms of direction of solutions and action dilemmas, formulating a culture of killing, stripping the combat vet of the niceties that lubricate society’s interactions, which in combat would result in death. In combat the fluidity of boundaries becomes awash in the relational adaptation to an integral cohesion with their battle buddies, a devolution of survival mindset develops and provides a sense of safety; the germination of base natural selection process by successful integration of the combat value system. With a disproportionate 56% of Army veterans incarcerated, the Army culture seems to generate people more prone to violence (USDJ, 2004).
The war zone recons the birthing of the “trooper organism,” where the firing squad becomes integrated with one other with a culture of survival. The individual boundary of the soldier submerges within the organismal boundaries of the trooper organism while shedding the individual identity. The troop organism allows for the diffusion of immense responsibility over all involved making the transition to an evolution of survival more manageable wherein the herd mentality brings forth the primitive instinctual remnants and the decentralization of obligation. Military culture portrays the combat arms military occupational specialty (MOS) as having more cultural capital and esteem. The infantry MOS with combat decorations increases the rate of promotion, rank and respectability while non-combat soldiers tend to be overlooked (Lee, 2006; & Howell, 2005).
Military enculturalization subsumes CVT into an identification born of survival and dependant on the assimilation of the “firing squad mind set”, where one troops thoughts relates to an extension of his battle buddies. The fluidity of boundaries births the “troop organism” and forever impairs the RCV to return home without his “other selves.” Now the RCV has to try and interrelate without his relational attachments and attempts to reintegrate back into the civilian world where nothing makes sense anymore, where boundaries cross without attachments as a normative experience triggering perceived threat-states. This leads RCV to become his own “isolated island organism,” or an identity incomplete without the other part of the firing squad, that thinks, feels and acts as they do. The RCV becomes unable to interrelate with family and community in a meaningful way, impeded by the fluidity of boundaries.
As their safety has been compromised, a feeling of abject detachment has arisen from the conditioned reality of the combat organism that depended upon the battle buddy “having his back.” Therein leading to a sense of safety, the combat vet needed only to worry about their own personal “line of sight” in a battle field environment requiring a 360 degree threat radius. On his own in society this burden becomes an impossibly overwhelming sense of danger engulfing the RCV, leading to a susceptibility to triggers. A culture of 360 degree radius in the battlefield and shackled intimately with the culture of combat values, hereinto relying on the troop attachments and the evolution of survival, the RCV becomes stuck on the troop-organism functionality.
“[T]rauma exposure and symptoms of PTSD are prevalent among incarcerated veterans….[e]xposure to combat was the trauma most likely to lead to PTSD among males in a general population survey of 5, 877 individuals, [totaling] 19 percent” (Saxon, A. J., Davis, T. M., Sloan, K. L., McKnight, K. M., McFall, M. E. & Kivlahan, D. R., p. 962, 2001). Saxon et al. indicated a higher prevalence for PTSD in incarcerated veterans than the general population. Additionally veterans who screened positive for PTSD had significantly higher numbers of childhood trauma, indicating a possible correlation between peritraumas, military culture and past traumatization.
Taking culture into account means that the purposes of the criminal justice system—which include prevention and rehabilitation—can be achieved more effectively. Cultural awareness must be coupled with an equally astute political awareness that traces the consequences of clinical or forensic consultations out into the larger society (Kirmayer et al., 2001, p. 101).
Before the Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984, questions of the “ultimate issue” when a defendant pled insanity in federal court was whether he lacked “the substantial capacity either to appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of the law” (As cited in Buchanan, 2006, p. 14). After the bill was enacted, the question now goes to whether he “appreciated the nature and quality or the wrongfulness of his acts” (p. 14). “Case law and the Rules’ legislative history suggest also that in less clear cases an issue’s ‘ultimate’ status hinges on who has the authority to decide it….because it amounted to an ‘ultimate opinion’” (pp. 14-15). Psychiatric expertise falls under the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR), Part 35, whereby the duty of the assessor, in an expert capacity, is to help the court. A mental defense with the question of competency will rely on the weight of cognitive capacities.
With our modern soldiers averaging two to three tours of combat, we will begin to see an increasing epidemic of incarcerated veterans. In the next 10 to 15 years the American public will see a sharp rise in veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder, to the point of epidemic proportions. You see, never before in war have our troops been subjected to such prolonged exposure to combat and life threatening situations. In World War II our troops were fighting a defined enemy while engaging real objectives with sufficient downtime in between engagements. Most of the troops to see combat were infantry soldiers fighting on a distinct front, not the ones "in the rear with the gear". With a real threat to our sovereignty and way of life soldiers of this era were less affected by the trauma of war.
The significant political interference of the Vietnam War generated little to no tangible objectives for our soldiers solidifying and branding their levels of anxiety and forever troubling their minds. Guerrilla warfare, an inherently cognitively damaging military action compounded the neuropathic damage experienced by our troops in Vietnam. Even with the troops having regular downtime in between engagements the cognitive fractures of these veterans were enhanced by more intense combat and the rejection of our returning soldiers.
The soldiers in the Iraqi war have been sent on multiple deployments with an average of two or three tours of duty with little time in between. While in Iraq, there are no friendly countries or areas to spend leave time to relieve stress while residing on constant alert and most, even non-combat soldiers, see combat or threats on a daily basis. Now combine this with the most intensive warfare possible, guerrilla warfare in an urban environment. We get troops that are overextended and overexposed to life threatening situations within unprecedented levels of combat. Our troops in Iraq have no respite from danger, further entrenching the effects of PTSD through the hyper levels of neurotransmitters (Lee, 2008).
Dissociated attachments reenact combat trauma somatically and between interstates within the RCV resulting in a “civil war” amongst oneself. A seemingly supra-intelligent guidance of the unconscious, this device of PTSD that engages in the survival defensive mechanisms that has sustained the combat veterans life on a persistent basis. Thus becoming the protector and a “conceptualization of hostile self-states in ‘personified narcissistic and sociopathic defenses’ that defend against dependency, vulnerability, and guilt…[and]…applies just as well to pathological narcissism” (Howell, 2005, p. 224). The ‘diminished capacity’ rule would apply when dissociative episodes result in a “psychotic” break, whereby a thought disorder could be ascribed.
Diminished capacity resulting in a thought disorder would be split between two categories; one being “disturbances in the content of thinking and perceiving (hallucinations and delusions), and… [the second would be]…disturbances in the form of thinking (formal thought disorder)” (Young, 2003, para. 7). Procedural memory becomes disengaged from experiential memories where reactionary encoding enables the maladaptive somatic response encoded reactions needed during survival in the moment situations. Multiple self-states dissociate and boundaries within boundaries abound.
I am just now starting to sift through the sea of case law and journal articles on the considerations of PTSD and criminality; unfortunately I think that there will be an ever increasing need for individuals well versed in the pitfalls of combat trauma and difficulties in reintegration. I feel as you do that something needs to be done to address this issue head on, such as a Veterans Court much like the one just established in Minnesota. Additionally, we have only begun to see the tide of returning veterans with psychological troubles facing criminal charges.
Never before in the history of American warfare have we seen such high numbers of soldiers who have been under unimaginable stress. In WWII 18% of our soldiers actually engaged in combat, with Vietnam it was 30-40%, today 68% have actually engaged in combat (Veterans for common Sense & Veterans United For Truth, Inc v. Veterans Administration, item 54, & National Center For PTSD Fact Sheet, Aftermath of Violence section, paragraph 2). Not only have more soldiers engaged in combat, they have been in combat longer with an average of 2 to 3 tours of duty. Many have been on 5 tours and some as much as 6. As high as 80-90% of soldiers (Hoge, C. W., Auchterlonie, J. L., & Charles S. M., 2008, results section, paragraph 5) have seen someone get killed, or been in a combat zone, we have reached "Combat Saturation."
Today 15% (300,000; Rand Corporation, 2008) of our soldiers and veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD and this seems like it may be a smaller number compared to other wars. 30% PTSD rates in Vietnam, 15% estimated in WWII and 15-20% of Gulf War I vets reported to have PTSD. It took Vietnam veterans up to 10-20 years before their symptoms reached the point of becoming debilitating. The implications for our modern veterans will have monumental deleterious effects in the next 10 years, it has been projected that PTSD rates in today's wars will reach 50-60%. We will be inundated with mentally ill veterans who have few options and nowhere to turn and they will run afoul with the law (Lee, 2006).
Today we have become faced with a growing trend of soldiers and veterans becoming enmeshed in the court systems. In direct conflict with the perception in the media I propose the theory that our veterans and soldiers face an insufficient mental health care which has a major impact to their lives, families and communities. The problem is not individualistic but systemic requiring major changes in how we view and treat PTSD. The care of our soldiers and veterans is not being met and we have just begun to see the aftereffects of the mind shattering results of combat trauma. Untreated PTSD can destroy the lives of many, not only the soldier and veteran. We send our soldiers to war for our freedom and then lock them up when they are broken and of no use anymore (Lee, 2008).
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Veterans for Common Sense & Veterans United For Truth, Inc v. Veterans Administration, C-07-3758-SC, 2007 U.S. Dist.

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