The series is all-encompassing in its treatment of these 121 cases. It has multiple articles that pursue several different aspects of the cases including the treatment of the cases in the press as well as the failure of mental health services. Throughout all the articles the phrase and theme of PTSD is central. A brief scan of the cases produces some truly horrific accounts. One example is the story of Brandon Bare
Specialist Brandon Bare, a soldier who saw fierce combat in Iraq, was sent home early after suffering head injuries from a grenade attack. He was placed in an intensive outpatient psychological treatment program, where he told counselors about the difficulty he was having controlling his anger toward his wife, Nabila Bare, 18.
On July 12, 2005, after Mr. Bare saw his wife e-mailing another man, he stabbed her more than 71 times, carved a pentagram into her stomach and wrote a message with her blood on the refrigerator: "Satan said she deserved it." After confessing to Army investigators, Mr. Bare was convicted of premeditated murder and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
A military psychiatrist said Specialist Bare exhibited the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The victim's parents -- her father was a soldier, too -- were angered by defense efforts to portray Specialist Bare as a scarred war veteran betrayed by his wife. "He is not a hero," said Irene Neverette, the victim's mother. "He is a monster, a criminal."
Like many of the cases, the victim is someone close to the veteran. 73 of the cases involved either a family member/girlfriend or fellow service member. Lost in the general chaos of the wars the military has ceased attempts to properly deal with domestic violence. Not only have they disbanded a task force set up to deal with domestic violence they are ignoring convictions and the justice system in some cases.
"I don’t think there is any question about that," said Peter C. McDonald, a retired district court judge in Kentucky and a member of the Pentagon’s now disbanded domestic violence task force. "The war could only make things much worse than even before, and here we had a system that was not too good to begin with."
The problems with domestic violence are just one significant part of the issue with veterans who return from war. 2006 study in The Journal of Marital and Family Therapy looked at veterans who sought marital counseling at a Veterans Affairs medical center in the Midwest between 1997 and 2003. Those given a diagnosis of PTSD were "significantly more likely to perpetrate violence toward their partners," the study found, with more than 80 percent committing at least one act of violence in the previous year, and almost half at least one severe act. This is inline with the times findings regarding the increase in killings committed by veterans.
The Times reported 89 percent increase in homicide cases during the present wartime period, to 349 cases from 184, about three-quarters of which involved Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. This increase occurred even though there have been fewer troops stationed in the United States in the last six years and the homicide rate among the public has been lower.
Little attention is given to diagnosing or testing for PTSD among the returning troops. The general story proceeds like this
"Then they sat us down one after the other with an officer and he looked over the form, and said, ‘Are you doing O.K.?’ and, no matter what we wrote, we’d say yup, and then he’d say, ‘Next!’ "
The soldiers themselves seem to have expressed little enthusiasm to be labeled as a PTSD sufferer. Keeping to the model of the strong, tough, and determined soldiers and they do not want to be seen as weak. They feel as though they must deal with it themselves that every other soldier has gone through it and came out fine. This is a sentiment reinforced by veterans groups who, "deplore the attention paid to the minority of soldiers who fail to readjust to civilian life".
The Times cites an article in the Veterans of Foreign Wars magazine in 2006 referred with disdain to the pervasive "wacko-vet myth," which, veterans say, makes it difficult for them to find jobs. This does not help that portion of the veteran population who do actually suffer from serious mental health issues.
Despite what some might say there are indicators of the role that war and PTSD has played in these crimes. One telling sign is that the majority of the 120 men who committed the killings had no criminal history. This is not truly surprising as when our soldiers come home some return "different". Instead of the stable men who left these men return with irritability, detachment, volatility, sleeplessness, excessive drinking or drug use, and often keep a gun at hand.
Far from rare, an estimated half of the returning National Guard members, 38 percent of soldiers and 31 percent of marines reporting mental health problems, according to a Pentagon task force. Decades of study dating back to the days of Vietnam support the link between combat and mental health issues. Despite the constant support our troops rhetoric coming from both sides of the isle history seems to be repeating itself.
In a deplorable move, On March 20, 2008 a VA hospital’s PTSD program coordinator sent the e-mail below to a number of VA employees, including psychologists, social workers, and a psychiatrist stating that
Given that we are having more and more compensation seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from giving a PTSD diagnosis strait out. Consider a diagnosis of Adjustment Disorder, R/O [rule out] PTSD.
Additionally, we really don't or have time to do the extensive testing that should be done to determine PTSD.
Essentially asking that veterans affairs employees limit the access veterans have to the mental health care they need.
The military itself is not doing an adequate job of preparing soldiers to deal with the moral and ethical issues of killing. The Times tells the story of Sergeant Strasburg who was given discretion over killing a man walking around after curfew while armed. He suspected the man of planting an I.E.D. He had to make his own call whether to kill this man or not and after deciding to kill the man has had issues dealing with it.
"I reported the kill to the battalion," Mr. Strasburg said. "They said, you know: ‘Good shot. It’s legal. Whatever. Don’t worry about it.’ After that, it was never mentioned. But, you know, I had some issues with it later."
He was later involved in the killing of a 21 year old Thomas Tiffany Varney V. What occurred during his trial is important as well because it tells the story of what happens to these veterans when they enter the criminal justice process.
The criminal justice process is inevitably split between the two camps. One camp views the defendant with some sympathy because of his veteran status and probable PTSD. The other camp is usually the victim’s family and friends. These people will dismiss the idea of PTSD as a contributing factor in the death of their loved one. They view it as a cop out or an excuse for an unpardonable crime.
Frequently the families have observations similar to Mr. Varney’s father. Thomas Tiffany Varney IV expressed skepticism about Mr. Strasburg’s PTSD and the disorder in general.
"His grandfather, my dad, a lot of people been there, done that, and it didn’t affect them," Mr. Varney said. "They’re trying to brush it away, ‘Well, he murdered someone, it’s just post-traumatic stress.’ "
In another case where a girlfriend was murdered the family stated
"When they mention Nicole, it’s like an aside," Mr. Speirs said, his voice quiet, his emotion muted. "I feel like a lot of people are using her death as something against the war. They practically are like saying that President Bush killed Nicole. Well, Walter killed Nicole. The war can be a factor. It’s not a reason or an excuse for it."
The court in Mr. Strasburg’s case was not on the side of mitigating due to PTSD sentencing Mr. Strasburg to 22 to 36 years in prison.
The times devotes a full article to just what is occurring in the justice system with regards to veterans. Some states like California are passing laws that allow deferment to treatment facilities for lesser crimes. However, the capital murder cases are not covered under these laws.
The effects of combat on our veterans come home to the reader in a real way courtesy of this NYT series. Story after heartrending story is told in vivid detail. What is clear is that the consequences of the war are not only in blood and treasure left in Iraq but stories of human tragedy that occur when the soldiers come home. Real action is needed to help those who come home with the mental and moral anguish deal with the experience. Mental health should be on par with education when it comes to veteran services. If enough attention is paid it is possible that we can avoid future tragedies like the stories in War Torn.
War Torn Home Page
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Cases
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Article Series in order
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UPDATE: Thank you to Crashing Vor for the following information.
Those interested in learning and doing more should most certainly look into our own dear Ilona Meagher's blog and read her book Moving a Nation to Care: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and America's Returning Troops, "the most comprehensive resource to date for concerned citizens who want to understand the complex political, social, and health-related issues of PTSD."
