The Military purposely misdiagnosing soldiers?
23 03 2007The Nation just featured a piece on the Military ‘misdiagnosing’ soldiers, and wrongfully discharging them in a systematic effort to ‘cut costs’ in the $ Billions. Below are excerpts from the article, and it’s appalling.
Eventually the rocket shrapnel was removed from (Spc. Jon) Town’s neck and his ears stopped leaking blood. But his hearing never really recovered, and in many ways, neither has his life. A soldier honored twelve times during his seven years in uniform, Town has spent the last three struggling with deafness, memory failure and depression. By September 2006 he and the Army agreed he was no longer combat-ready.
But instead of sending Town to a medical board and discharging him because of his injuries, doctors at Fort Carson, Colorado, did something strange: They claimed Town’s wounds were actually caused by a “personality disorder.” Town was then booted from the Army and told that under a personality disorder discharge, he would never receive disability or medical benefits.
Town is not alone. A six-month investigation has uncovered multiple cases in which soldiers wounded in Iraq are suspiciously diagnosed as having a personality disorder, then prevented from collecting benefits. The conditions of their discharge have infuriated many in the military community, including the injured soldiers and their families, veterans’ rights groups, even military officials required to process these dismissals.
They say the military is purposely misdiagnosing soldiers like Town and that it’s doing so for one reason: to cheat them out of a lifetime of disability and medical benefits, thereby saving billions in expenses.
“Jon Town has spent the last few years fighting two battles, one against his body, the other against the US Army.” Can you believe that? Honestly after almost losing his life, and now hearing impaired for life with no medical coverage, or Military benefits. That is not American, nor is it morally just…this current administration is a joke, and it’s going to ruin our Military pride and might.
I was discharged from active duty in 1997 for having a personality disorder. I was under extreme stress from my superiors and suffered from depression and anxiety as a result. I was labeled as having borderline personality disorder and separated from active duty very quickly. I had never had any problems psychologically in the past and passed my physical and mental examination to enter service, so how could this be a preexisting condition is beyond my understanding. I believe my correct diagnosis should have been PTSD, no Borderline personality disorder. I have a letter form one of my physicians while in the Army who stated that my condition was caused or exacerbated by extreme stressors at Aberdeen Proving grounds. I have been fighting to get my compensation for 11 years now and there seems to be no light at the end of this tunnel. What can I do? I have been reading a lot about this in the news. This seems to be a bigger problem then the military is admitting to. They are mislabeling soldiers in order to save money. Where did the idea originate from? It certainly isn’t anything new and has been going on for quite a long time. Hopefully someday they will uncover the truth behind this disgrace and hold the individual responsible for destroying so many veterans’ lives.