Veterans for America stands up for sick GIs
An Army general said that a "Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade" would come soon to Fort Carson. It will help soldiers with post-traumatic stress and brain injuries. As Brig. Gen. Michael Tucker spoke at Colorado's Mountain Post, no one from Veterans for America stood beside him. They should have. VFA played as big a role in Tucker's announcement as any of Fort Carson's brass. Veterans for America, a group run by ex-military personnel, has forced the Army's hand across the country by exposing bad treatment of soldiers who return from war with psychological wounds. Before whistle-blowers attracted media attention, sick soldiers were being ignored or even forced from the military without the support they needed. Fort Carson conveniently announced formation of the Wounded Warrior Transition Brigade the week before nine senators send staff members to Carson. The senatorial staffers will investigate claims of inadequate health treatment of soldiers. Tucker spoke of Fort Carson as "a great example of what right looks like." In fact, Robinson and other advocates say, Fort Carson has made positive changes in health care for soldiers. Unfortunately too often, it had to be embarrassed into action. "Leaders at the unit level still don't understand how to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury," said VFA's director of veterans affairs, Steve Robinson. "Without help, people with PTSD turn to drinking and drugs. People with traumatic brain injury have discipline and anger issues. And yet they still say that PTSD and brain injury are not an excuse for bad behavior."
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