Post-Dispatch- 02/22/2005
Ill.-For 14 months while stationed in Iraq, the battered Illinois National Guard 1544th Transportation Company had endured more than 100 mortar attacks and had driven more than 580,000 hostile miles transporting supplies and ammunition.
During that time, the unit of about 160 members had suffered more deaths and injuries than any other National Guard company in the nation, military officials said.
Five soldiers - Sgt. Ivory L. Phillips, Sgt. Jeremy L. Ridlen, Sgt. Shawna Morrison, Spc. Charles Lam and Spc. Jessica L. Cawvey - did not return, killed either by mortar attacks or roadside bombs. They accounted for half of all Illinois Army National Guard fatalities in Iraq. About 70 others were injured; about 20 of those were hurt seriously enough to be sent home.
>>>>But while the 1544th's battles in Iraq are done, the war is still not over for them and this community. Over the next few weeks and even months, in scores of individual homes here and in neighboring towns, returning veterans and their families will be quietly struggling try to deal with the hidden scars of the war.
According to the military, one of every six service members will return from Iraq with a mental disorder, and some experts believe the number could be even higher. Twenty-three percent of Iraq veterans treated at Veterans Affairs facilities have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Murder, suicide and depression . . .
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/cgi-bin/news/news.cgi?id=4436740249 Readjustment Counseling Services Vet Centers
http://www.va.gov/rcs/
Military Veterans PTSD Reference Manual
http://www.ptsdmanual.com/
National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
http://www.ncptsd.org/
Information on the War in Iraq
http://www.ncptsd.org/topics/war.html
How Terroristic Acts May Affect Veterans
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/disasters/fs_veterans_disaster.html
Help for Veterans with PTSD and Their Families
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_help_for_vets.html
Managing Stress and Recovering from Trauma: Facts and Resources for Veterans and Families
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_managing_stress.html
PTSD and Older Veterans
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_older_veterans.html
The Legacy of Psychological Trauma from the Vietnam War for American Indian Military Personnel
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_native_vets.html
Traumatic Stress in Female Veterans
http://www.ncptsd.org/facts/veterans/fs_women_vets.html
National Military Family Association (NMFA)
http://www.nmfa.org/
The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Inc. (TAPS)
http://www.taps.org/