Army starts new mental illness detection program - Catch-22

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.wlfi.com/Global/story.asp?S=6917941

DENVER (AP) - The Army has launched a program to teach soldiers and their families how to detect possible psychiatric injuries suffered in war that may have gone unnoticed.

The program will teach participants how to spot indications of post traumatic stress disorder, brain damage and other injuries resulting from service in combat.

The Army is responding to reports that soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with mild brain damage and post-traumatic stress disorder have been treated as malingerers or unfairly dismissed from the service.

[NNN0LHI]

1. Catch-22 (logic)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catch-22_(logic)

Catch-22 is a term coined by Joseph Heller in his novel Catch-22, describing a paradox in a law, regulation or practice in which one is a victim regardless of the choice he makes. In probability theory, it refers a situation similar to Heads I win, tails you lose. A familiar example of this circumstance occurs in the context of job searching. In moving from school to a career, one may encounter a Catch-22 where one cannot get a job without work experience, but one cannot gain experience without a job. Catch-22 situations are also sometimes called the chicken or the egg problems. The concept (and the book) was originally to be called Catch-18, until a novel called Mila 18 was published by Leon Uris during the final stages of Heller's work.

[whistle]

2. That should be a no brainer, you have to be crazy to volunteer for the military

...in this war! :wtf:

[NNN0LHI]

3. That will be one of the reasons for denying benefits later on

The war didn't make you crazy because you had to be crazy to begin with if you enlisted.

CLAIM DENIED

Don

[NYVet]

4. Thanks for the slap in the face.

I have 16 years of service and am currently serving.


I think that you may find that there are not a few lurkers and other posers here who are currently in the military if you checked.

[BlooInBloo]

7. The poster is obviously talking about NEW recruits.

[NYVet]

8. I read that as a shot at all service members.

If I was reading it incorrectly, I apologize

[BlooInBloo]

9. Then I'll pre-emptively save you the trouble: I was talking about new recruits as well in my post.

[whistle]

10. Sorry NYVet, I should have clarified that the response was meant as

...sarcasm against the so called psychological tests the military is supposedly using to "CYA" themselves on new recruits.

Long term servicemen and women certainly have a noble and honorable purpose for serving and fighting to protect our country against all enemies. However, the Bush administration and this war and in particular the reported mistreatment of both the physically and mentally wounded servicemen and women is nothing less than a disgrace against the service and sacrifices made by our fighting troops.

Now the military proposes it will use psychological testing on new recruits not to keep them out of the service, but rather to cover the military's ass should these individuals show any form of mental or emotional disturbances while serving and even after serving. These tests are to be part of the new recruit's medical permanent profile and even if they go on to serve 15, 20 or 25 years, if they are discharged with any type of mental condition or develop such a condition after their service, they'll be denied medical care. That is just plain wrong and probably illegal.

For example, a new recruit puts down on the test he or she was treated for depression as a young teen, but they no longer take medication for the condition, or they could answer that parents or siblings or even cousins have a mental illness of one sort or another. With that information in their medical history, the army or navy or whatever branch of the service could use that data at a latter time should this person need medical help for PTSD to disqualify that person from getting any medical benefits because their record shows that they had a preexisting condition or possible hereditary potential for mental illness. This is eugenics, pure and simple and it would be wrong!

[treestar]

5. That was Catch22

If you were crazy, you were gung ho and didn't try to get out.

If you were sane, you wanted out. Like Corporal Klinger. No matter what he did, no one could believe he was crazy, since he wanted out.

[BlooInBloo]

6. It called "The Recruitment Division".

[w8liftinglady]

11. my son REFUSES to have the term ptsd used to describe him...

he says it makes him a coward,a pussy.I've tried to push him towards the va advocate here,but he is reluctant,