Question for veterans...

[Stumpy]

I had an interesting discussion with my father (20 years US Army) last night, and I wanted to get the opinion of some other veterans on this issue.

Some background...

On Monday, a buddy that my brother served with in Iraq was shot and killed by NC State Troopers. Without going into too many details, he fled the scene of a wreck and was shot after firing on the officers.

He had recently returned from his second tour, and had come home, as many veterans do, to a life very different than the one he left behind. (business/family issues) He obviously was having trouble dealing with these problems and this very likely led to his confrontation with the officers.

So, my question is, do you believe that the military should institute some sort of mandatory exit counseling program for servicemen returning from overseas?

Not just for PTSD or other combat related issues, but also to help deal with the effects of having to put your life on hold for 1-2 years at a time.

The issues that our veterans face returning from overseas go far beyond what they experienced while they were there, but often what has changed once they get back.

The stories are far too common of servicemen coming home to find that their wife/girlfriend has left. Friends/family have moved away or are simply no longer there for them. Many Guardsmen/Reservists, in particular, have small businesses that cannot be sustained with them being deployed for a year or more.

I know that the military offers extensive counseling for those that ask for it. But as we all know, we as humans are often too proud to ask for help with matters of depression/mental illness. So, should the military require returning servicemen to go through a comprehensive exit counseling program before returning home?

[Chimera]

I had an interesting discussion with my father (20 years US Army) last night, and I wanted to get the opinion of some other veterans on this issue.

Some background...

On Monday, a buddy that my brother served with in Iraq was shot and killed by NC State Troopers. Without going into too many details, he fled the scene of a wreck and was shot after firing on the officers.

He had recently returned from his second tour, and had come home, as many veterans do, to a life very different than the one he left behind. (business/family issues) He obviously was having trouble dealing with these problems and this very likely led to his confrontation with the officers.

So, my question is, do you believe that the military should institute some sort of mandatory exit counseling program for servicemen returning from overseas?

Not just for PTSD or other combat related issues, but also to help deal with the effects of having to put your life on hold for 1-2 years at a time.

The issues that our veterans face returning from overseas go far beyond what they experienced while they were there, but often what has changed once they get back.

The stories are far too common of servicemen coming home to find that their wife/girlfriend has left. Friends/family have moved away or are simply no longer there for them. Many Guardsmen/Reservists, in particular, have small businesses that cannot be sustained with them being deployed for a year or more.

I know that the military offers extensive counseling for those that ask for it. But as we all know, we as humans are often too proud to ask for help with matters of depression/mental illness. So, should the military require returning servicemen to go through a comprehensive exit counseling program before returning home?

The military, at least active duty, does have mandatory counseling for separating soldiers. However, this is mainly geared towards people who have no experience in the civilian workforce and usually sets unrealistic expectations.

The guy you are talking about was a National Guardsman. They're basically given some paperwork that says "I was there" and sent on their ways. I read about this guys story about being divorced and losing his business while injuries may have prevented him from performing manual labor. To me, this seems like a clear case of suicide by cop. I think the guy was overwhelmed by issues and I doubt any counseling he received would have helped.

[Davidson Deac II]

Yes, and not only to help the service member, but to identify a potential problem that might make the service member a threat to others.

[Hawk]

100% yes, without a doubt!

[cookinwithgas]

When you call the VA for anything, the recorded message always starts off with the emotional crisis line. It's a big priority for them.