Don't ask, don't tell

I am thrilled to read of reports that indicate that the Pentagon is close to making some sweeping recommendations for change to this ridiculous policy.

My regular readers will know that for 15 years I was married to a gay man - for five of those years, he also served in the US Army and was deeply closeted for reasons only known to him, though I suspect that much of his conflict and secrecy was due to being married to me.

In order to put this issue into perspective, let's imagine for a moment that your partner/husband/wife/or significant other is serving in a combat zone. They are killed in the line of duty and the Pentagon does not know that you exist (due to Don't ask, Don't tell), and as a result, nor do they tell you of said partner's demise. This is a very real situation for all too many of our servicemembers who are currently in combat zones and living in closeted relationships.

If gays are openly accepted into the military, they can come out of the shadows and live sans fear of reprisals. They can openly love their partners, write letters and call home using real names, not pseudonyms as was reported in a recent 60 minutes story I watched with sorrow.

I am hoping and praying for a speedy and cohesive resolution to this Clinton-era debacle.

Let us all do the same if we consider ourselves to be fair-minded Americans.

Purple Heart is ruled out for traumatic stress

Thanks for your time soldier, now deal with it! Not on our list of illnesses......

That is essentially what the Pentagon is telling some 300,000 sufferers of PTSD.

According to a NY Times story today, "a Pentagon advisory group decided against the award because, it said, the condition had not been intentionally caused by enemy action, like a bomb or bullet, and because it remained difficult to diagnose and quantify.
“Historically, the Purple Heart has never been awarded for mental disorders or psychological conditions resulting from witnessing or experiencing traumatic combat events,” said Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman. “Current medical knowledge and technologies do not establish PTSD as objectively and routinely as would be required for this award at this time.”
One in five service members, or at least 300,000, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, according to a Rand Corporation study in 2008.
For some soldiers suffering from the disorder, the historical distinction between blood and no blood in an injury fails to recognize the depths of their mental scars. A modern war — one fought without safe havens and with the benefit of improved armor — calls for a new definition of injuries, some veterans say."

Those of us with a mental illness continue to be stymied by society's lack of sympathy and even understanding of our illnesses.

I know of abuse victims who suffer from PTSD - years later, their lives are fractured, they are unable to trust openly and have difficulty in relationships and jobs, just like the military Vets with PTSD.

The mental health community needs to lobby - and hard to correct this grave injustice.

If you need help: www.nami.org
www.mentalhealthamerica.net

Or call your local VA hospital.