DoD wants to change criteria for Purple Heart

[Radio Relay]

The Pentagon wants to give Purple Hearts for mental "wounds"

What Are the Wounds of War? - WSJ.com

[slugger6]

Give me a friggin break! If this is approved it will serve to water it down to where everyone will be awarded Purple Hearts because they are "depressed." I'm not being insensitive to "battle fatigue", but the PH should be limited to physical wounds. This is similar to allowing all Army personnel to wear the beret. It used to mean something, but not anyone. Geez, I'm glad I'm no longer on active duty. I couldn't stand it. Hmmm...maybe I'm mental? Where's my medal?

[Formerly SAMTU]

Careful...they are already trying to find excuses to deny vets access to firearms based on PTSD. I could see this PH for mental damages being just another indicator of being unfit for transfers.

Your government at work...fear them.

[Stryker_11a]

Never happen. Shouldn't happen.

Who is supporting this anyway? I would bet that some hotshot cub reporter that has zero knowledge of the military was doing a muckracking expose on PTSD and how the government is screwing vets. He began to wonder why those with PTSD didn't get a purple heart and thus a controversy was born.

[Radio Relay]

I don't like it either. I think it cheapens the Purple Heart.

Perhaps if mental and physical health are affected by presence in a war zone, by things like agent orange, the genetic damage of inoculations, and PTSD, then a new, different medal would be appropriate.

[Stryker_11a]

It appears that SECDEF Gates was blind sided on this one. The Purple Heart for PTSD appears to be coming from one man, Dr. John E. Fortunato, a psychologist and chief of the Recovery and Resilience Center at Fort Bliss, Texas. One mans musings.

Q Mr. Secretary, the clinical psychologist who's in charge of the Recovery and Resilience Center as Fort Bliss said yesterday that one way to destigmatize post-traumatic stress disorder is to make troops suffering from the disorder eligible for the Purple Heart. What do you think of that suggestion?

SEC. GATES: Well, I hadn't heard it until you-all reported it. It's an interesting idea. I think it's clearly something that needs to be looked at.

[Radio Relay]

Q Mr. Secretary, the clinical psychologist who's in charge of the Recovery and Resilience Center as Fort Bliss said yesterday that one way to destigmatize post-traumatic stress disorder is to make troops suffering from the disorder eligible for the Purple Heart. What do you think of that suggestion?

Well, I think the clinical psychologist is full of it! Giving Purple Hearts for something that is difficult to confirm in the first place, is not a good idea, and waters down the intent to honor those who are physically injured in combat. There are a lot of people running around who have been diagnosed with PTSD that never saw direct combat.

I really think that VA funding is the main priority behind this (I.E. job security for clinical psychologists). If you have an increase in the number of Purple Hearts issued, then Congress will have to increase VA funding, because people with Purple Hearts get a free ride for all medical and dental services. They also get disability payments.

There's the gun grabber angle, too. Considering the law now that judges mental competence be considered when purchasing a firearm. People diagnosed with PTSD are documented by the government to be bona fide mental cases. Give them a Purple Heart to compensate for not being allowed to be full citizens, with all rights guaranteed by the Constitution.