SENDING SOLDIERS WITH PTSD BACK TO IRAQ

Via Thers at Atrios', I learn that NTodd posted about the saddening case of a soldier who was seeking psychiatric help at a VA hospital being arrested on AWOL charges. I looked back in my posts are found this from May 14, 2006:

The Army's top mental health expert, Col. Elspeth Ritchie, acknowledged that some deployment practices, such as sending service members diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome back into combat, have been driven in part by a troop shortage.

Unfortunately, the link to the AP story is dead but I do have access to Lexis-Nexis and searched for Elspeth in May, 2006. Here's what I found:

Monterey County Herald (California)
May 19, 2006 Friday
Still suffering, but redeployed;
Post-traumatic stress doesn't exempt soldiers from 2nd tour
BYLINE: LISA CHEDEKEL and MATTHEW KAUFFMAN, The Hartford Courant
SECTION: Z_HEALTH
LENGTH: 1065 words
Col. Elspeth Ritchie, psychiatry consultant to the Army Surgeon General, acknowledged that the decision to redeploy soldiers with PTSD was ''something that we wrestle with,'' and partly driven by the military's need to retain troops because of recruiting shortfalls.

''Historically, we have not wanted to send soldiers or anybody with post-traumatic stress disorder back into what traumatized them,'' she said. ''The challenge for us... is that the Army has a mission to fight.''

Ritchie said the military looks at the ''impairment'' level of service members and their responses to medication before deciding whom to redeploy.

''If they're simply -- and I don't mean to minimize it -- but if they're simply having nightmares, for example, but they can do their job, then most likely they're going to deploy back with their unit,'' she said.

AMERICAN HEALTH LINE
May 16, 2006 Tuesday
MILITARY;
HARTFORD COURANT EXAMINES MENTAL HEALTH OF TROOPS
SECTION: QUALITY & COST
LENGTH: 640 words

Col. Elspeth Ritchie, the Army's top mental health expert, said that troops' mental health remains a priority for the Army, but a troop shortage has led the Army to
keep soldiers in combat who ordinarily would be pulled. "The challenge for us is that the Army has a mission to fight. And, as you know, recruiting has been a challenge," Ritchie said, adding, "And so we have to weigh the needs of the Army, the needs of the mission, with the soldiers' personal needs."

Buffalo News (New York)
May 15, 2006 Monday
FINAL EDITION
Stressed troops not properly cared for, with some committing suicide, newspaper study contends
BYLINE: By Lisa Chedekel and Matthew Kauffman - HARTFORD COURANT
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A5
LENGTH: 575 words

The Army's top mental health expert, Col. Elspeth Ritchie, acknowledged that some deployment practices, such as sending service members diagnosed with PTSD back into combat, have been driven in part by a troop shortage.

"The challenge for us . . . is that the Army has a mission to fight. And, as you know, recruiting has been a challenge," she said. "And so we have to weigh the needs of the Army, the needs of the mission, with the soldiers' personal needs."

Monterey County Herald (California)
May 14, 2006 Sunday
Mentally ill troops kept in combat;
Newspaper finds military lax on screening, treatment
SECTION: Z_NATION
LENGTH: 558 words
DATELINE: HARTFORD, Conn.

The Army's top mental health expert, Col. Elspeth Ritchie, acknowledged that some deployment practices, such as sending service members diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome back into combat, have been driven in part by a troop shortage.

She said the challenge is that they ''have to weigh the needs of the Army, the needs of the mission, with the soldiers' personal needs.''

Ritchie insisted the military works hard to prevent suicides, but said that is a challenge because every soldier has access to a weapon.

The Times Union (Albany, New York)
May 14, 2006 Sunday
3 EDITION
Suicides expose Army flaw; Military, facing troop shortages, neglect soldiers' mental health
BYLINE: By LISA CHEDEKEL and MATTHEW KAUFFMAN Hartford Courant
SECTION: MAIN; Pg. A3
LENGTH: 756 words

The Army's top mental health expert, Col. Elspeth Ritchie, acknowledged that some deployment practices, such as sending service members diagnosed with PTSD back into combat, have been driven in part by a troop shortage.

"The challenge for us ... is that the Army has a mission to fight. And, as you know, recruiting has been a challenge," she said. "And so we have to weigh the needs of the Army, the needs of the mission, with the soldiers' personal needs."

Associated Press Online
May 14, 2006 Sunday 3:52 PM GMT
Report: Military Ignoring Mental Illness
SECTION: DOMESTIC NEWS
LENGTH: 573 words
DATELINE: HARTFORD Conn.


The Army's top mental health expert, Col. Elspeth Ritchie, acknowledged that some deployment practices, such as sending service members diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome back into combat, have been driven in part by a troop shortage.

"The challenge for us ... is that the Army has a mission to fight. And, as you know, recruiting has been a challenge," she said. "And so we have to weigh the needs of the Army, the needs of the mission, with the soldiers' personal needs."

Ritchie insisted the military works hard to prevent suicides, but said that is a challenge because every soldier has access to a weapon.