A reader of this blog sent me a New York Times Op ED contribution published on May 27, 2012. it was titled “The VAs Shameful Betrayal” NS and written by a veteran by the name of Mike Scotti. I would strongly recommend reading the complete article.
I will only quote the finishing paragraph:
“What this generation of veterans needs from the V.A. is a recognition that when the color of life has faded to gray, you need to talk to someone about it today, not weeks or months from now. We need America to acknowledge what war does to the young men and women who fight it and to share the message that dragged me out of the darkness: It’s O.K. if you’re not O.K.”
I strongly endorse the message in this OpEd article and will add some personal examples. The VA mental health care for service men and women is the focus at this moment, but the mental health services of the US Army are running a strong competition for the most inefficient and negligent health care provider in the various federal health care systems.