Treating the ‘invisible wounded’
December 10th, 2007From the Washington Post, responses to the Dec. 2 story about 1st Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside, who faces a possible court-martial on charges that she attempted suicide in Iraq.
Letter to the editor from the public affairs office of the U.S. Army:
We consider the medical conditions of our soldiers to be the most private of matters. The public should know that we take the privacy of the individual very seriously and want nothing more than to protect Lt. Whiteside — and all patients — in this regard.
We have fundamentally changed our approach to the care of soldiers suffering from stress, brain injury or behavioral-health problems, and we provide many resources to help. As an institution, the Army will continue to fight to remove the stigma associated with behavioral health matters and their timely treatment.
Army officials are distressed that personal details about the health of 1st Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside have been made public. We bet: They look ridiculous in their cruel pursuit of legal charges against a woman injured in service to her country.
This is not an isolated case of insensitivity. The abuse of Lt. Whiteside raises questions about how far the military has really come in its treatment of mental health problems.
… As the country grapples with how to treat its “invisible wounded,” it is important that there be a command structure that actually listens to doctors and that doesn’t send the message that those in need of help will be punished.
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January 4th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Here you have an actual combat veteran who suffers a lapse or mental void and becomes a target for military court martial.
One look at just the simple facts shows that she was pushed to the edge of her working capacity by a supervisor who was later reprimanded.
Now look back a year later, Major Jill Metzger fakes her own abduction, disappears for three days, is found, is rushed out of the country, and returned home.
No Article 32, no clear cut investigation, claims by locals of visiting a local abortion clinic, claims by local members of her unit of fraternization, and a failed polygraph. She even testified before a grand jury.
So what happened? She was given a temporary medical retirement with 100% pay.
Where’s the justice?