all around. … When they got home, there was an extended debriefing.” Air travel changed that time buf- fer for both Vietnam veterans and today’s conflict veterans. But as Scorzelli points out, “During Iraq and Afghanistan, the individual left with his or her unit. The support provided by staying with one’s unit is very important and can lessen the impact [of responses like PTSD].”
Treating PTSD It went by other names in other con- flicts — battle fatigue, shell shock, and even post-Vietnam neurosis. But PTSD is pervasive: A 2009 study by researchers at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and Stan- ford University in Palo Alto, Calif., es- timates 35 percent of Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans will develop PTSD. There are many reasons for this
high percentage. According to Dr. Barbara O. Rothbaum, who has a doctorate in clinical psychology and is a professor at the Emory Univer- sity School of Medicine, Atlanta, the rates could be higher now “probably because more servicemembers are surviving more serious injuries.” Smith points out multiple deploy- ments multiply the risk of PTSD “exponentially,” especially PTSD re- sulting from blast injuries. Indeed, PTSD might be one of the most visible elements of
comparison between the Vietnam conflict and the war on terrorism. Scorzelli notes servicemembers with PTSD receive more support and treatment than Vietnam-era servicemembers. As evidence of the heightened emphasis on PTSD, the mental health care budget of the VA has doubled since 2001. Even so, the civilian public often
perceives servicemembers with PTSD — from any conflict — to be “damaged,” a view they see reflected in unemployment rates, substance abuse, and family problems. Dr. Julian Ford, a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Connecticut Health Center, says it’s critical the public be aware traumatic stress reactions are normal — and only become a disorder when the danger is over and an individual can’t “reset” his or her stress system. Experiences like Gussman’s actu- ally can add injury to injury. Recent studies show the support or lack thereof veterans receive upon rein- tegration following combat can have a greater impact than the severity of war experiences on the development of PTSD. Other professionals note the ripple effect of PTSD. “It struck me that PTSD has the family impact of Alzheimer’s [disease] but with po- tential violence from a professional warrior,” says Dr. Marvin Sams, who
holds a doctorate in natural medicine and runs a neurotherapy center.
The information age The American public received its in- formation about the Vietnam conflict almost exclusively through network TV news and printed periodicals. These media served as the basis for public opinion about the battles. “It seems that there is better recep- tion and understanding of military servicemembers’ contributions and struggles in today’s environment,” says Maj. James Browning, USA. He attributes this shift to globalization, the 24-hour news cycle, transpar- ency of political administrations, and improvements in embedded media, among other phenomena. “Media posture is broader and
more balanced and itself subject to scrutiny,” says Col. C. Robert Kemble, USA-Ret., author of The Image of the Army Officer in America: Background for Current Views (Greenwood Press, 1973) and Military Officer’s “Image of an Officer,” March 2008. Today’s servicemember also has
more of an opportunity to be heard and stay connected to the home front. Servicemembers in Vietnam usually were limited to sporadic mail correspondence. Cellphones, the Internet, video-conferencing technologies, and social media sites allow sharing [CONTINUES ON PAGE 70]
MAY 2011 MILITARY OFFICER 53
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