The abandoned warriors

[Skybird]

This is exactly the kind of sh!t that I reall hate to see and was so very suspicious about from the very beginning. After the americans had their scandal about disgusting and totally unacceptable conditions in their military hospitals, and not just in one, the Brits now start to copy their American buddies in that, too. And again I said that this would happen. No surprise for me, but still much anger.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle1496874.ece

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/pol...cle2347521.ece

Originally Posted by veterans

I was supposed to be admitted to Combat Stress in January for treatment I have been put back to March, the reason too many referals! The MOD is very good at getting it's pound of flesh out of you when you are in the service but come out with a medical condition and they do all they can to make sure you don't get a decent War Disablement Pension. You always have to appeal for a fair decision they do not like giving anyone money if they can help it! I agree with Joe Soap think carefully before joining up because if you get injured beware the MOD will not want to know you.
I N P., Kent, UK

Why cannot the public convince the so called leaders of our country the our war disabled require better treatment than they recieve right now . The government will only quote statistic , these boys are not statistics but brave soldiers fighting a cause that nobody wants . The general public also derserve better healthcare but again statistics , has dear Tony ever visited St Marys on the Isle of wight and be happy for Cherrie to stay on a general ward
P. C. Seaview Isle of Wight,

Could this be a lesson to all would be volunteers for the services. Life is good for peace time. There is always the time when you are called to earn the pay. I served 22 years, how I would have fared in a situation like the middle east I shudder to think. Think about this before you join up.
J. S., Braunton, UK

The NHS do not know what to do with us. The Veterans agency and the MoD don't give a monkeys. I was on a 100% war pension until I won my case for Gulf War Syndrome, it took me 12 years to get to appeal and 8 months to get a decision from the VA. Then a week to knock my war pension from 100% down to 40% reason? an improvement in level of disablement and that includes PTSD. In the end its all down to money.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/war-pensions/

T. W., york, United Kingdom

As a Falkland's vet I would suggest that the smaller, apparent, numbers from that conflict have to do with the fact that the conflict had a clear result and end point - 13th June 1982. 25 years on I still have to take antidepressants everyday and I have a whole load of cognative coping strategies I use. Certain sounds and visual signals can still trigger panic attacks or deep sorrow. The disaster reflected in this piece is directly due to Government policy to reduce the numbers of medical personnel actually employed by the services in the 1980 review. Kipling put the goverment position well: "Its Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' Tommy go away but hello Mr Atkins when the bands begin to play!"
P. T. KIRKCUDBRIGHT, Scotland

One should force Blair, Bush and Cheney and the others with a loaded weapon at point blank range to join in the first front line and have their tour in Iraq's streets and trenches and serve a full tour with themselves at risk - like all those people they send over there while enjoying the comfort and safety of their office when signing the order. In earlier times, kings led their armies at least by joining them on the battlefield. Today - well, you know it.

I dealt with heavily traumatized people years ago, that's why I take this one as a non-national issue for me: because I saw at close range what traumatization means, and what kind of suffering and misery it comes with, an how it degrades life and destroys social existence. Shame on Britain and the US that they made the wrong decisions for war. shame on them for letting down the people who believed them and willingly went over there to do how they had been told - and later find themselves being let down. SHAME.

Hope that people finally will begin to remember this the next time some highranking political eggheads prematurely calls for the troops being sent to war. But judging by past experiences, I doubt it.