Syracuse (WSYR-TV) -- A U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians – some of them children -- in cold blood has brought forth an alarming portrait of the cost of war.
Staff Sergeant Robert Bales remains in custody as the military investigation continues. Right now, the Army Inspector General is conducting a system-wide review of mental health facilities to be sure there is proper diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Meanwhile, closer to home, the VA in Syracuse is continuing an effort to make sure those returning from duty overseas with PTSD and their families have the support they need.
The happy homecomings we see on TV often hide the fact that some soldiers don’t come back the same.
We spoke to a woman named Ilene whose son served a year in Iraq. He lost six friends, witnessed death and at times, cleaned up after it.
“As far as I knew, everything was fine for awhile and slowly but surely we found out that he was having problems,” Ilene told NewsChannel 9. “One of his jobs at one point was to collect bits and pieces. How do you come back the same person you were?”
Her son came back with PTSD and eventually “hit bottom.” Even a trip to the supermarket had its challenges.
"He was walking through Wegman's and those coco pop things went off and he ducked for cover,” Ilene said.
Ilene turned to the VA’s “Family to Family” program for help. The program’s designed specifically for caregivers of vets diagnosed with mental illness, because understanding and dealing with its negative perception can be difficult.
"Mental illness, there's so much stigma around it and it's not something we wear outwardly. It's not that it's a secret per se, but the stigma is haunting,” explained Family to Family Program Coordinator, Anna Canastra.
Haunting, like the images of war brought back with countless men and women, but parents like Ilene do have a place to turn to help their loved ones pull through.
"That's how people are going to grow through this. And get back to work and get back to being, you know, members of our community who are productive and involved and we want everybody to be,” Canastra said.
Ilene says her son just started a new job last week and is engaged to be married next year. She’s giving most of the credit to the VA’s Family to Family program. The next 13 week course starts next Tuesday. If you’re interested in signing up or learning more about the program,
CLICK HERE.
