Many service members express comfort in being deployed, which can be a sign of difficulty adjusting to life at home.
For more than seven years, the U.S. has been engaged in a two-front War. While the physical casualties of that war continue to be tallied, the total number of victims claimed by the Global War on Terror may never be certain.
Arlington, Va. – There are service members that return from the rigors of deployment to silently suffer from a myriad of symptoms provoked by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event. Symptoms of the condition can arise days or months after the trauma but the personal nature of the disorder makes it relatively easy to go unnoticed.
As symptoms continue untreated they can significantly hinder a service member’s military career and personal life.
“The stigma that surrounds psychological health problems and accessing needed care can be a significant barrier to seeking mental health services for military personnel,” said Army Brig. Gen. Loree K. Sutton, M.D., director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.
There are many factors that discourage service members from seeking psychological health services, said Sutton.
Fear that their unit will be less confident in them and fear of damaging their career are two of the most common misconceptions.
As a Marine who suffers from PTSD, Sgt. Joshua Hopper said he recognized that sense of apprehension all too well. Hopper was a squad leader with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, three months into his third deployment when he noticed a difference in his demeanor. His symptoms of the condition intensified when he returned to the U.S. He began having nightmares, drinking heavily and distancing himself from his family, yet he adamantly avoided the thought of going to seek treatment.
“I thought if I got help people would think I couldn’t handle being [an infantryman,]” said Hopper. “I didn’t want the Marines I was leading to look at me as possibly being weak.”
It took nearly eight months for Hopper to admit that he had a problem. He sought help and received inpatient treatment at Veterans Affairs Medical Center Martinsburg, W.Va.
“It was a very humbling experience and it changed my life completely,” said Hopper, who is now an intelligence specialist with the Marine Corps Special Operations Command at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., and has been selected for the rank of staff sergeant. “I have never had anyone tell me they think any less of me for getting help and being open about it.”
The Gleason, Tenn., native said he hopes to inspire Marines to seek treatment if they are suffering from the condition by sharing his personal experience as a spokesperson for the DCOE’s Real Warriors campaign which encourages service members to increase their awareness and use of available resources.
“I don’t care how many times you’ve been in combat, how many ribbons and medals you have, if you’re a sergeant major or a private first class, you’re still human,” said Hopper. “You can have problems, admit that and get help for it without being black labeled.”
Like Hopper, Sgt. Daniel Hernandez, Wounded Warrior Battalion-East, has turned his life around after being treated for PTSD. He said his progress has been slow but he has a renewed thirst for life.
Sgt. Daniel Hernandez, Wounded Warrior Battalion East, has turned his life around after being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. Although his progress has been slow, he says he has a renewed thirst fir life. He recently completed a Bachelor's degree in business management and aspires to be an orthopedic surgeon.
“[Treatment] has given me a life that I thought I would never have. It has given me the [desire] to succeed,” he said.
Hernandez has recently completed his Bachelor’s degree in business management and aspires to be an orthopedic surgeon. The man that once suffered from survivor’s guilt, unprovoked fits of rage and hyper vigilance, credits his change to Lt. Col. Tommy Scott, his former officer-in-charge.
“If it were not for him and his leadership, I would not be the person I am today,” said Hernandez.
Although there is a plethora of treatment available, not everyone can be victorious in their battle against PTSD without long term treatment.
Lt. Col. Chris Jackson, branch head, operations and training, Security Cooperation Education and Training Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., said he remembers Staff Sgt. Travis N. Twiggs as one of the cornerstones of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.
“He was well known throughout the entire battalion for his competence and initiative,” said Jackson. “He was motivated and was the Marine you absolutely wanted beside you in combat.”
Jackson said he had no knowledge of the troubles brewing in Twiggs’ life.
In a letter to the Marine Corps Gazette published in January 2008, Twiggs said he began to notice changes in himself a month after returning from his second deployment. Yearning to get back to the fight, he approached his wife about his feelings and they agreed that he would return to Iraq with his Marines.
“From that day forward my symptoms went away,” he said. “I was going back to the fight, back to the shared adversity where the tempo is high and our adrenaline pulses through our veins like hot blood.
“It is in this place that there is no time for PTSD.”
Twiggs said he began questioning his leadership as he coped with the death of two of his Marines. He wondered if he had trained his men to the best of his ability. His condition got the attention of his sergeant major who referred him for treatment before he departed on his fourth deployment.
Upon his homecoming Twiggs was again be greeted by his symptoms. Not understanding his condition he began drinking heavily and the situation worsened. After two hospital stays, Twiggs was referred to and successfully completed a three-month long program offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. He went on to be an instructor at the Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence.
Twiggs charged the Corps with taking a proactive approach to PTSD.
“We have got to make our Marines and sailors more aware of PTSD before they end up like me,” he said. “One of our leadership principles is to know our Marines and lookout for their welfare. They deserve this, and we owe it to them.”
Although it seemed he was slowly getting his life together, the 36-year-old, father of two, tragically lost his battle against PTSD in May 2008.
“I believe Twiggs developed PTSD because he served multiple back-to-back deployments with little to no breaks in between,” said Jackson. “He was a casualty of his success. That is when a commander has to step in and do the right thing by putting the individual ahead of the unit.
“The unit will suffer for a short period but it will recover after adjusting. The individual will not be as fortunate, as Twiggs’ case illustrates.”
The negativity associated with PTSD continues to discourage service members from opening up about their condition. But, Twiggs’ story can be a sobering reminder that PTSD requires professional treatment, command involvement and Corpswide awareness.
“Marine Corps leadership must understand that if a Marine has a problem they need to get the proper care and there shouldn’t be a stigma attached to it,” said Sgt. Maj. Carlton W. Kent, sergeant major of the Marine Corps. “Anyone can have PTSD after seeing the horrors of combat and we need to ensure we take care of any problems they may have and get them back in the fight.”