AUGUSTA, Maine — Last November, a day before Justin Crowley-Smilek was shot and killed by police, the 28-year-old Farmington native and U.S. Army Ranger who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder appeared before a judge.
Earlier that year, Crowley-Smilek was charged with assault and cultivation of marijuana. The judge, likely sensing that the young man’s diagnoses contributed to those crimes, ordered him to undergo a full psychological evaluation. His family said it was welcome news because they had been trying to get Crowley-Smilek help for months since his return from Afghanistan.
Crowley-Smilek never made it to that evaluation.
In a bizarre incident outside the Farmington police station, Crowley-Smilek approached an officer in a threatening manner while wielding a knife. The officer fired several shots, one of which killed Crowley-Smilek.
Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-Augusta, said the state of Maine had an opportunity to help the veteran the day before he died.
“And we failed,” she said.
Maloney has submitted a bill, LD 1698, that she hopes will help other veterans like Crowley-Smilek before it’s too late.
The bill would create a special veterans treatment court that takes veterans already enrolled in the many drug courts or co-occurring disorder courts across the state and bring them together at the same time and place.
“Who knows veterans better than veterans?” Maloney said while introducing her bill Tuesday before the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee.
Approximately one in six Mainers is a veteran and approximately one in five veterans report some mental health diagnosis, Maloney said.
In many cases, veterans turn to drugs as a coping mechanism and that often leads to crime. Maine already has a system of drug courts that offer alternatives to jail sentences by requiring participants to undergo counseling and submit to drug tests. If participants don’t meet the requirements, they are then sent to jail.
Maloney said she doesn’t want to create a new system, only to use the existing framework.
If all the veterans enrolled in these courts could meet on the same day and go through counseling together, likely with VA officials on site, they might be have a better chance of succeeding.
Even better, she said, a host of veterans — from recent wars to as far back as World War II — have agreed to serve as volunteer mentors for the program.
“It doesn’t mean you can commit a crime and not face punishment,” Maloney said. “It’s not a get-out-of-jail free card. It’s a second chance.
“They have made mistakes but we can still see them as heroes.”
If the program takes off, Maloney said, her bill has a mechanism to seek federal funding to help support a veterans court. Her proposal does not require any additional state dollars.
Many spoke in favor of the bill during Tuesday’s public hearing, including many veterans. Written testimony also was submitted by Ruth Crowley, mother of Justin Crowley-Smilek.
“Having a court that focuses on these issues would really make a difference,” she wrote. “My son was a sweet young man with a good heart. All he wanted was to be an Army Ranger.”
The bill has been scheduled for a work session on Feb. 14.
When does this “alternate courts and alternate sentencing” end? I think when we start treating various groups with more alternatives it is unfair to the rest of society in general.
That’s also my initial reaction. I’m a veteran.
Then I ponder all the cases where a young veteran, who has been upstanding and outstanding their whole life, returns home from a combat deployment and completely unravels. These men are not habitual offenders with a list of crimes going back to junior high. We owe it to them to treat their PTSD and mental health problems.
What do you think?
Many people go through horrible things and it is taken into consideration during trials. You can’t have special treatment for anyone. I was married to an Iraq vet and I still think it’s a bad idea. What about victims of violent crime ? If they unravel shouldn’t there be a special court ? An adult victim of severe and prolonged molestation can’t control a demon and harms a child…someone who we once felt sorry for is now an offender…slippery slope we would have here. I do feel for our soldiers, trust me I lived through the PTSD with one but you just can’t have special treatment for anyone. It’s just to big of a window. And before anyone says it, no, I am not comparing soldiers to any of these examples but they are in fact things that happen that others may think should get special circumstance as well. The list really could go on.
“You can’t have special treatment for anyone.”
So you think it’s appropriate to lump America’s returning vets, struggling with PTSD, depression and mental health problems in with the bath salt and heroin using copper thieves?
Yeah, screw ’em.
Yes I do, every American deserves the same treatment and respect whether they be mentally ill or addicted. I suspect any good soldier would tell you the same thing. Stop thinking of every person you can’t understand as just being weak.
I have PTSD and I’m a damned adult. I signed that dotted line. Nobody joins the military for bake sales.
Get over it. We all have our issues.
Thank you, Logic! My husband’s brother was a POW during World War II and came home and sucked it up and lived a productive, working life, married and raising a family. Not a boo-hoo to be heard. I have watched every successive generation become more and more Drama Llama, men and women alike. Whatever happened to “having a backbone” and dealing with life and what it hands you?
Yes – if they commit a crime equivalent to one committed by someone on bath salts.
PTSD is the same (varying degrees, varying cases, I get it) whether you were in war or whether you have been in a 20 year abusive relationship, or traumatized in some other manner. Vets are not alone in having PTSD. Should abused wives, those who were at ground zero, etc, be treated differently than returning vets when they have the same condition?
I think that someone with PTSD and mental health problems needs more counseling and support and supervision long before they need a special court room.
Sure…treat them…but the U.S. Government will “treat” them on the cheap, pass the bill to the taxpayers, and then kick the vet to the curb. The aftermath of war is too expensive to the corporate interests who control your government. They only care about profits. Until that issue is dealt with, vets will be tossed aside once their usefulness to the corporate machine is gone. However, this bill is a different issue…once again, regular slobs are being asked to bear the burden (giving vets a gimmie when they commit crimes as a result of their experiences), and that just isn’t right. However the profit margin for war doesn’t allow to actually rehab those who were sent into nightmares to do nightmarish things.
I totally agree…when these Vets come home the Government makes them ask (and some see this as begging) for help instead of making an evaluation and scheduling follow ups. Maybe a part of the package of going to war should be 6 mo or a year of counseling….or mentoring another vet who needs help if they don’t seem too….His family asked for help and was ignored and now a vet is dead and a rookie cop has to deal with killing a vet for the rest of his life….so much went wrong in this situation 8(
I think you are right, What and how do you get them to seek help when there pride is in the way? I think they all have PTSD and the Miltary should treat them everyday even when they get out.
I’ve not found any counseling or group therapy to be useful. The best support a vet can get is a good job and a family that loves them.
You want to help vets? Tell your boss to look at their leadership skills and problem solving. All of these special treatments just further a growing prejudice against veterans. People think PTSD is bad and that anybody with it is likely to snap and do ignorant things. The more the press harps on stories like this, villifying the law enforcement and VA, the less respect the actual issue gets. EVERY military member had a part of their life that is very different from anything non-military will ever see or know. Even not in war-time you have NO freedoms. You are an item and treated as such. It isn’t a secret and nobody is excluded, Army-Airforce-Navy-Marines-Coast Gauard.
Nobody should get a free pass as a result of their service, instead people should expect more from us. And in an overwhelming number of examples that is exactly what they’ll get, some of the smartest bravest human beings this country and planet has to offer.
Stop making excuses.
I’d rather have an alternative court/second chance for veterans then I would for a Bath Salts user……But in this instance what needed to happen was this man needed to be escorted to the VA from the court house for his evaluation rather than letting him go on his own….If he was going to go on his own he would have gone already!
I think it’s odd that there isn’t mandatory for returning veterans to join a support group when they return home…if not for themselves for the others that don’t know how to ask for help….But we would rather spend our military budget on more bombs than helping those who volunteer to fight for us….
Are you really suggesting that returning veterans be mandated to join support groups?
When they return home from war….You’re damn right
Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-Augusta, good intentions but “we” didn’t fail this veteran….HE malfunctioned. Work on creating some jobs.
We did fail him, that doesn’t mean we should have a new court. just that these people need the billion dollar medical attention any president would get. Every single one of them.
Perhaps the VA system could give us the same care that congress gets !
Thank you for your service! My dad is a Vietnam Vet and I have to watch all the hoops he has to jump through for treatment…..My stepmother (who has now left him with a boat load of debt) got great insurance because she was married to my Dad….My Dad get’s waiting lists…..It doesn’t make any sense…..Maybe you all should get paid like congress and they can get paid like a soldier….Then things would change!
thank you
Now that is common sense!
The police have to grow some colonies and actually confront people not just shoot to kill. They are loosing respect from citizens. We do not need any different laws for veterans, we need laws for law enforcement that makes them personally liable for killing without any consequence.
I think you are advancing an ignorant premise. Your statement shows you have no concept or clue as to when deadly force is justified or necessary.
Sorry, Sir, but You are the clueless one and I’m sure an ultra liberal Obama supporter. I’m sad that there are people in the world that continue to allow these acts go on unpunished. You just stay in your warm and fuzzy little existence and let the government take care of you. Everything will be fine………….
Uhhhhh….. I think Obama is the worst president, ever!
I retired from the service and like so many have been trained and retrained in the use (when it can legally be used!) of deadly force. It’s not arbitrary. If a situation escalates to that point, many specific thresholds have been exceeded.
You have made an arse of yourself in your assessment of me. Probably wasn’t your first time.
I can’t write what I want to but your comment sickens me. I bet you have never ever given or sacrificed one damn thing to this country. You and your kind deserve none of the rights and privileges that veterans for centuries have fought and died for. Just stay in your own pathetic quagmired existence and stop screaming for your rights.
Yeah your right, instead of shooting him the officer should have offered him a hug and maybe a coffee. Then they could sit down and have a pow wow and chat about what was bothering Mr. Smilek. Afterall, whats so intimadating about a knife weilding former army ranger advancing on you?
The police handled this situation poorly not so much in the fact that the office had to draw his weapon and shoot…If you have read all the articles, this man was known to the Police to be unstable yet they allowed a rookie officer to go outside and meet with this man ALONE…..Not the best idea we can see now form the consequences…
Considering the terrible outcome, things might have been done differently. Just because the officer was a “rookie” doesn’t mean anything. Mr Crowley-Smilek was a VIOLENT man wielding a knife. We weren’t there and cannot second guess the officer.
The intervention should have happened months before, during his discharge or at Togus.
Yes I agree
You threaten an officer with a knife, they should shoot to kill!!
I’m glad you aren’t an officer.
They can’t even use rubber bullets which would stop most anyone.
Again, where is the common sense? If you have an alternate court for veterans then you should have one for people who are not vets and have PTSD or have been through trauma , those who are bi-polar, drug addicts, and the list goes on. It comes down to being responsible for ones actions.
This can work as long as we’re not talking about violent offenders. From a financial perspective, I’d rather see money go to this kind of treatment-based approach rather than pay to house and feed them them for a year.
I agree, but it shouldn’t be just for veterans. It should be for all.
WE ALREADY HAVE A VETERANS COURT FOR EVERYBODY, ITS CALLED COURT!!
I think the answer is pretty simple, case by case. There is no one catch all for this situation.
being in the military doesn’t give you a pass on your actions. Evaluate EACH CASE individually. Completely impartial. Why do we need a law? Or another set of officials doing the Same thing. Add more to the existing system that needs to be done anyway but another NEW board, REALLY? Enough of the feel good stuff. Isn’t there a problem if the existing court system can’t do this properly? Can they do anything properly? By all means, let’s pile on more..
More laws and more laws. Seems some legislators have a lot of time to work on PERSONAL issues.
We all appreciate what vets do but that doesn’t automatically make anyone a good or bad person. I can point to a recent set of photos of our troops doing certain, ummm, inappropriate things. Is everyone saying, “Ohh those poor messed up kids”? (Which may very well be true), Nope, they’re saying, “That’s terrible, how could they do that.”
I don’t think it’s a good idea to separate the vets. They should get the BEST TREATMENT the moment they land back on American soil. This shouldn’t come to needing some separate system to protect and excuse the actions of some that may take advantage of a system designed to help them avoid responsibility.
Well said.
Thank you. I’m waiting for someone to find a way to villianize me for it.lol. Someone always does.
Your post is excellent.
This former Army Medic thanks you a bunch.
And thank you as well.
Thank you Sir. I appreciate your comment immensly.
Ahh….No. When the sentencing guidelines start choosing specific offenders or preferential treatment, then it’s time to think of something else. Such as support for the veterans.
No, …no …no no way! How in the world is giving vets different sentencing helping them with their problem? It’s not, and it will only end up in a great big swamp. What’s the addadge? you do the crime? …. you do the time.
Who’s gonna be next?, jail administrators and sheriff’s who have known each other for years?
Well, when you train young people to kill, send them out to kill, and they complete their missions admirably by killing the enemy, and are lauded praise for doing so. When these young people return home, and are faced with difficult situations, they fall back to their training, which is to kill the enemy. Unfortunately we have an entire generation of young people who grew up in this system. A vet today can purchase the same weapon he was issued in theatre, so you will have a combination of training and weaponry that most local doghnut eating PD’s are simply not capable of dealing with.
Mitigating factors are already considered by judges. If Veterans receive the benefit of alternate courts and alternate sentences then why should the victims of sexual abuse or people who are alcoholics not have them.
Dumb idea…….
Court? He didn’t make it to court. I’d say first responders/police need a whole lot more mental health training.
Do the Legioneers require Justice that is different than for the rest of the Citizenry ?
I am a veteran.
This is garbage, pure garbage. We are Americans and we do not want nor deserve special treatment. You want to fix PTSD? Stop fighting wars, otherwise get used to it. We’re all grownups here.
There are plenty of civilians who suffer with bipolar disorder and PTSD. Our veterans deserve the very best care- both physical and mental -but I see absolutely no societal need for an entirely different court system.
There are issues with our returning vets, we all agree, but segregation is not the answer, what is next, a special court if you are a Muslim, handicap, left handed, or blind in one eye?, why don’t we follow the motor vehicle rules and make special plates for every special interest group we have. What is needed is a way for our vets to get the help they need faster, it is a slow and tedious process. Proposed law is just not needed and will just slow up an already back logged court system.
I’m waiting for the “Lazy eye” Movement.
The irony of this legislative reaction that would create a special veterans treatment court is that Crowley-Smilek never made it to court. ..
when is the last time the US military has been in a fair fight? WW2
i dont see us winning the next fair fight war when every time we have
gone to war with a weak country since ww2, we get tens of thousands
soldiers complainin they could not handle the stress afterwards
Big clue for you there chief: When you have an M-16 and the other guy has an AK, it’s a fair fight. There’s no such thing as a low intensity conflict when you are in the middle of it. the individual soldier is not concerned about the big geo-political picture. I sure wasn’t.
You sound like you either have never been in uniform, or if you did, you ran an MWR tent down in Kuwait or something.
MWR tent in Kuwait! Baaahhhh hahaha Love it. He’s probably right now going MWR? Huh? WTH?
Handing out basketballs is stressful!
There are not enough protected or special classes in the US? This is stupid…
If the majority of our legislators think like Maloney it’s no wonder we’re in the financial mess we’re in ! Altough she may be full of good intention it’s wrong to treat people differently. What happened to equal protection under the law ? Dosen’t that also mean equal treatment?
No no no no no no!!!! If you’re planning on joining the military, please understand that the U.S. Government will use you up and spit you out the moment it no longer has a use for you. Now that you’ve been told that, you should be held to the same standard as regular slobs (of course, we’re not granting you rich politically connected slob standards, unless you’re rich and politically connected).
Veterans are different than regular people. They are trained to kill other people with extreme prejudice which is opposed to conscience. We are ten percent of the population who protect the other 90%. We should help them a lot more than we do. They deserve more respect.
“They are trained to kill other people with extreme prejudice”???
Okay. You have “Apocalypse Now” on DVD. I get it.
These types of alternative sentencing courts are being seen as both effective and reality based. People crying about seperate but equal, in these cases, have absolutley no idea as to what they are talking about.
These kid’s are sent off , after training, to do what we as society deem necessary and required. What they do there, that we trained them to do, we normally value as illegal but here we completely reverse those value’s. Then when they come home, they have to completely reverse, again, what they’ve been told and trained to do as acceptable. And people wonder why so many Vet’s come back and judged as ‘sicko’s’, nutjob’s, and crazy’s ? Folks, I defy anyone that hasn’t served a day to go do what we ask these kid’s to do and then come back and tell me that they haven’t had a change in how they view the world. Picking up a piece of your best friend out of a destroyed HUMMVE or 5 ton makes a pretty lasting impression. What’s more important is how society views them and their contribution. Value, regretabbly, is determined by those that have no part in it’s establishment. That any number of State official’s, like the Delaware Attorney General, who’s the son of VP Biden, are serving, will hopefully put some balance back into that value determination process. Then maybe the balance of justice can be made right. Right now, well, the scales are so screwed up that the current system is doing nothing but making it all that much worse. If Maine really wanted to make a statement, then I can’t think of a better way to start off, can you ?
Our present court system is adequate to the task of considering military service and affects in those cases where they are relevant sentencing factors. So, in my opinion, a better way to make a statement, if a statement is even necessary, would be for the legislature to reject LD 1698.
What’s next? A court for the 1%?
Who is going to pay for this separate court? What kind of judges are to be hired to supervise this new court system? Courts just for Veterans now, separate but equal? Maybe next, courts for Blacks only or Whites only?
Court’s for Vet’s, maybe, when the enormity of the issue is finally understood by more than a minor part of this State’s electorate. But a Pre-trial Diversion or Alternative Sentencing option is more than possible, given that these types of programs and alternatives are working in a lot of other State’s, namely Colorado and Texas. What is really sad, and is so badly needed, is a way for these folk’s coming back to decompress and get a handle on their issue’s and find a way work thru it, not have it erupt like a volcano. And that is what the VA is suppossed to be doing. That the VA is constantly on the budget chopping block is more the tragedy here. That folks such as you, who have obviously never served a day, is one of the real reasons why the polician’s are behind the times when it comes to dealing with real problem’s, not just whining to hear themselves.
No need. The present court has all the discretion necessary to deal with any mitigating circumstances that may exist due to service issues. The driving force behind this is not a need, its funding from the Government that would seed an increase in our judicial kingdom but not fund it long term. Has anyone ever seen a government program or agency actually shrink once the seed money was gone?
I am retired military. I am all for better mental health care for veterans as well as all Mainers. But a special veterans court is not the answer. This legislation might be well-intentioned and I am sure many legislators will be tempted to automatically support it, but in a way, a separate court system for veterans is an insult. Most veterans served their country in an effort to help maintain Americans’ freedoms and way of life. Creating a special court system for them is contrary to that objective, in my opinion. It could also have unintended consequences in the future that could actually be harmful to veterans.
As a veteran, I already have access to the many VA health programs that already exist. By creating a separate court for veterans essentially proclaims us as another special class of citizen. I don’t want to be in a different class. I just want to be an American, like the rest of you.
I am retired military. I am all for better mental health care for
veterans as well as all Mainers. But a special veterans court is not the
answer. This legislation might be well-intentioned and I am sure many
legislators will be tempted to automatically support it, but in a way, a
separate court system for veterans is an insult. Most veterans served
their country in an effort to help maintain Americans’ freedoms and way
of life. Creating a special court system for them is contrary to that
objective, in my opinion. It could also have unintended consequences in
the future that could actually be harmful to veterans.
As a veteran, I already have access to the many VA health programs that
already exist. By creating a separate court for veterans essentially
proclaims us as another special class of citizen. I don’t want to be in a
different class. I just want to be an American, like the rest of you.
Well said, and thank you for your service. There are many services available today that previous vets never had. I don’t use the VA for any services as my medical insurance is pretty awesome. I have however, stopped in on occassion to a local Vet Center just to talk about things. Free, no pressure, and no judgements as those guys are vets as well.
Ok then, all is fair in life and war. We should have an abused spouse court, an abused child court, a broken home court and an unemployed court. The list goes on. Lots of people have suffered immensely in life for different reasons. The justice system is suppose to provide equal footing for all under the law. Under our present system, a sentencing court can already consider individual circumstances, life hardships, contributions to society and other factors which contributed a person’s decision to run afoul of the law. It is a conscious choice in most instances. If the defendant is not in control of his or her faculties, there’s also a defense for that siutation as well. To create a system where one group is subject to a different culpability standard, however, is not equal justice for all. There are many people who contribute to society in different ways than military service, no less important to society. Being in the military is certainly honorable, but it is not the only road to honor.
Well said. I’m tired off these well-intentioned but misguided efforts to put veterans in a special category. It’s almost as if they want to create a presumption that every veteran is a potential nutcase.
I 100% support the brave men and women that give of themselves, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice, to defend this sad sad country. I do NOT however think that is a reason to give these men and women a permission slip to break the law, commit violent crimes and possibly even murder, with the vail of PTSD or being a Veteran that will protect them from the same laws we ALL face. Havent we learned anything by some of the poor responses the military has shown to handling thier own problems within the amed services. Many reports of abuse, hazing, sexualy assault, and finally, murder or treason as recent cases have shown. These men face Courmarshals in the military, but you are saying now that when they get out they deserve to be treated BETTER than a regular civilian….Sorry…but the military is VOLUNTARY…at least for now…and special priveleges regarding crimes should NEVER be allowed regardless.
The military only handles things when it thinks that it will get bad press, or someone in the higher chain of command thinks that they will have reprimands on their record or lose their position. After a while it goes away then it’s back to business as usual.
The pentagon might say that they encourage troops to seek help for mental health issues but that’s a load of cow patties. Seeking help is a career killer, let’s be honest about that. Anyone that says otherwise needs to stop drinking the Kool-Aid.
It’s up to the individual to seek help. If a family member or friend notices that someone is behaving strangely they need to step up and get the guy some help as well. in the end though, it’s our own responsibility to take care of ourselves. None of us were drafted life those that came before us. Yeah war sucks but we all know that. Christ I am so thankful that i’m not old enough to have served in Vietnam. Talk about a raw deal all the way around. Get drafted, then come home to get spit on.
We still have not heard what will become of the cop who felt compelled to take this decorated veterans’ life. He could have used a Taser, but instead ventilated this young man four or five times. If we continue to let these lawmen be judge, jury, and executioner, there will be more unnecessary “incidents”. Tell this guys’ family that this was just an “incident”.
While our system of laws is predicated on a single justice system for criminal behavior, we have serious unmet needs as a society in dealing with the repercussions of military service, especially during war time. Something clearly needs to be done as the statistics on how our brave returning soldiers fair after they return are cause for concern. Homelessness, suicide, depressive illness and post traumatic stress are the realities of the high price we pay for military engagement. It seems that intervention by the courts should be viewed as a last resort. Since the plight of the returning veteran is well known, we should seek much more proactive approaches. Why wait until it escalates to the point that more lives have been destroyed? We should significantly increase mental health services to veterans as a matter of course.
In 2005, a large study of returning vets revealed that 20% suffered some form of psychologically debilitating illness. Of those, more than 60% did not seek treatment. This makes it clear that we have thousands of people suffering who are not obtaining the care they need. Many resort to drugs and alcohol, others suffer quietly in their own ways.
I am not convinced that this court approach is the best way to mitigate the problem. It seems more appropriate to me to improve direct outreach and support for all returning vets. This will be expensive. The true costs of war are high. We must not let our pre-occupation with austerity cause us to leave those who have sacrificed the most for us to suffer. We should be working to enhance the VA and community support programs and families of veterans to make help as readily available as possible. Mental illness has a stigma that keeps the affected out of care. We must all do our part to make the statement that it is alright to ask for help, because we understand and appreciate their service. Stand up for veterans when you get the chance.
Regardless of your position on the wars they served in, their selfless dedication should be met with our tireless advocacy.
a crime is a crime is a crime is a crime….
be accountable for your actions, you signed up to be a soldier, that comes with lots of not so good stuff, no draft any more, you have to be held accountable for your actions….
This sounds like special rights. What if your a gay, handicap veteran and you kill somebody? You should probably do less time. If you have a lisp, you should immediately get another sentence reduction. And, {drum roll} if you are african american, or indian, and a female, you should actually get money from the State for committing the crime.
Vets should receive proper treatment for whatever their problems are when they return from war. They are in the middle of things that no one should have to face. Seeing your friends or anyone killed is traumatic, and having to kill someone yourself can’t be a pleasant thing to have to do. The country pays to train them for war, it should pay for them to get well for as long as it takes.
How about we keep sentencing guidelines the same and EQUAL for ALL, and stop neglecting our veterans!
Isn’t Drug Court being defunded because of it’s lack of result?
Don’t segregate veterans, and please stop calling them “heroes” just because they’re veterans.
I can only speak for myself but I find it very unsettling to be even thanked for my service. I become very very embarrassed and think only of getting out of that situation.
I have been out for a few years now and have only worn my uniform a couple of times. The last time was for the Zimmerman proccession as it passed through Island Falls. Now that man was a hero.
A few years ago I took care of a gentleman that was a recipient of the Medal Of Honor. He said that the real heroes were his friends that didn’t come home. I believe that as well. If a survey was done today of all living combat veteran’s in the United States, I bet the answer would be the same.
My unit made it home from our first deployment basically without a scratch. Year two someone from my first trip to Iraq was killed south of where I was stationed.
Just my two cents for what it’s worth.
One last thing, I do think that these young men and women(and some of us weren’t so young on our deployments) need to be taken care of a whole lot better than they have been. it’s been a problem for decades. And even though it’s an all volunteer force now I do understand that there are many many troops that may not have all of the coping skills that come with age and experience. We join for God and Country or whatever but war shreds those illusions pretty quick.
I know exactly what you mean when someone finds out you’re a vet and thanks you for your service. I think it’s kind of weird and makes me feel uncomfortable, too. It’s a recent thing, nothing like when I came home from Vietnam in 67
My father and step father are both Vietnam Veteran’s. My mothers husband spent four years there. Welcome home.
OK you stop calling them heroes, But I will, along with a snappy salute
I feel our vets. coming back from this war will have so many problems dealing with everyone around them. I watched my husband came back from this war and just to be in walmart and a ballon popped in the store and he hit the floor?????. Fourth of July hasn’t been the same for us any longer either . They our vets coming back with so many problems adding a special law for them will not help them . Alot of our Vets. will not seek help in fear they with lose everything ,Rank, Retirement etc. But most important There one thing that means the most to them is there Pride. My heart goes out to all Vets pass and present and how they deal with everyday back home. Thank you My Veterans
1% serve our country so everyone can have their opinion. 42 years ago I got my tbi. everyone has an opinion about PTSD. Not everyone was there see what that looks like. I volunteered to serve just like these soldiers today. I never felt like I should be treated as better than anyone. Then, I have to fight to be treated!! We lost another American soldier. One Nation Under God
Use a military court since the problem originated in the military with a military mind; make them deal with the consequences of their own making. This is a reasonable solution.