Dear Honorable (Name of Senator or Congressman)

I am concerned about the lack of meaningful investigation of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affecting our service-members returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Veterans of past conflicts (Korea, Vietnam, Mogadishu, etc) are being ignored as well.

I implore you to become actively involved in remedying this atrocious oversight by our national leaders. If you will review the number of suicides committed by personnel returning from the war zones in the past four years, you will readily find cause for urgent action.

Make no doubt about this malady. People suffer tremendous bouts of anxiety and self-doubt. They question themselves and their battlefield conduct. Many become homeless and waste away in despondency. As a last resort to become free of the torment, they commit suicide. Here are two such instances:

Jonathan J. Schulze: See: http://nam-vet.net/ptsdiwojimo.htm

Dwight H. Johnson: See: http://nam-vet.net/ptsdiwojimo.htm

One served in Iraq, the second in Vietnam. We have others to relay to you, but this is sufficient to get the message across.

A major reason for these affected personnel escaping identification and treatment is the stigma attached to volunteering information which questions a person's fitness for service, ie.. they see themselves as inferior and refuse to compromise their standing before their leaders. Also, they think they are unique - undeserving of being branded "damaged goods!" Therefore, they lie on the PTSD Checklist - Military Version (PCL-M) - The questionnaire currently used to help medical personnel to evaluate returnees.

Surely, you're aware of the Walter Reed fiasco. The treatment of PTSD is no less lacking. Our representatives say they are supporting the troops, and then they refuse to become involved in welcoming them back home with adequate medical care and mental rehabilitation. That must cease!

In the case of Jonathan J. Schulze, the VA failed to recognize the seriousness attendant to his pleas for help. There were procedures to place him in a treatment center, but they were loathe to do so. The term PTSD was coined in 1980, therefore, Specialist Johnson suffered due to lack of knowledge. Corporal Schulze reported to a VA facility with no excuse for failing to render immediate treatment!

I again implore you to become involved. Please use all of your powers and expertise to engender immediate action on behalf of our suffering service-members. Please, do not let them down.

Sincerely,

(use a signature block of your choosing)