SBAND Seminar Materials 2013 Free Ethics: Echoes of War The Combat Veteran | Page 10

found  systemic  failures  in  mental  health  treatment  of  psychologically  injured  troops  at  Ft.   Carson,  Colorado.31    The  reports  found  a  pattern  by  leadership  of  denying  their  troops’   requests  for  treatment,  stigmatizing  those  who  were  getting  help  and  even  kicking  some   out  of  the  military.    The  reports  spurred  investigations  by  Congress  and  the  Department  of   Defense,  which  confirmed  remaining  flaws  in  the  military  mental  health  system.32     The  very  culture  of  the  military  is  also  an  issue.    Military  culture,  by  necessity,  puts   great  value  on  strength,  both  physical  and  mental.    Soldiers  sent  into  combat  face  the  most   horrific  experiences  imaginable.    Only  the  strong  survive.    Over  the  centuries,  military   training  has  become  ever  more  sophisticated  in  conditioning  troops  to  operate  effectively   and  complete  their  missions,  even  when  faced  with  imminent  death.    A  soldier’s  reputation   within  a  combat  unit  is  largely  based  on  how  “cool”  they  are  under  fire.       This  “warrior”  mindset  becomes  deeply  ingrained  and  many  psychologically  injured   warriors  deny  they  have  a  problem,  even  to  themselves.    The  RAND  Corporation  study,   cited  above,  found  that,  of  the  one  third  of  Iraq  and  Afghan  vets  who  admitted  PTSD  or  TBI-­? related  issues,  less  than  half  had  sought  help.    According  to  RAND,  those  veterans  who   declined  help  did  so  out  of  fear  that  they  will  lose  the  respect  of  their  comrades,  jeopardize   their  security  clearance,  or  harm  their  chances  of  promotion.33    Many  veterans  carry  this   value  system  with  them  even  after  they  leave  the  military  and  come  home.