Three senators have asked the Pentagon to open an investigation into allegations of inadequate treatment – and even punishment – of soldiers at Fort Carson who seek help or treatment for mental health problems after returning from Iraq.
The allegations were made by soldiers who said their superiors refused to allow them to seek treatment for mental health problems.
One was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California and Barack Obama of Illinois and Republican Kit Bond of Missouri said Thursday the soldier’s allegations, reported by National Public Radio, brought up a “grave concern” that service personnel weren’t receiving adequate treatment. In the report, two sergeants said they often refused to allow soldiers under their command to attend mental health treatment sessions.
“It is tremendously problematic that Fort Carson officials take it upon themselves to make medical determinations without input from mental health professionals,” the senators said in the letter to Dr.
William Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.
In the story, Winkenwerder said he would look into the soldiers’ allegations. He said the Pentagon is trying to ensure that all soldiers who need mental health care can receive it without fear of retaliation.
He also said he makes “no distinction between mental and physical health.” Besides asking for an investigation, the senators asked Winkenwerder to tell them whether commanders at Fort Carson, near Colorado Springs, have given a low priority to mental health treatment for soldiers suffering from service-connected mental health problems, and what plans there are to correct any such problem.
They also wanted to learn details about available mental health treatment for soldiers and how many soldiers at Fort Carson have sought treatment in the past four years, and how many have been diagnosed with PTSD after service in Iraq or Afghanistan.
