Fort Carson – Fort Carson has launched mandatory behavioral health training for all commissioned and noncommissioned officers to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and other combat stress injuries in troops.
Maj. Gen. Robert Mixon and Brig. Gen James Milano, Fort Carson’s two top generals, mandated the training to teach leaders how to recognize combat stress symptoms, access treatment and decrease the stigma associated with seeking mental-health treatment.
“If a soldier has a torn ACL (knee ligament), we’re going to send him to an orthopedic surgeon. If he has PTSD, we’re going to direct him to the right psychiatric help,” said Col. Jim Jaworski, Fort Carson’s garrison commander.
Jaworski spoke to about 150 soldiers Tuesday who gathered for the mandatory training that started two months ago. Every soldier who has gone to combat has received briefings about PTSD and has been screened for PTSD upon return from Iraq.
PTSD cases skyrocket
Every month, Fort Carson’s psychiatrists and psychologists treat 1,700 soldiers for combat-stress-related issues, including PTSD. The number of soldiers diagnosed with PTSD has risen from 32 cases in 2002 before the war started to 590 soldiers in 2006.
Col. Steven Knorr, a psychiatrist who is chief of behavioral health at Fort Carson, told leaders during training Tuesday that it has never been more important for leaders to know their soldiers and recognize changes in behavior, such as prolonged hyper-vigilance, avoidance of social circles, and sleep disorders.
Knorr said soldiers who receive mental-health care on the battlefield have a 99 percent chance of returning to duty, while soldiers who wait until they get to a combat support hospital for help have a 67 percent chance of returning to duty.
He told leaders to make screening upon return from Iraq and after 90 to 120 days mandatory for all soldiers.
“We need to convey the right message to soldiers about getting help. The key thing is: Getting help is OK, not getting help is not OK.”
Base under scrutiny
Fort Carson has come under scrutiny by the media and members of Congress after soldiers complained they were denied help, ostracized because they couldn’t cope with mental-health problems and discharged for misconduct that soldiers said was related to PTSD.
Jaworski said every soldier’s case is handled individually. “We are a discipline organization, and the Army is built on discipline and PTSD is not an excuse to do other things, so we have to do a balanced and logical approach on how you deal with every soldier,” he said.
Staff writer Erin Emery can be reached at 719-522-1360 or eemery@denverpost.com.
