War's toll on troops revealed in survey [View All]

[norml]

October 19, 2005

War's toll on troops revealed in survey
More than 1 in 4 require medical or mental treatment after coming home


By Gregg Zoroya
USA Today
More than one in four U.S. troops have come home from Iraq with health problems that require medical or mental health treatment, according to the Pentagon's first detailed screening of servicemembers leaving a war zone.

Almost 1,700 servicemembers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom this year said they harbored thoughts of hurting themselves or might be better off dead. More than 250 said they had such thoughts "a lot." Nearly 20,000 reported nightmares or unwanted war recollections; more than 3,700 admitted having concerns that they might "hurt or lose control" with someone else.


Overall, since the war began, about 28 percent of Iraq veterans -- roughly 50,000 troops this year alone -- returned with ailments ranging from lingering battle wounds to toothaches, from suicidal thoughts to strained marriages. The figure dwarfs the often-quoted Iraq casualty count: 1,980 American troops dead and 15,220 wounded through Tuesday.

Some survey results, which have not been publicly released, were provided to USA Today by the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine.

After a more conventional phase of fighting in 2003, more soldiers and Marines surveyed in 2004 and 2005 said they felt in "great danger" of being killed. Twice as many said they fired a weapon in combat.


snip


http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051019/NEWS06/510190403/1012/NEWS06