I have been reading a lot more about our military veterans returning from the Middle East that are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The Department of Military Affairs reports that 170,000 troops have been diagnosed with the disorder. There are most likely many more that have not been diagnosed and will go untreated.
Without getting into all the complexities of PTSD, as there are plenty of resources available to learn more about it, I wanted to highlight one related issue, which is PTSD as a defense for veterans accused of committing crimes, and the establishment of Veteran’s Court to deal with this problem more appropriately.
It is one thing to be deployed abroad to defend your country during wartime, especially for veterans serving multiple tours. It is another problem for them to come home and readjust to civilian life unable to leave the wartime experiences behind, a separate battle altogether. Imagine in many circumstances where you join the military at 18 years of age and spend the next 10 years of your life off and on being deployed in a battle zone; this is almost half of your life. Or, even an older veteran with an established career - civilian or military - and a family, sent overseas for a long period of time to defend a nation, or several for that matter. We have all seen the sad stories concerning the tolls war has taken on our active military members and their families. Now complicate the situation more with a veteran being charged with a crime, some that involve the taking of lives.
Finally our government has taken a step in the right direction. Just like Courts established do deal with mental health issues, we now have Courts to handle veterans charged with crimes. This process allows defense attorneys, prosecutors, and healthcare professionals to work towards a common goal in recognizing the underline issues such as PTSD, that most likely caused a veteran to engage in criminal behavior, and give them an opportunity to enter programs that provide treatment to help prevent them from re-entering the criminal justice system. These Courts have been showing success, and more are expected to open throughout the country.
As a private investigator, I have been on defense teams where the clients represented where Middle East war veterans. As a police investigator, I have investigated veteran suicides, another growing epidemic among our veterans. I have always held the members of our armed forces in the highest regard. Working cases that involve them gives me a great deal more insight into the life they live and, if possible, a newfound appreciation for their sacrifices, and those made by their families. I am glad our Courts are taking the right approach and giving our veterans some hope in the appropriate cases, by allowing them the ability to recover and put their lives back in order, the least our government can do for the bravest people on earth. They deserve it.
It only makes you wonder what impact Courts like this could’ve had on Vietnam veterans, many who still struggle today; we owe it to them.
Thanks to all our veterans, past and present.
Reichart & Associates Investigative Services, LLC
Philadelphia Private Investigators
Serving Reading, Philadelphia, Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Schuylkill, Pottstown, Chester, Pottsville, Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, Harrisburg and all of eastern Pennsylvania.
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