Letter: Raising awareness of PTSD sufferers

The 'Vets Black Arm Band Day for PTSD” event is today.

Wear a black arm band to protest the poor treatment of PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, sufferers and other veterans and mental health sufferers in Iowa. A brief ceremony will be held 12:45 p.m. today at the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial on the south side of the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines.

We are holding the event in honor of Richard Miles. Miles is the PTSD veteran who froze to death last year in Des Moines Water Works Park. He was laid to rest on his birthday, which was March 23.

Nothing has changed since Miles was buried. In some ways they have become worse. Nationally, the VA has cut available counseling sessions in half - to 30 minutes - to stretch valuable counseling resources. This hurts their value.

In Iowa, six years ago Iowa had 90 beds dedicated to veterans with mental illness, to include PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Military Sexual Trauma. Today, there are 10 beds remaining to serve the needs of 5,000 post 9/11 veterans and 13,000 Vietnam era PTSD vets. Unserved veterans with PTSD or other mental health issues go into the pool with all other underserved Iowans with mental illness. In a state that should have 1,500 mental health beds to serve all our needs, we likely have around 600 today.

Join us in building awareness for PTSD and wartime issues of the mind. Don't leave these soldiers behind on the battlefield.

Bob Krause

President

Veterans National Recovery Center

Fairfield