CBS News and Kimberly Dozier on PTSD

I was first contacted about this soldier back in December, as the soldiers mother had contacted llbear on how to help her son. He had been deployed to Iraq and was having mental health issues. The Army chain of command had broken their promises to him, and instead of helping him, were trying to throw him out of the Army with no benefits, because of actions he had done upon return to the states.

Those of us who deal with PTSD know that many troops or veterans turn to booze or drugs in trying to deal with the demons that won't let you think, sleep or be "normal". They call it "self medicating" a lot of soldiers refuse to seek treatment due to the problems it will cause on thier job, they remain in denial. Not this young man, he sought help, was being treated and that is when the problems started.

His Company Commander doesn't believe in PTSD, so the problems started, they lied to him about a medical discharge, about not having to participate in combat training at NTC, Fort Irwin etc, he was having real problems, they took away his medication that had been prescribed by Army doctors, etc. Things you just would not believe possible, yet they did them any way. The Company Commander decided he was going to throw him out on one of the "Personality Disorder Discharges" for his problems after returning to the base from Iraq.

CBS News did this interview with him that aired last night

Twenty-two year old combat medic Jonathan Norrell volunteered for every mission during his year in Iraq.

He was bombed, ambushed, treating wounded under fire - and the memories still haunt him, CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier reports."The things that affected me the most weren't the IEDs, which I went through six or seven of, and all the firefights, and all the combat," Norrell said. "It was the psychological stuff, the people I failed to help."

By the time he came off his tour of duty he was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: anxiety, sleeplessness, flashbacks. Military doctors recommended immediate discharge and treatment but the command refused.Instead they forced him into combat training exercises. He turned to drugs and alcohol."I just lost it," Norrell said. "I didn't wanna do it anymore."

I talked with Jonathon for about an hour just before New Years after llbear gave him my phone number, I talked to him about seeking help, thru the VA and his Chain of Command, but don't let them put him out on a bad discharge, I know he wanted out, but just taking the bad paper, would cause him problems for the rest of his life.

I feel if they broke him, then they owed him for the damage. Myself, I coped with the symptoms of PTSD from Feb 1975 until I completely melted down in October 2002, there wasn't enough booze or drugs to stop the demons anymore.

I contacted Carissa Picard of Military Spouses for Change as she was at Fort Hood, where Jonathon was stationed, I also contacted Annette McLeod she was the wife of the soldier hurt in Iraq that testified to the Congressional Oversight Hearings conducted at Walter Reed by Congressman Waxman.

When Annette calls people now, things happen, between her and Carissa's intervention they managed to get the Surgeon General of the Army LTG Schoomaker involved in this, and when he got to the bottom of it, he had Jonathon transferred to the Warrior Tansition unit at Fort Hood, for medical help and the proper medical discharge he deserves, not to become one of the other 22,500 PDO discharges that the Army has given out since the Iraq War began.

I SALUTE CBS and Kimberly Dozier for reporting this story, but the real hero's of this story are Carissa Picard and Annette Mcleod, it's amazing what a few outstanding women can accomplish.

I am glad that this has turned out right for Jonathon, I know his mother was worried sick over him, and I really am glad for fellow vets like LLbear and Jim Staro.

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