Wounded in need of care, not gongs
SINCE leaving the Army after ten years’ service Prince Harry has proved to be an admirable champion of our wounded military personnel. comrades? And wouldn’t we need different classes of medal – like the categorisation of competitors in the paralympic games?
Because how do you equate the suffering of a broken finger with the amputation of three limbs, or brain damage with whiplash?
And then there’s posttraumatic stress disorder ( PTSD) a condition still misunderstood and mired in stigma – despite cases reaching record levels as Afghanistan and Iraq veterans start to experience symptoms and seek help.
Will a homeless ex-squaddie who’s lost everything because of trauma-induced mental health issues have to prove his “wound” to an honours panel before being given a gong?
Because scores of PTSD sufferers ARE struggling to convince the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme that their invisible wounds are real.
I salute the bravery and commitment of all our men and women on the front line and am humbled that they serve in our name.
I just think they deserve far more t han a t oken of our thanks.
They deserve the best possible support when they leave the forces – medical and social care, housingg and jobs.
The US may have its Purple Hearts – some two million of them have been n awarded since 1932 – but it also has a Department of Veteran Affairs.
Its 345,000 employees supportt veterans, their families and survivors at t hundreds of medical facilities and ben- efits offices.
And this year it has a budget of f $182 billion – £137billion.
Here in Blighty, cases of PTSD D continue to rise – and the charity Combatt Stress is worried.
Its medical director said recently: “It’s the tip of the iceberg. And if it is a big iceberg, we are going to be overwhelmed. We need funds, we need help, from any direction.”
So before we start handing out medals to our wounded warriors, let’s concentrate on helping those whose wounds still need tending. Isn’t that a better way to honour them?