Cmdr. Charles Benson is helping oversee the psychological care of a Camp Pendleton unit that had more casualties than any other in the 10-year war in Afghanistan. Benson is pictured during his recent deployment to the Marine Corps' Camp Leatherneck in the Helmand province. (Courtesy photo)
Shortly after my previous post about honoring the fallen Marines and sailors at Camp Pendleton, I read this North County Times piece:
Nearly 100 troops from a Camp Pendleton battalion that suffered more casualties than any other in the 10-year-old war in Afghanistan are set to receive post-combat psychological help, according to a Navy psychiatrist.
The Navy is apparently working on being able to intervene sooner when there are signs of problems.
This all comes on the heels of a depressing report on the level of psychological stress suffered by our troops over the last 5 years. From USA Today:
U.S. troops fighting in Afghanistan are experiencing some of the greatest psychological stress and lowest morale in five years of fighting, reports a military study.
“We’re an Army that’s in uncharted territory here,” says Gen. Peter Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff, who has focused on combat stress. “We have never fought for this long with an all-volunteer force that’s 1% of the population.”
So many dead and so many wounded.
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