Surprise! Sequester Cuts Affect Mental Health for Vets

So the planned furloughs for some 650,000 civilian workers at the Department of Defense have begun. Roughly speaking, this will mean about a 20 percent cut in each paycheck until September. This is supposed to save the Pentagon $1.8 billion, which is a drop in the bucket in the savings they are supposed to be making elsewhere (and could be — like in runaway health care and retirement costs, over-extended and unnecessary weapons programs, rampant redundancies and war waste) in the budget. But putting workers on the chopping block appears to be the politically expedient way for the Pentagon to get headlines in protest of sequester, and really, who cares about civilian pay anyway? They’re just federal drones who probably make more money than they deserve, right? pentagon2

Well, truth is, while Planet DoD may have created too many jobs sucking up our dwindling taxpayer resources, the civilian jobs range from the executive all the way down to the secretary, with every pay scale in between. They also include, as we’re reading today, mental health care providers for servicemembers suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). From Stars and Stripes today:

Due to sequestration, furloughs that affected a variety of civil service employees including behavioral and mental health providers began last week. The mental health directorate of Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune sees more than 1,500 patients between civil service employees, active duty service members and contract employees. Prior to the furloughs civil service employees accounted for 425 of those appointments. Now they will only be able to render 365.

“My provider is a civilian facing furlough,” (Cpl. Eric )Smith said. “Before the furloughs she wanted to see me once every 10 days, but that couldn’t happen because of her patient load. Now the furlough is just going to push my treatment days even further apart.”

Smith, who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury during one of his two deployments to Afghanistan, was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder in 2010.

Smith compared a cognitive therapy group he attends to Alcoholics Anonymous but for service members suffering from PTSD — and says it has been the most therapeutic treatment he has been afforded.

“I’m not nervous about what will happen to me with these furloughs — I’m over the hump in treatment,” Smith said. “I’m worried about the one’s just starting out. They’re the one’s we need to watch out for.”

As this one writer points out, the size of the civilian workforce has gotten out of control. We know that, and something needs to be done about it before we can bring the defense budget back into balance with reality. But it would seem there is no serious plan for reducing it in any practical way that tackles real waste and redundancy first, while protecting individuals from abrupt financial strain and from losing necessary services to boot. As this story today about one of the latest soldier-suicides suggests, politically expedient Band Aids may not have quite the effect the spinmeisters in the E-Ring were looking for. In fact, in some quarters, it may make things a whole lot worse.

 

 

61 thoughts on “Surprise! Sequester Cuts Affect Mental Health for Vets”

  1. Pingback: Surprise! Sequester Cuts Affect Mental Health for Vets – Antiwar.com (blog) | Health News

  2. Smith, who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury during one of his two deployments to Afghanistan, was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder in 2010.

  3. The prize was given for Baptist Health Lexington’s execution of guaranteeing action sufferers receive treatment according to nationwide approved recommendations, according to a launch from the medical center.

  5. Physician assistant you are right and also I agree with your argument. Great post ! I really like this site. Lot of information about this site. And also check this link, Because this is too much greatly helpful for the interested people.

  6. Thanks because of this wonderful post the following, you recognize of which health insurance and it is health issues are crucial to reside healthful living. Make sure you pay a visit to buyusapeptides to learn more and also assist.

  7. Appreciate it due to this wonderful content the following, you realize that will health insurance and it is physical fitness issues are very important to call home wholesome existence. Remember to check out southchicagoveins to learn more in addition to support.

    1. Yeah i agree with you that fitness issues are very important to call home wholesome existence. I liked the article and the comment by you also. Thanks

  8. Thank you for some other excellent post. The place else may just anybody get that type of info in such a perfect way of writing? I’ve a presentation subsequent week, and I’m on the search for such information.

  10. Thank you for some other excellent post. Awesome post, really like this a bunch of information for the interested people. Brain injury is the very serious cause of the human life.

  14. The huge political impacts of the leaked NSA documents account for just part of the explanation. Snowden’s choice was ultimately personal. He decided to take big risks on behalf of big truths; he showed how easy and hazardous such a step can be.

  15. Well I was actually going through the nice helpful tips from the blog and I put respect to the writer of this post, enjoying the smart way you write articles

  16. OPEN MULTIPLE URL'S WITH JUST ONE CLICK
    BEST SEO TOOL NOW YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORRIED ABOUT OPENING VARIOUS

    URL'S WITH THE SINGLE CLICK OF YOUR MOUSE BUTTON. THE

    FAST URL OPENER CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE THIS GOAL AND

    SAVE YOU SOMETIME AND BOTHERATION OF CLICKING THE

    MOUSE KEYS AGAIN AND AGAIN.
    ENJOY THE WONDERS OF FAST URL OPENER AND SAVE TIME

  19. Thank you pertaining to expressing wonderful data. Suggestions easiest way in your case. purchase peptides from believe in Peptide Labs. This site offers this 100% good quality investigation peptides to buy having highest solitude as well as comfort.

  20. For mothers of slain soldiers, there are only little pictures: their lost child smiling at 10 months in his high chair; riding his first bike without training wheels;

  21. Milan – June 18, 1967 at Caserta), who was a racing driver from Italy. A talented driver in the Italian lower formulae, he also participated in 3 Formula One Italian Grands Prix from 1964-66, world of warcraft items

  22. Thanks for the post. This is very good article and very informative. I should try to remember those information's. I really enjoyed with this article. Keep posting. I am waiting for your new post. Thank you again.

  24. ????? ????? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??????? ????? ????? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ???? ??????? ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ????? ??????? ???? ?? ???? ????????? ????? ?????? ???? ???????? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??????? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??? ?? ??? ?? ???? ???? ????? ??? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ??????? ,,,, :::::

  25. Word of love and appreciation and greeting fulfillment and private
    Greeting fill all the meanings of brotherhood and friendship
    Greetings from the Heart to Heart
    Thank you with all my heart poio

  27. Because Americans don't respect other nation's soveriegnty, someday other nations will interfere in our country all they want to and we won't be able to do a thing about it. Penis Advantage EBook

  28. Hey it's a nice post you got here and I enjoyed reading about anti-war article.I hope to find some nice news here. And of course I bookmarked it, Thank you for sharing!! twitter USA accounts

  30. These are positive steps toward the cessation of open-burn pit operations. However, if the base incinerators were used to their full capacity,hauling trash off-site may not be necessary. outdoor security lighting

  31. I appreciate everything you have added to my knowledge base.Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you offer.Thanks. High PR Blog comments

  34. So I guess we should take care of it because it is the way and the ability to lead a ful?lling life. And Our mental health is better at some times than others…

  36. I check CF Blog everyday: It nourishes me. Yes, the feeling is quite physical. Reading a post here feels like the end of a yoga session, a light but delightful meal, a sweet tender conconut juice. Also, I don't use RSS to accumulate all I read routinely. I prefer to *walk* to the sites – feels like paying respect to the site. sr22 auto insurance

  38. Excellently written article, if only all bloggers offered the same level of content as you, the internet would be a much better place. Please keep it up! fidelity life

  40. When all the aidWhen all the aid; military, etc is tolled, they get billions every ywar. In fact, they get more foreign aid than all the foreign aid we send to other countries combined. mannequin leg

  42. I found this board and I in finding It truly helpful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to present something back and help others such as you helped me…. car wash reviews

  43. I am really enjoying reading your well written articles. It looks like you spend a lot of effort and time on your blog. I have bookmarked it and I am looking forward to reading new articles…fantasyballblogger.com

Comments are closed.

viewpoint highlights
breaking news
© 2024 Antiwar.com. All rights reserved.
Antiwar.com Blog Stock Photos provided by our partner Depositphotos