Those of you who have followed my PTSD blogs for the past few years probably aren't surprised at the events in Iraq today:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090511/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq

First, let's give the Pentagon a little credit...  At least they have tried to put in place "debriefing" programs and even addressed SOME "treatment" options for the PTSD that will inevitably result from the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld, et. al. policies which took us into the worst error in American military history.

But, as I've stated in previous blogs, PTSD was unfortunately easily predictable for those of us who know something about it.  Four tours in constant danger, seeing things that human beings should not have to see and doing things that human beings should not have to do WILL result in a percentage of those troops doing MORE things that human beings should not do and causing the average American to see MORE things that human beings should not have to see.

The truth is:  the story above should not have happened.  Taking it to the source, these are five more lives which ended as a direct result of the greed, arrogance and incompentence of the Bush/Cheney regime.

Another unfortunate fact about our system of CYA media will probably not see the forest for the trees when reporting on the future chaos in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  While the overthrow of the Pakistani government by a revived Taliban is probably inevitable, blame will be placed on the actions of the Obama administration instead of where they belong:  BUSH!

If the Bush administration hadn't taken their collective eyes off the ball and shifted our military might to an unnecessary, preemptive effort to GET "Daddy's" nemesis in Iraq the Taliban could have been completely eliminated in 2003.  But that's water under the bridge.  I've screamed against the hurricane of right wing pundits for years about what would result from those decisions.  Few have listened.

Now, we are entering the first stage of our country's fall into the consequences of PTSD. 

Don't be fooled by the spin that's about to occur in media about this being an isolated case.  It took me 40 years to seek treatment.  Some of these soldiers, sailors and marines will do the same.  There will be a terrible price to pay for Bush/Cheney for decades, generations.

Suicides, spousal and child abuse, alcoholism, drug abuse, violence which explodes on innocent American citizens, etc., etc., etc.

This is the beginning, America.  If you have the ability to help any of these veterans to readjust and deal with the horror of PTSD, do it.  Be politically active and vote for those who really CARE about these returning warriors.  Make sure they aren't swept under the rug of indifference that is likely to cover our country in the aftermath of Bush's "FOLLY."

Most importantly, NEVER forget that it's not the fault of the real victims of incompetent civilian leadership.  It wasn't our fault for the mistakes of Vietnam.  Don't let these current warriors suffer as we did without help of support until so many of us were beyond help or dead.

Please CARE!