Plasters for Bullet Wounds..

(opinion) 5000,- euro.. My first thought, it's not enough to compensate a systematic drug or therapist, or sufficient as damage compensation. Some veterans responded with "Too little, too late".

From 90-95 I worked in a Dutch medical army unit. In these years we saw thousands of soldiers who went on mission to Iraq and former Yugoslavia or Bosnia. Even 50% of my medical staff went on mission. The first went on reconnaissance, preparatory and construction missions in February 1991 and returned already June, July and August of that year. Under the medical post we had a very large basement. Here I had transformed one space into a kind of meeting place. Tables, chairs, stereo. We often sat here, talking, with a beer. At the moment I left, the army has already said 7 times that I have to go to Bosnia. I do not want to go. At the same time, in 93 the transformation of our army - consisting of 45,000 voluntary professionals and 40,000 conscripts - into a voluntary professional army began. This created extra pressure for the professional soldiers who suddenly had to go on a mission 2 or 3 in a row, even in 1 year. When our soldiers got in trouble in '95, I have a custom paint/tattoo company, with an former army comrade. We see the news, look at each other. We actually wanted to get our guns back and go help 'our boys'.

Now, soldiers going on missions come to the doctors post, to get vaccinations, a blood pressure measurement, they must urinate on a detection strip and complete a medical questionnaire. If anything pops up, I have to notify the doctor. Upon return, the soldier has do the same. After 3, 4 or 6 months, the soldier will receive a questionnaire at his home address. On my desk was a chain-form with all the names. I checked who had returned his questionnaire. In April '92 I warned, that the 'after-care list' (questionnaire, structured - psychological complaints) was not returned by 50% of the soldiers. My boss, a doctor said: Not our responsibility, submit to the command. I said: Don't we have to go and check behind the front door ?. Doctor responds with: Yes you are right.. but it is not our responsibility, submit". After this, this stuck to me. PTSD became one of my 'study interests', partly because I have c-ptsd myself.

In 98 the first reports appear in the newspapers of Ministry of Defense: "only 2.6% of the deployed soldiers get psychological complaints". Immediately I think: this is not correct, you miss half the data. Besides, for example, if a soldier is drinking at home and beats his wife and children in between, will he answer that honestly on that questionnaire ?. Or worse, imagine that his partner has secretly filled in the questionnaire very positively, to "keep the peace at home".

A classic battle with an former employer ?. No, it is about recognition of the employer for the trauma, danger and the long term consequences thereof. As with the police, management does not want to accept the fact that minor to more serious complaints, such as psychological complaints up to PTSD, occur in 60 to 70%. Less than two years ago, at an induction meeting of veteran-volunteers, I am again confronted with a survey by an institute for veterans, where it is again said that only 2.6% of deployed soldiers develop psychological complaints. I'm just about to explode and tell the man with facts from other investigations. An independent survey of veterans, done by an acquaintance, showed that 70% of the veterans, because of this dismissive attitude of the army, have a love-hate relationship with the (former) employer. Now, some might think: "you became professional soldier, you knew it was war". No, people were lured with ''humanitarian mission''. They went to protect people, were not authorized to use force or violence, there was no air support and politicians responded too little, too late.