Soldier Questions Help For Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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By Nick Beres

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - A soldier at Fort Campbell said the post does not do enough to help soldiers deal with mental stress.

Army Spc. Adam Lichman, 25, spoke out about his concerns one day before the mass shooting at Ft. Hood in Texas. After that incident people nationwide joined Lichman in asking: How does the military deal with troubled soldiers?

Lichman joined the Army in 2006 and served 14 months in Iraq. In that time he was shot by a sniper, and his humvee was hit by an anti-tank grenade. The force of the blast knocked Lichman out cold.

"The guys in my humvee thought I was dead because the explosion blew up a whole case of water, and they felt wetness everywhere," said Lichman.

Lichman's fellow soldiers thought the water was his blood, but the 25-year-old survived without a scratch - at least on the surface. He returned to Ft. Campbell with post traumatic stress disorder.

"You're paranoid all the time. I don't like being around a lot of people," said Lichman.

Despite his condition, Lichman said his commanders still pushed him to participate in live fire drills on post.

"The last few times I had gone out, I felt a lot of anxiety. It got so bad I'd go hide under my hutch and just curl up shaking," said Lichman.

Earlier in 2009, Fort Campbell took the unusual step of ceasing normal operations after 14 suicides occurred in the first 5 months of the year.

The post focused on helping soldiers with stress by providing help, but Lichman said he and other soldiers were hesitant to seek available treatment because they know their commanders want tough guys.

"As soon as you go to mental health you get the label - this stigma that goes with it. You can kiss your career goodbye," said Lichman.

Lichman said he believes the military needs to do a better job supporting troubled soldiers by taking away the stigma of treatment.

"You shouldn't join the Army, go overseas and then have issues the rest of your life with little or no help," said Lichman.

Lichman also said that he knows many soldiers who successfully sought help at Fort Campbell, but he also knows others who tried to kill themselves because they felt they had no way out.

So what did Ft. Campbell have to say?

For one, officials said seeking help will not cost anyone their military career, and Maj. Gen. John Campbell said he expects the command structure to support any soldier who needs help.

Fort Campbell offers Military Family Life Consultants, who are counselors that meet soldiers off-post, in private.

In the past six months, Fort Campbell reported a dramatic drop in suicides.

e-mail: nberes@newschannel5.com