The incident in Alpine this week in which Michael Foster, a U.S. Army combat veteran who was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and having flashbacks, held a gun to his wife's head, fired shots inside his house and was subsequently shot five times by a SWAT team, but survived, didn't surprise Michael Sloan.
Sloan, a highly decorated Vietnam veteran who was diagnosed with PTSD himself, co-founded American Combat Veterans of War (ACVOW) in 2001 with fellow decorated Vietnam veteran Bill Rider. ACVOW has since helped thousands of combat veterans cope with combat stress. Sloan says the incident in Alpine just illustrates what combat stress can do to a man.
"He (Foster) was clearly on a roller coaster to hell and maybe now he can get the help he so badly needs," suggests Sloan. "If you do not deal with PTSD in a timely, safe manner it will kill you. It's hard to admit weakness when you're a warrior. I'm sure by the time he (Foster) reached the point where he started shooting in his own home, he felt entirely alone."
Foster's wife Kim Foster told NBC39 last night , and a host of people who know Michael told reporters this week, that he is a kind, decent man - a hero, not a villain, who is perpetually haunted by demons from combat and suffers "survivor's guilt" because he lived and several of his Army buddies did not. She also said what happened to Michael this week was a blessing in disguise.
"I agree that this could be a blessing in disguise for him and his family," says Sloan, who adds that he's surprised things like this don't happen more often. "Unfortunately, too often the first line of treatment for warriors diagnosed with PTSD is to just put them on medication," he says. "They just put you on these drugs that they don't even know will work, and they usually don't work. They're just replacing the addiction to adrenaline you get in combat with another addiction, drugs. They're even giving guys these drugs while guys are still in combat now, and that is scary. When I hear stories like the one in Alpine this week, it angers me so much I almost see red. It's just another example of a veteran who slipped through the cracks. I fear that we are going to see more and more of this type of thing as more troops come back from Iraq and Afghanistan. The suicide and homelessness rates are already skyrocketing."
Sloan didn't know Foster personally, but he is convinced that he did not get the psychological assistance he needed and deserved: "There is a way out. I came back with severe PTSD and if I hadn't met Bill (Rider) I'd be dead. It took me years to come to terms with what I saw and did in Vietnam. There is hope. We see people every day who are going through the same things Michael Foster is evidently going through. And they get help here."
ACVOW offers such services as the Safe Warrior Outreach Program, a weekly meeting where veterans and active duty personnel come together and work through combat related stress or post traumatic stress. At the meeting, you will immediately realize that you are not alone. Your support will come from other combat veterans--people who share your experiences. All veterans and active duty military personnel are invited to attend these group sessions. The meetings are led by Tim Jordan, a Marine veteran of Operation Desert Storm, each Thursday in Oceanside.
Attendees talk about whatever is on their mind and often work through post traumatic stress related issues with other veterans. To enquire about the Safe Warrior Outreach Program call 858-552-7501 or just come to a meeting. They meet every Wednesday evening at 1900 hrs at 2111 Geneva St., Suite 100 Oceanside, CA 92054. Pull into the driveway and park in the rear. Go into the building and we are in the first room to your right. The meetings are open to all active duty and veteran military personnel.
ACVOW helps warriors and their families transition from the mental stresses of combat to civilian life, assists veterans in navigating through government bureaucracies such as the Veterans Administration to help with their adjustment, and serves as an advocacy organization which draws attention and awareness to combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress by reaching out not only to other veterans but to public officials, government representatives and the public at large.
ACVOW offers such services as the Safe Warrior Outreach Program, a weekly meeting where veterans and active duty personnel come together and work through combat related stress or post traumatic stress. At the meeting, you will immediately realize that you are not alone. Your support will come from other combat veterans--people who share your experiences. All veterans and active duty military personnel are invited to attend these group sessions. The meetings are led by Tim Jordan, a Marine veteran of Operation Desert Storm, each Thursday in Oceanside.
Attendees talk about whatever is on their mind and often work through post traumatic stress related issues with other veterans. They meet every Wednesday evening at 1900 hrs at 2111 Geneva St., Suite 100 Oceanside, CA 92054. Pull into the driveway and park in the rear. Go into the building and we are in the first room to your right. The meetings are open to all active duty and veteran military personnel. If you, or someone you know, may be suffering from post-traumatic stress as a result of combat, please call ACVOW now at 858-552-7501.
