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MENTALLY UNFIT, STILL FIGHTING Gaps In Mental Health Screenings Still Haunt Military Little Progress In Expanding Screenings By MATTHEW KAUFFMAN | The Hartford Courant May 12, 2009 Chad Barrett had attempted suicide and was suffering post-traumatic stress disorder by the time his unit prepared for a third combat tour in Iraq. A psychiatrist had recommended the staff sergeant be separated from the military for his own good, but Barrett wanted to stay with his Army colleagues. And when it came time for deployment, Army commanders were happy to oblige. Barrett, who had spent a dozen years in the Army, shipped out in December 2007 with prescription bottles of Klonopin for anxiety, Pamelor for depression and migraines, and Lunesta and Ambien for sleep problems. But the drugs did not control his despair and mood swings. And less than two months after arriving in Iraq, Barrett popped open some of the bottles and committed suicide by overdose. He was 35.

Every step of progress in tackling paralysis has been hard won. One of the early demonstrations that it may be possible emerged in 2003, when José Carmena, then at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, successfully created an interface between brain and machine that allowed his lab monkeys to play a computer game using only their minds.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today that the Pentagon would pay for families to travel to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware if they want to be present when the body or remains of a loved one is returned from war.\n\nMr. Gates announced last month that the Pentagon was reversing its longstanding policy of barring media coverage during the repatriation of fallen soldiers at Dover. He said then, and reiterated today at a news conference, which the Pentagon's Web site streamed live, that the decision about media coverage would be up to each family.

The military will phase out its "stop-loss" program, the contentious practice of holding troops beyond the end of their enlistments, for all but extraordinary situations, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced Wednesday. Instead, the military will use incentives programs to encourage personnel to extend their service. Starting this month, the department will provide "special compensation of $500 per month" to troops whose tour has been extended, Gates said. "This special compensation will be applied retroactively to October 1, 2008, the date when Congress first made it available."

"Part of it, I think, is because we don't have what it takes to offer to young vets," Bogan said. "They're looking for places with Wi-Fi (wireless Internet service) so they can sit down and do laptops. A lot of posts don't have this facility. They're just not into shooting pool. They'd rather play video games or use their laptops." The ambience of American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars halls doesn't appeal to young veterans, said Karl P. Karl, director of the Veterans Transition Center in Marina. Some of the turnoffs, he said, include drinking in the lounge - "many younger vets want a clean, sober environment" - a feeling among young veterans that they aren't welcome, and infighting within and fragmentation of veterans' organizations.

Last week, another Army general, this time Army Maj. Gen. Mark Graham, entered this category, coming forward to share his personal experience with the stigma of suicide following his son's 2003 suicide. In his efforts, which must be personally and professionally trying, we can see the elements of wisdom at work.