First tour in the sandbox was back in?91. Then Kosovo. Then Afghanistan. Then 2nd and 3rd Iraqi extended visits.

All deployments came with seeing a rider named death on a pale horse and Hell followed with him, gliding over the moondust. Dogs and Cats, living together? Mass Hysteria! I have been shot at (a lot) and blown-up (close, but no cigar) and am familiar with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

Spent time at Camp Victory, Landstuhl, and Walter Reed in the Fender and Body Shops. Not recommended. You will never out-run their follow-up Internet surveys. Everyone gets head shrunk, in person or on-line (or both) before being released back into polite society. PTSD claims are skyrocketing over the last few years as the post 9/11 military generation starts aging out of service.

Never saw or heard anyone claim 100% PTSD back in the world AFTER separation, or redeployment to claim benefits that wasn?t a FOBBIT trying to game the system. Military pensions are taxed. VA disability payments are not. Once diagnosed at whatever percent disabled? the goal is to get a bump up to a 100 percent disability rating from the VA so they get a better monthly disability check (for life). The FOBBIT will then exaggerate his/her combat actions and responses in order to get a better (higher percentage) disability rating. The?gubberment? owes it to them.

A FOBBIT is a rear-echelon soldier, sailor, marine, airman that did his/her duties within the confines of a Forward Operating Base (FOB) that held a Quick Reaction Force and armed guards (other than themselves), and fixed defenses to protect them. These FOBs usually contained combat support and combat service support units at the brigade level or larger. They NEVER left the wire until it was time for leave or redeployment. They are a necessary evil that exist to support the shooters and the shooters exist to keep the FOBBITs safe and secure, what synergy!

Granted, the FOBBITs did come under rocket, mortar attacks and random small arms fire. It happened. They also had to wonder if the third-world supplied KBR contractor that was feeding them or doing their laundry, cutting their hair, manning the hajiishop, delivering the bottled water or sucking out the porta-lets was going to go?allahu akbar? and kill them. Could be traumatic.

But the FOBBITs weren?t getting too many IEDs inside the wire. The FOBBITs didn?t have to wonder if every new turned patch of dirt, abandoned bicycle, piece of cardboard, dead donkey, culvert, jersey barrier had an IED strapped behind, under or in it, and if so, who was over-watching and if there were secondaries set up on Route Irish.

The FOBBITs didn?t have to worry about every single vehicle that wasn?t manned by US, Limey, Aussie, or Tongan soldiers blowing up next to them. The FOBBITs didn?t have to worry if their terp was leading them down the valley of death as part of the 600.

The FOBBITs just had to claim they did and get the VA to believe them. Kaa-ching! Jackpot! WTFO?

Of course, if you have PTSD and didn?t get at least a general discharge (maybe due to your PTSD)? you are shit-out-of-luck in getting the VA to see or treat you (this may change in the future).