POST COMBAT STRESS DISORDER (POST synonym "AFTER" - the word TRAUMA is inherent in the term "COMBAT;" - thus the term PCSD interprets - AFTER COMBAT TRAUMA STRESS DISORDER - THE MOST SERIOUS FORM OF WAR RELATED PTSD: )"PCSD" is a very serious wound in the form of a severe psychological disorder resulting from the direct clash of arms; the individual active participation in intense, prolonged, highly contested battle on one or more military operations; i.e. kill or be killed; direct engagement in the raw, bitter, bloody nature of war.
THE WARRIOR STANDARD
~ BASIS ~
"To care for him who shall have borne the battle..."
President Abraham Lincoln Only combat arms, hard core, tip of the spear, front line fighters are to be classified as suffering from PCSD. In short, those warriors whose mission it is/was to seek out and destroy the enemy and did so! (Even if the individual is only temporarily thrust into that status due to widespread hostilities and satisfactory combat performance is witnessed and documented by at least two supervisors and entered into unit: Examples - Presidential Unit Award, Valorous Unit Award and/or personnel records.) Documented individual battle histories, combat awards and decorations stand as testament to honorable individual actions and behavior exhibited while engaging our nations enemies on the battlefield.
THE CONCEPT OF "PCSD"
And Purple Heart Medal Proposal
~ SUGGESTED CRITERIA ~ 1) It is suggested that those warriors currently VA PTSD rated 70% or higher disability be classified as suffering from Post Combat Stress Disorder (PCSD) and be awarded the Purple Heart Medal as a result of this very serious, intentional, enemy inflicted battle wound. Warriors suffering from PCSD experience severe, negative life-altering behaviors, they are both industrially and socially impaired and can be declared unemployable by the VA. It is logical to believe that those psychologically wounded the worst, those suffering from PCSD, are the ones that are taking their own lives. It is imperative that we reach these warriors as soon as possible. SAVING LIVES BY FOSTERING DIGNITY, HONOR, UNDERSTANDING AND PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE is the major goal and objective of conceiving and presenting this concept and proposal.
(To those who object to only those warriors rated 70% or above being classified with PCSD: There has never been parity in regards to the awarding of the PHM. One GI gets a fingernail blown off... he gets a PHM, another GI gets a leg blown off and receives a PHM, still another GI gets his head blown off, another PHM (only posthumously). Is there a 10% - 30% - 70% - 100% differentiation in the relevance of the award? The implementation of this concept does not change the characteristics, application or intention of the award! However, it does distinguish the sacrifices and sufferings of all “who shall have borne”, and in regards to PCSD, still bear the battle! Does the sudden, brilliant flash of a devastating explosion that permanently and totally blinds a warrior take away the integrity of the PHM? I think not! Like PCSD, there is no blood loss in the blinding but the wound is very real! PCSD merits the same consideration as such a wound! Knowing PCSD is real and can kill after the fact... why then would anyone object to acknowledging a very serious psychological wound intentionally inflicted by an enemy on the battlefield? No one needs the Wisdom of Solomon to be able to see that.)
2) GIs exhibiting lesser degrees of war-related trauma and stresses (ors) be classified and referred to as suffering from Combat-related PTSD.
3)The term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) should refer only to non-war related trauma and stress inflictions such as those suffered as a result of crime, accidents and natural disasters.
Important! Those not classified as suffering from PCSD (i.e., Combat related PTSD, PTSD) could still be, in severe cases, rated 70% – 100% disability but NOT BE AWARDED the Purple Heart Medal.
THE DEGREE OF SEVERITY

Grif believes there are only five criteria, which influence the occurrence and severity of PCSD in the individual combat veteran. The degree of individual involvement in these categories, directly affect the severity of the condition.
1) DEDICATION – the degree of risk, commitment and effort put forth by the individual in combat.
2) EXPOSURE – the degree and frequency of individual intense combat experienced.
3) LOSS – the extent of sufferings incurred, inflicted or witnessed by the individual in combat.
4) GUILT – individual beliefs that what one did or failed to do, negatively affected the lives of others.
5) BETRAYAL – actual or perceived by the individual – committed by comrades, superiors, citizens or government that negatively affected the outcome of the conflict. Betrayal instills the overpowering, often irreversible belief, that all was in vain! PCSD is a serious wound inflicted in combat that is without doubt, exacerbated by the lack of, or loss of support on the home front.
The cumulative, detrimental effects of any combination of these criteria will ultimately lead to the “undoing” of the sufferer. PCSD will, without doubt, destroy the individual’s quality of life, value of life or life, itself! If you have PCSD symptoms do not deny them! Do not compound your problems by using illegal drugs or alcohol. They will not offer any relief and will add to your sufferings. There is little hope for a meaningful life for those who remain undiagnosed and/or untreated! Therefore, I urge all who suffer from the symptoms of PCSD to seek professional medical assistance as soon as possible. Visit your nearest Veteran’s Administrative Medical Center for evaluation today!

NO MORE PCSD SUICIDES!
SUPPORT THE CAUSE AND OUR TROOPS!
PROMOTE AWARDING THE PCSD PURPLE HEART
IN SUMMATION
~ CONCERNS ~ I pray our medical and psychiatric professionals do not trivialize or dismiss the above distinctions thinking PTSD is PTSD, that the disorder and treatment is the same, regardless of the cause! That would be (and has been) a grave error! Basically, in the general psychiatric, therapeutic realm that may be correct, and crystal clear in the mind of the professional caregiver. However, these distinctions are meant to directly benefit the psyche of the warrior (military mind) and the PCSD suffering combat veteran by fostering honor, pride, and sense of accomplishment and ultimately, peace of mind regarding the psychological wounds and sufferings that have affected his or her life so severely, and those he or she loves so dearly! It is hoped the medical professional will see the great value in that all-important fact. I assure you, the distinction in terms is vital to those who fought the bloodiest of battles to keep America free. I firmly believe great psychological benefit will come to those suffering from PCSD if these distinctions are recognized, welcomed and adopted by the professional medical authorities, political leaders, military, VA and community. There is no doubt in my mind they will serve their purpose well in improving the overall mental and physical health and quality of life of these severely wounded combat veterans.
Furthermore, the awarding of this well-deserved medal would serve as tangible evidence of courageous and dedicated combat service, bringing honor to the military, as well as to the individual! It would definitely prove that the military takes care of it’s own! Most importantly, recognizing such sacrifice by the presentation of this award would without doubt, foster healing of this combat affliction and definitely lessen the occurrence of many, tragic, preventable suicides that not only end the lives of it’s victims but shatters the lives of all who loved and cared about them!
Bringing dignity to PCSD and justice to its victims could very well lessen the immense cost and frequency of the care, treatment, therapy, medication and hospitalization of these warriors/veterans. Ending the stigmas presently associated with this infliction would not only be cathartic to those wounded, it would benefit every life (Secondary PTSD – negatively affects family, loved ones, friends) agonized by the disorder!
~ GOVERNMENTAL LEADERS - NEVER FORGET! ~
"To care for him who shall have borne the battle..."
IT IS YOUR SWORN AND RIGHTFUL DUTY TO HELP THESE BRAVE WARRIORS, PLEASE DO SO... ASAP! URGENT - SOS!

Because of these facts no one suffering from, or anyone who loves someone suffering from PCSD or Combat (related) PTSD, should have to be ashamed to say they or their personal hero has been wounded in this manner! Such mindsets and opinions are a disgrace and insult to those who suffer so much for placing life and limb in harm's way for the sake of others! These attitudes must end NOW! Through awareness and long overdue fairness, I repeat, I steadfastly propose that long overdue justice be served by the awarding of the Purple Heart Medal to all who suffer grievously from Post Combat Stress Disorder - PCSD! Why you ask? BECAUSE THESE WARRIORS HAVE BORNE THE HEAVIEST BURDENS OF HIGHLY CONTESTED BATTLES BRAVELY, BLED THE ENEMY AND WAS SEVERLY PSYCHOLOGICALLY WOUNDED IN THE PROCESS AND ARE DEEPLY SCARRED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THEIR LIFE!
FREEDOM IS NEVER FREE! THEY PAY EVERY DAY - 24/7! SUPPORT PCSD PHM - PLEASE HELP THEM TAKE THE PAIN BY ENDING THE SHAME!
If you are still undecided about awarding the Purple Heart Medal for PCSD... ask yourself these questions: If a warrior/veteran commits suicide as a direct result of severe and chronic Post Combat Stress Disorder, is he a casualty of war? Is a warrior/veteran who loses his career, can't hold a job, has little or no skills in maintaining interpersonal relationships, avoids societal functions and becomes an isolationist lost in his own personal, tormented world due to severe and chronic PCSD a casualty of war? THANK YOU, YOU ARE DARN RIGHT THEY ARE! WELCOME ABOARD! WE NEED YOU to end the stigma of PCSD! It is an honorable battle wound, as worthy as any other serious wound, that merits the awarding of the Purple Heart Medal! We are not seeking individual praise. We are seeking justice and healing by bringing honor, understanding and acceptance instead of scorn, shame and shunning, to those who suffer endlessly for the freedom of our people and nation.
PCSD victims, never forget, at Griffin's Lair no one stands alone! Out of many we are strong, proud and bound. We are an undefeatable...

Is exemplified by bravely facing one’s deadliest fears for the sake of others, by risking life and limb for something bigger than self. It is the ultimate unselfish act of true devotion and altruism. It is vividly demonstrated by hurling oneself from an airplane in flight, by rappelling from a helicopter at a precarious height, by flying into a hot landing zone, by courageously fighting a deadly enemy on freedom's battlefields or as in our nation’s great history, like Native American Braves who took enemy coup in brazen defiance and wanton disregard for their own safety. All who suffer from PCSD live by this most honorable code and truly deserve the Purple Heart Medal. They earned it! And still do… every single day of the remainder of their lives, 24-7! Until that day finally comes, instead of the Purple Heart, you unsung heroes, please take this coup feather as a symbol of your suffering, unending bravery and devotion to our country and our people.
All those who believe in this noble cause please use it to demonstrate your fidelity with those who never hesitated to show their love for you under the most arduous and extreme tests of endurance and danger. God bless you, God bless all PCSD warriors and God bless America!

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Thank you and welcome home, brothers and sisters!

PCSD - Definition: (worth repeating) THE MOST SERIOUS FORM OF WAR RELATED PTSD: a very serious psychological wound resulting from the direct clash of arms; the individual active participation in intense, prolonged, highly contested battle on one or more military operations; i.e. kill or be killed; direct engagement in the raw, bitter, bloody nature of war. ONLY "TIP OF THE SPEAR" FIGHTERS SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS SUFFERING FROM PCSD!
This does not preclude just "hunkering down" from enemy action, hearing it over a unit radio or just witnessing some of the resulting carnage of combat operations. There is a big difference in the terminology of “We killed the bear.” versus “I killed the bear!” Examples - it does not include the unloading of "body bags" in a safe rear area after a fire-fight or the mere “loading of bombs on planes.” If the latter activity resulted in an explosion that the person witnessed or was maimed as a result of… that could possibly result in a diagnosis of “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder”... to some degree. Victims of natural disasters, violent crime and car accidents would also fall into this category.
It takes more than seven people to keep one man in combat. That does not make all of them a

Fabricators and embellishers hurt everyone! Frivolous claims should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. They clog the VA system by hindering the professional treatment of the most serious PCSD victims that, unfortunately, can end in very tragic results!
TOO OFTEN LIVES ARE LOST TO PCSD! PLEASE DO YOUR PART TO KEEP EXPERT TREATMENT READILY AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST!

~ IT STANDS TO REASON ~

HOOAH WARRIOR! PCSD VAMC MACHO VETERAN!
NO ONE CAN RETURN THE SAME AS BEFORE!
YOU CAN TAKE THE BOY OUT OF THE WAR,
BUT NOT THE WAR OUT OF THE BOY!

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS DEADLY ENEMY! CHRONIC PCSD WILL CHEW YOU UP AND SPIT YOU OUT! WHAT IS LEFT WILL BE BARELY RECOGNIZABLE TO YOU! IT IS THE DISFIGURED, SCARRED, BITTER AND BROKEN SHELL OF A NOBLE WARRIOR. YOU WILL NOT LIKE WHAT YOU SEE... IT WILL NOT FIND PEACE IN A BOTTLE OF BOOZE OR THE PARTAKING OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES! THOSE WHO LOVE YOU WILL WISH IT WERE DEAD! IT WILL DESTROY YOUR LIFE AND THEIRS! THIS MALIGNANT CARICATURE OF YOU WILL NOT CARE IF IT LIVES OR DIES...
DENIAL OF THE DISORDER IS HELL ON EARTH AND THE GRIM REAPER'S FAVORED PARTNER! IT FUELS AND FANS SATAN'S EVIL FLAMES UNTIL ONLY A SMOLDERING, STINKING, BURNT OUT CLINKER OF YOU IS ALL THAT REMAINS! THEN, ALL THERE IS LEFT IS FOR SATAN TO DRAG THE SLAG DOWN INTO THE BOWELS OF THE DARK PIT WITH HIM!
FIGHT BACK! DO NOT LET PCSD STEAL YOUR LIFE OR SOUL! TAKE OFF THE GROTESQUE MASK AND CLOAK OF COMBAT PTSD!
YOU ARE A GOOD PERSON! YOU ARE STILL IMPORTANT AND YOU ARE NEEDED! THE LIVES YOU WILL SAVE ARE THOSE YOU LOVE THE MOST! GET THE HELP YOU NEED BEFORE ITS TOO LATE.

QUOTE - FROM MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART “Today, as a ‘Band of Brothers,’ we must withstand courageously, any attempt at degrading our most prized Purple Heart Medal, said MOPH’s National Service Director Jack Leonard. Leonard also concludes that PTSD and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) are issues that merit heightened attention in the medical and mental health communities, but not for the issuance of a Purple Heart Medal."

I can understand some of those who have Purple Heart Medals for physical wounds being against the awarding of the PHM to those suffering from PCSD. But if you are one of them, I ask you to consider this before passing final judgment…. do you have a percentage of your service-connected disability compensated for PCSD? I’m sure most of you do. I am also sure that many of you have a higher disability percentage for PCSD than you do for the physical wound(s) suffered in combat. Why is that? I’ll tell you why… it is because your physical wounds, in most cases, have long since healed. The wounds to your mind and soul are still very serious threats to you whether you admit it or not. PCSD is a “wound,” yes a wound, a very serious wound… that keeps on killing!
How many veterans whether awarded or NOT awarded a PHM for “blood wounds” have taken their lives during and after military service because of PCSD? I don’t have the exact figures but I have no doubt they would astound us all! Are those suffering from PCSD currently without a PHM not your brothers? Do they not deserve your support and comradeship? Are they not counted in the rank and file of your “Band of Brothers?” I hope and pray your answer is “yes.” They deserve to be. They fought by your side and perhaps, helped save your life. And PCSD is an honorable condition that warriors suffer because they bravely fought for their county. That is why I feel severe cases of Combat PTSD be treated as any other honorable combat wound, inflicted while engaging our nation’s enemies on battlefields around the world for the sake of freedom for all; and that said wounding merits the awarding of the Purple Heart Medal.
Vietnam vets were taken unaware by Combat PTSD and paid severe consequences in more ways than one because of being denied psychological and symptomatic knowledge of the disorder, not to mention lack of treatment. Fortunately, our Terror, Iraq and Afghanistan GIs and veterans have a heads up on the disorder because of what the Nam Vets have been through… decades of suffering, denial, the “undoing of character” and the subsequent rejection by society because of it.
Now, the “undoing of character” does not have to be… suicide does not have to be! Knowledge and treatment is readily available at Veteran Administration Medical Centers and outpatient clinics across the nation. Books, websites and literature on the subject abound and are easily obtainable.
Lets support our troops in one more very important way… recognize PCSD as a combat wound, as honorable as any wound that tears the flesh. Lets join together and END THE STIGMA TO SOLVE THE ENIGMA! Our troops deserve a bright and promising future! Lets make sure they get it! CC:)7/30/08 Adjutant MOPH, Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC). (I have since requested the US Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs, the Department of Veteran's Affairs, as well as President-elect Barack Obama and Senator John McCain to support this effort.)
Anything less defies righteousness, modern medical science, common sense and I pray, the hue and cry of the public!
***** “ECCLESIASTICUS - Treatment of friends - CHAPTER 22 ***** 31) I will not be ashamed to salute a friend, neither will I hide myself from his face: and if any evil happen to me by him, I will bear it.
32) But every one that shall hear it, will beware of him.”
MEMBERS OF THE MOPH ARE MY BROTHERS - I SALUTE ALL OF YOU!
With or without your support!
We will trudge on!
~ Grif ~
AS SURELY AS THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES TO BATTLE NEED TO BE REMEMBERED, THOSE WHO SURVIVED NEED TO BE UNDERSTOOD.

---

"AQM EDITORIAL CONCERNING A PCSD PHM"
(Excerpt from AQM, WINTER 2008, Volume 21, Number 4)
RE: Pentagon's negative decision on PTSD PHM "It is not clear if those doing the review at DOD (Department of Defense) gave any thought to Pete's philosophy that PTSD may have gradations and that his belief that what he defines as PCSD may be the apex of the pyramid and should be considered as distinct from the popular perception of what PTSD really is!
My vote----change the inscription on the reverse of the Purple Heart (presently - 'for military merit')----have the VA establish gradations of 'Stress Disorder' predicated on degree of exposure to prolonged front line combat duty and compensate accordingly."
Colonel (RET) William E. Weber
Executive Editor
Airborne Quarterly Magazine
187th ARCT - Korean War

Webmaster note: Grif's Concept of PCSD and Purple Heart Medal Proposal was sent to the appropriate officials prior to Colonel Weber's most recent AQM publication (noted above) and is still under their consideration.