Sequestration speculation is all over the local and national news outlets this week. While we wait to see what Congress does, military reporters around the country are keeping an eye on the important local issues already affecting soldiers.
Pentagon Reworks PTSD Strategy
As part of the Tacoma News Tribune’s ongoing coverage of PTSD treatment at Madigan Army Medical Hospital in Tacoma, Wash., Adam Ashton describes two documents the News Tribune uncovered that detail the Army’s efforts to do a better job of diagnosing and treating soldiers with the disease. Madigan has been under scrutiny recently for its use of forensic psychologists in diagnosing patients, and some patients and reports claim the psychologists were sometimes downgrading or reversing diagnoses to save the Army money. Full story.
Soldier Suicides Rare in Some Foreign Outposts
Location seems to have an impact on numbers of troop suicides, according to a story in USA Today. Gregg Zoraya explains how cultural norms and laws of other countries, as well as firearm policies, might be preventing soldier suicides. 2012 was a record-high year for suicides in the Army, but in South Korea, for example, there was just one out of 20,000 troops. Full story.
state-by-state military impact of the sequester
The Washington Post has put together tables detailing the effects of sequestration, broken down by state and category. The “military readiness” category projects furloughs, pay reduction, and Army, Air Force and Navy funding cuts. View the Post’s interactive charts.
STATE-BY-STATE DETAILS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
Below are links to PDF files for each state that were put together by the White House to outline potential local impact from the sequester.
