US Army to teach families to spot mental illness

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The Army has launched a nationwide program to teach soldiers and their families how to identify signs of possible psychiatric injuries suffered in the Iraq or Afghanistan wars that may have gone unnoticed. The Army is responding to widespread reports that soldiers returning from duty with mild brain damage and post-traumatic stress disorder were treated as malingerers or unfairly dismissed from the service. The training program, called "chain-teaching," first reported Friday by the Fort Carson Mountaineer, was implemented last week at the Pentagon and is intended to reach all active-duty soldiers and reservists within 90 days. Fort Carson officials plan to discuss the program with media Tuesday, base spokesman Capt. Gregory Dorman said.