Tools

Montana National Guard's PTSD Testing Program Going National

By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Jun 26, 2009 at 4:47 PM MST

Story Updated: Jun 26, 2009 at 4:50 PM MST

A program that started in Montana to help soldiers cope with the stress of war is now going national.

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) says legislation modeled after the Montana National Guard's screenings for post-combat stress injuries and suicidal tendencies in returning troops has been included in this year's defense authorization bill.

"We in Montana have raised the bar very high and we have set very high standards for in-person interviews for men and women when they come home to make sure they are okay," said Baucus. "This legislation gets the rest of the nation up to Montana's high standards so that our men and women when they come home are treated with the very best care."

An estimated 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorders and the Army's suicide rate has increased every year since the Iraq War began in 2003.


Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

News, Sports, Weather for Great Falls, Helena, and all of Montana and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

Great Falls & Helena Weather

Icon
Great Falls Great Falls Intl Airport, MT
Current Temp 31.0 °F
Overcast
Wind : North at 5.8 MPH (5 KT)
Pressure : 1026.0 mb
Humidity : 61 %
Icon
Helena Helena Regional, MT
Current Temp 30.0 °F
Partly Cloudy
Wind : Calm
Pressure : 1028.5 mb
Humidity : 75 %
Click here for our video forecast
More Weather
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

AP Video