I have to agree with the Pentagon on this. The Purple Heart is awarded for physical wounds serious enough to require the attention of a medical officer (sorry, John Kerry). It also shows the recipient was under enemy fire.
A friend of mine had PTSD when she returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom. She never saw combat, was never under fire. She was an MP guarding isolated crossroads and looking for roadside mines. Yes, it was stressful.
I believe the whole purpose of the move to include PTSD is so it will be classed as a “wound”, and the number of wounded our “esteemed” media report can be increased.
> A friend of mine had PTSD when she returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom. She never saw combat, was never under fire. She was an MP guarding isolated crossroads and looking for roadside mines. Yes, it was stressful.
Interesting... why do you believe that your friend should not be entitled to a Purple Heart for her PTSD? If it is the real thing, she is quite likely to require ongoing medical treatment, possibly for the rest of her life. And while she wasn’t fired upon by the enemy, she wasn’t driving desk, either: the mines she was looking for would have been placed by the enemy, and the crossroads she was guarding were to be guarded against the enemy.
I struggle to see the distinction, but perhaps you can clarify my thinking on this.