The Purple Heart Medal is authorized ONLY when physical injury or wounding is inflicted by an enemy or friendly fire. However, veterans with PTSD claim that "mental wounding" occurs in the brain which renders them unable to function normally or in an impaired status. Some veterans who have been diagnosed by the Veterans Administration (Dept of Veterans Affairs) with PTSD or another stress-related mental illness have petitioned Congress to mandate that they be authorized the Purple Heart medal for "mental wounds". Do you feel "mental wounds" should be equal to physical wounds?

• Go to Survey questions
• Go to Initial Results
• Go to Periodic Results

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QUESTION 1/11: Are mental wounds the same as physical wounds?

Yes, mental wounds cannot be repaired just as a missing limb cannot grow back

Yes, mental wounds can be repaired but mental wounds are equally disabling as losing a body part or being physically injured

No, a mental "wound" is not the same as a physical wound

QUESTION 2/11: Should a "mental wound" be diagnosed or 'certified' by a field medic or evac doctor at the time of 'wounding' just as physical wounds are certified at the time of injury?

Yes, a medic must certify a 'mental wound' at the time of the wounding incident

No, but a veteran should be limited to a certain number of months or years after their combat service to apply for a 'mental wound' Purple Heart if a VA clinician certifies they have a mental illness due to their combat experience

No, but a veteran should be allowed up to the end of their life to apply for a 'mental wound' Purple Heart if a VA clinician certifies they have a mental illness due to their combat experience

QUESTION 3/11: Before a 'mental wound' Purple Heart is authorized, should an MRI or other brain scanning report be required to show that a physical area of the brain (not caused by alcohol or drug use) is associated with the combat incident 'wound'?

Yes
No/p>

QUESTION 4/11: Should all military recruits be clinincally examined using a brain MRI or other technical test prior to entering military service to determine if they possess problem areas in their brain that might result in higher potential for 'mental wounding' in a combat situation?

Yes
No/p>

QUESTION 5/11: If a recruit's pre-induction MRI or brain scan confirms that he (or she) possess a higher risk of mental breakdown or future PTSD should the recruit be restricted from serving in a war zone ... and thereby exempted from possible combat stress related 'mental wounds'?

Yes
No/p>

QUESTION 6/11: Should recruits who fail a pre-induction brain scan or psychological test be denied enlistment because their scan or test indicates a higher potential for mental illness or PTSD if they serve in combat?

Yes
No/p>

QUESTION 7/11: If the Draft is re-instated should Draftees be exempted from combat service if their MRI or brain scan indicates problem areas that might result in 'mental wounding' or future PTSD?

Yes
Nobr> No, because Draftees with money will pay for an MRI or test report that will exempt them from combat duty.

QUESTION 8/11: If Congress decides to amend the Purple Heart Issue Regulations to allow personnel or veterans with military or VA-diagnosed 'mental wounds' to be authorized the Purple Heart Medal, should Congress also establish a new 'Combat Qualified Medal' for all Basic Training graduates who test fully capable of enduring war duty without succumbing to mental illness during combat or years later (PTSD)?

Yes
No/p>

QUESTION 9/11: If the 'Combat Qualified Medal' described above is approved, should it be retroactively authorized to ALL veterans, both war and non-war, who have never applied for PTSD or other 'mental wound' status from their military unit or the VA?

Yes
Nop>

QUESTION 10/11: Ninety-five percent of veterans who are diagnosed with PTSD receive a monthly payment (for the rest of their life) from the VA based on the percentage of their "mental disability". Ninety-five percent of veterans who were authorized the Purple Heart Medal for physical wounds do not receive any monthly payment. To be fair to both sides, if veterans with "mental wounds were to get the Purple Heart Medal AND a monthly paycheck should ALL veterans who received the Purple Heart Medal for physical wounds in combat also receive a monthly paycheck?

Yes
Nop>

ITEM 11/11: And please note my comment ...

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Americans Killed-in-Action

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INITIAL SURVEY RESULTS
16 May 2008

(NOTE: Statistical results are rounded off to their nearest whole number.)

QUESTION 1:
Yes, mental wounds cannot be repaired just as a missing limb cannot grow back ...02%

Yes, mental wounds can be repaired but mental wounds are equally disabling as losing a body part or being physically injured ...05%

No, a mental "wound" is not the same as a physical wound ...93%

QUESTION 2:
Yes, a medic must certify a 'mental wound' at the time of the wounding incident ...84%

No, but a veteran should be limited to a certain number of months or years after their combat service to apply for a 'mental wound' Purple Heart if a VA clinician certifies they have a mental illness due to their combat experience ...14%

No, but a veteran should be allowed up to the end of their life to apply for a 'mental wound' Purple Heart if a VA clinician certifies they have a mental illness due to their combat experience ...02%

QUESTION 3:
Yes ...97%
No ...03%

QUESTION 4:
Yes ...98%
No ...02%

QUESTION 5:
Yes ...99%
No ...01%

QUESTION 6:
Yes ...99%
No ...01%

QUESTION 7:
Yes ...91%
No ...01%

No, because Draftees with money will pay for an MRI or test report that will exempt them from combat duty ....08%

QUESTION 8:
Yes ...97%
No ...03%

QUESTION 9:
Yes ...99%
No ...01%

QUESTION 10:
Yes ...98%
No ...02%


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PERIODIC SURVEY RESULTS
26 Jun 2008

(NOTE: Statistical results are rounded off to their nearest whole number.)

QUESTION 1:
Yes, mental wounds cannot be repaired just as a missing limb cannot grow back ...01%

Yes, mental wounds can be repaired but mental wounds are equally disabling as losing a body part or being physically injured ...02%

No, a mental "wound" is not the same as a physical wound ...97%

QUESTION 2:
Yes, a medic must certify a 'mental wound' at the time of the wounding incident ...93%

No, but a veteran should be limited to a certain number of months or years after their combat service to apply for a 'mental wound' Purple Heart if a VA clinician certifies they have a mental illness due to their combat experience ...05%

No, but a veteran should be allowed up to the end of their life to apply for a 'mental wound' Purple Heart if a VA clinician certifies they have a mental illness due to their combat experience ...02%

QUESTION 3:
Yes ...98%
No ...02%

QUESTION 4:
Yes ...98%
No ...02%

QUESTION 5:
Yes ...99%
No ...01%

QUESTION 6:
Yes ...99%
No ...01%

QUESTION 7:
Yes ...91%

No ...01%

No, because Draftees with money will pay for an MRI or test report that will exempt them from combat duty ....08%

QUESTION 8:
Yes ...99%
No ...01%

QUESTION 9:
Yes ...99%
No ...01%

QUESTION 10:
Yes ...99%
No ...01%


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