HOLY Crap !!! -

[WillyT]

Army testing soldiers’ brains before deployment
Results may help doctors treat returning vets with traumatic brain injuries

<snip>

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. - Before they leave for Iraq, thousands of troops with the 101st Airborne Division line up at laptop computers to take a test: basic math, matching numbers and symbols, and identifying patterns. They press a button quickly to measure response time.

It’s all part of a fledgling Army program that records how soldiers’ brains work when healthy, giving doctors baseline data to help diagnose and treat the soldiers if they suffer a traumatic brain injury — the signature injury of the Iraq war.

“This allows the Army to be much more proactive,” said Lt. Col. Mark McGrail, division surgeon for the 101st. “We don’t want to wait until the soldier is getting out of the Army to say, ’But I’ve had these symptoms.”’

The mandatory brain-function tests are starting with the 101st at Fort Campbell and are expected to spread to other military bases in the next couple of months. Commanders at each base will decide whether to adopt the program.

The tests provide a standard, objective measurement for each soldier’s reaction time, their short-term memory and other cognitive skills. That data would be used when the soldiers come home to identify mild brain trauma that can often go unnoticed and untreated.

One veterans group wants to ensure the Army doesn’t use the results to deny treatment by claiming that soldiers’ problems came from pre-existing conditions.

“We certainly think these tests should not be used to reduce the responsibility that the Army has to treat the soldiers who have served,” said Jason Forrester, director of policy for Veterans for America.

<snip>

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20876109/

I'm absolutely nauseated by my own country.

:puke:

Onedit: Vote Here-> Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20877905/

[babylonsister]

1. 'Occupation' isn't worth it-read this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1850424&mesg_id=1850424

[WillyT]

2. Thank You !!!

I'm just flabbergasted.

:banghead:

[Felinity]

13. Thanks, much more informative. n/t

[Oilwellian]

3. These tests should be done on Bush

No telling what you won't find.

Incredible.

[EFerrari]

4. Who ARE we any more?

This is a way to deny benefits. That's all it is.

But, BushCo "supports" the troops. :sarcasm:

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

6. Yep

Wouldn't surprise me. "Your willingness to fight in this war proves you were already brain-damaged."

Catch-22.

[soothsayer]

5. If they're really stupid they get promoted to commander in chief

[B Calm]

7. They will be used to deny treatment. What other use is there?

[MadHound]

8. They're using reaction time tests?

Geez, how fucked up is that. That in no way measures a person's brain performance, neither SRT, DRT or CRT. This is meaningless bullshit testing designed for what? That's the question now. . .

[druidity33]

9. my question is

what percentage of brain function loss will be "acceptable" to deny claims of Trauma?

[goforit]

10. A simple CT scan and MRI can do that....but a computer test? This is fishy.

[annabanana]

11. If it keeps them from being denied services for "pre-existing conditions"

GOOD!

There's a shameful history of returning vets being denied help for PTSD on claims that they had problems before they deployed.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

12. Seems Like A Pretty Smart Idea Actually.

Hopefully they use it appropriately and don't use it for the wrong reasons, but right now I don't see any reason to believe they would. So on its face, I support it fully.

[ProSense]

14. Here's a smarter idea:

If they demonstrate deficiencies in short-term memory and other cognitive skills maybe they shouldn't be sent into combat.

What a racket!