In the past it was not uncommon for counselors and psychiatrists on a military base to hand a soldier a bottle of pills and send them on their way.

Due to life threatening and horrific battle experiences, many returning soldiers in the military suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at military bases across the nation.  Because of this the military has decided to take measures in order to reduce the number of suicide attempts and crime related to mentally unstable veterans.

Soldiers nationwide suffer from a post war depression known as (PTSD), a common anxiety disorder that can be developed after a life threatening or terrifying experience. It is not uncommon for family members and friends who victims to develop PTSD as well.

Negligence on military bases across the U.S has had a negative impact on crime and psychotic behavior due to PTSD. The military base that experienced the most problems, however, was at America’s third-largest military base, Fort Carson near Colorado Springs, CO.

At this base 14 soldiers returning from Iraq have been charged with at least 11 murders since 2005. The Military released a 126-page report last July about these slayings; it was the first time in history that the significance of combat had been acknowledged in the behavior of returning soldiers.

The base’s commanders were unprepared to treat and monitor soldiers suffering from depression or PTSD. In fact, in 2007 one third of all staff positions in the behavioral-health unit at the post’s medical center were left unfilled. The Military noticed the correlation with the decreasing number of positions and the increase of crime such as rape, domestic violence and murder. Since 2007 the Military has made changes in the way it handles troops returning from combat in hopes of reducing and preventing the amount of violence that returning soldiers commit around and at bases across the nation.

Many soldiers take the war home with them upon returning from fighting. Soldiers witness terrifying events that can sometimes haunt them for months or even a lifetime.

“When you come home you are on edge you will have a sense of self protection anywhere you go,” Officer Al Millette said.

Officer Al Millette illustrated one of the most traumatizing events he witnessed while in Iraq.

“We had a bad episode where the village that was creating a school for girls got bombed,” he said. “Little kids were scattered everywhere in bits and pieces. I had a hard time keeping my guys from shooting anyone who looked distrustful.”

Millette has been deployed 3 times, once to Kosovo and twice to Iraq. The war scene in both locations had similarities, but what has changed is how the Military handles soldiers returning from war. The steps that the army now takes, in order to help soldiers adjust to the civilian world, are a new process in comparison to the other two times Millette was deployed.

In recent years the military has increased programs and has instituted a minimum of four months of mandatory counseling for all returning soldiers. The U.S. military is concerned that traumatic combat experiences and being away for  extended periods of time could put returning troops at risk for post-traumatic stress, domestic problems,  and even suicide Statistics show that one in eight returning soldiers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in the past 5 years 11 returning soldiers have committed first degree murder.

In the past five years the army has changed the process they use in acclimating soldiers to the civilian world after months filled with fear. Although Millette never thought he had (PTSD), and was never professionally diagnosed, he was grateful for the four months of mandatory counseling the army provided for him.

“The first two times I was deployed they did nothing but this last time, I thought they did a pretty good job helping us readjust to the civilian world,” Millette said.

Millette was pleased with the help of the military in his readjustment this past time. He expressed gratitude for the change the Army has made in making sure that soldiers are comfortable and fit for returning to the civilian world.

“The first two times I got deployed there was nothing the Army did but this last time I think they did a pretty good job,” Millette said.

Though war experiences are said to be horrific, the Military is taking measures to help those soldiers that put themselves in life changing situations in order to protect and fight for our country.