Cilla McCain:  “For nearly a decade, I’ve been researching and writing about the issue of non-hostile deaths in the military. Early on in my research, I would get upset at the information provided by our troops and their families. Their revelations painted a picture of a dysfunctional military culture that allows medical and legal malpractice, as well as violent crime, to thrive and exist…” She…

On July 2nd, 2011 Marine Corps Times published an article about a new advanced high-tech scanner which would provide medical professionals with detailed pictures of brain activity which could aid in the diagnosis of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI), which until now have been an often-invisible war wound. The magnetoencephalography (MEG) scanner works by recording the electrical activity in the brain tissue. Areas of abnormal low-frequency…

By ERIC NEWHOUSE • Great Falls Tribune U.S. Reps. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., and Mike Thompson, D-Calif., introduced legislation Thursday in the House that would require a face-to-face mental health screening for all soldiers before they are deployed on a combat mission, after their tour and every six months for two years following their return. The bill is a companion measure to legislation introduced in the Senate…

By ERIC NEWHOUSE • Great Falls Tribune SALT LAKE CITY — At a recent mental health conference in the Salt Palace, a Utah National Guardsman described how he finally learned to sleep again. It’s a simple technique that the Veterans Administration has tested in Salt Lake City and found effective for both sleep disorders and for post-traumatic stress disorder. “When they told me about ‘mind-body bridging,’…

By Jeff Mason Reuters WASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama on Thursday said the government would create a national electronic medical records system for the military that will serve as a model for broad reform of U.S. healthcare administration. The system, organized by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, would follow military personnel from active duty through retirement, keeping…

By ERIC NEWHOUSE Great Falls Tribune Sen. Max Baucus introduced legislation Wednesday night requiring stepped-up mental health screenings for all American combat troops. The purpose for the testing — to be done every six months for the first two years after a soldier returns from combat — will be to identify post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or major depression resulting from combat, Baucus said. It’s…