Soldiers are normally dubbed as €heroes€, not €threats€ to society. But returning combat veteran Andrew Chambers earned that title after serving two tours in Iraq. Chambers shared his military triumphs and pitfalls in a TED Seminar-- from Marion Correctional. Hardly the place that shows honor to military veterans, but unfortunately, his story is not uncommon.

In his seminar, Chambers recalled feeling intense paranoia and distress after his discharge from service. He mentioned how he no longer felt safe in his own hometown, and began scrutinizing every person's face and motives. As a result, his insecurities encouraged him to buy a pistol, of which he began carrying on him at all times. The pistol was €a way for [Chambers] to protect himself€ from the supposed dangers he felt were lurking around his own neighborhood.

Without knowing it, Chambers suffered from a condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. While PTSD plagues others outside of the military, veterans are more likely to be affected due to war's highly stressful and dangerous atmosphere.

Chambers felt that his condition, if left untreated, would lead to detrimental consequences, and sought medical attention from the Veterans Administration. According to Chambers, the VA €gave [him] a prescription for a sleep-aid, and sent [him] on his way and told him to come back in six months€ for a re-evaluation. €I didn't make it six months€, Chambers said with tears in his eyes. Instead, during that period, Chambers found himself in the midst of a drunken altercation which lead to a ten-year prison sentence.

€The argument erupted over a girl,€ Chambers explained. His opponent whipped out a knife, and in retaliation, Chambers took out his pistol. No shots were fired, but after disarming his opponent of his weapon, Chambers began beating him relentlessly. In court, he was charged with attempted murder among other allegations, and the judge performed a €civil obligation€ to €lock [Chambers] up.€ Further, the judge called Chambers' service a €double-edge sword€, as Chambers had greatly surpassed the means for self-defense. The term referred to the military's teachings of intense rage that trained Chambers to be a professional killer, and while honorable on the battlefield, that same persona is not condemned in a civilian setting.

Many parties are at fault in this unfortunate situation: Chambers for going beyond the means of self-defense, the members of the VA who merely threw a bottle of pills at Chambers' condition, and the military for encouraging such rage to brew inside each solider. Currently, this disjointed system is causing far more suffrage than benefits, and turning out more €threats€ than €heroes€ in society.
However, returning combat veterans are encouraged to seek counseling and rehabilitation outside of the VA. Luckily, many non-profit organizations exist that are dedicated to helping veterans assimilate back into civilian life. Operation: I.V. is one such non-profit organization founded by Roxann Abrams, a Gold Star Mother who lost her son Randy at the hands of undiagnosed PTSD. Like Chambers, Randy €snapped€, but instead took his own life after experiencing a horrific flashback that stemmed from his service in Iraq. Randy's suicide is what inspired Operation: I.V. and its multitude of treatment options to treat combat veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and those contemplating suicide. The organization's €V.I.P Program€ offers treatment plans such as alternative anxiety reduction treatments, €Vet-2-Vet€ group therapy, and PTSD service dogs.

Seeking independent treatment, for now, might be the best way for veterans to receive the rehabilitation they need when returning back into civilian society.