A Quiz With A Twist?

I took a quiz today, asking about any health issues that I may have encountered during my most recent tour on active duty. It was online, and already populated with my identifying information.

It asked a variety of questions about where I was stationed, for how long, what job duties did I perform, etc... It asked about how many times I visited a doctor, and reasons why.

So far, it all seemed to be right in line with what I would expect on a medical survey, but then the other questions began.

Did you see anyone wounded, killed or dead during this deployment?
Were you engaged in direct combat where you discharged your weapon?
etc...

It then asked specifically about symptoms associated with suicide, PTSD, and other anxiety issues. For example, "In the past month have you felt numb or detached from others, activities and your surroundings?"

It then asks about exposure to various chemicals and hazardous situations.

On the surface, it seems like a fair set of questions to ask if you want to detect someone dealing with issues or at greater risk from various exposures...

I have two concerns:

One, that a young soldier dealing with issues internally may falsely answer the questions and not get the help that they really need for fear of looking bad... In other words, the survey could be used to justify not taking the time to talk to each soldier...

Two, that the Army could or would bring this survey up later to defend against granting benefits to a soldier whose issues emerge later... " Why is Private Smith claiming that he suffers from nightmares now when his post-deployment survey showed that he didn't have any nightmares when he left the service?"

Ultimately, I think it's important for everyone in the system to deal honestly with each other. A soldier who has nightmares or other exposures should honestly answer the questions, and shouldn't hold back. (e.g. "I won't answer yes to the nightmares question because I don't have them often... Besides, I don't want to talk about it, I want to go home...")

Secondly, it looks like the Army needs to be VERY careful about how they use the information provided on the forms... They need to heal those who have been wounded in the service of our country.

To your healing.

Mike