Bundeswehr under pressure: Traumatized veterans fight for recognition!

Bundeswehr under pressure: Traumatized veterans fight for recognition!

Afghanistan, Afghanistan - The Bundeswehr is currently faced with considerable challenges, in particular with regard to the recognition of mental illnesses in veterans. She has difficulty recruiting sufficiently qualified staff and is working intensively on improving her public image. Against the background, this is done that hundreds of traumatized deployed deployment fight for the recognition and compensation of their supposed illnesses. Individual fates, such as that of Annika Schröder, have a high level of the problem of post -traumatic stress disorder (PTBS) within the armed forces.

Annika Schröder, a paramedic, impressively describes April 2, 2010, on which she was involved in the Good Friday battle in Afghanistan. In a dangerous moment, her backpack was hit by a projectile, which affected her mental health in the long term. After her return to Germany, her PTSD remained undetected for 15 years. The Bundeswehr planned to dismiss it without compensation. An expert opinion from 2023, however, found that she did not suffer from PTBS, which she perceives as unfair.

recognition and support at PTBS

In the current situation, around 30 % of all applications for recognition of military service damage due to mental illnesses are rejected. A frightening statistics show that almost 2,800 PTBS cases have been registered since 2011. However, only 10-20 % of those affected receive the necessary help. Worrying cases, such as that of Stefano B., who committed a hostage -taking due to serious mental illnesses, underline the dramatic consequences of inadequate treatment.

Despite the progress in legislation and the establishment of trauma centers in recent years, the bureaucratic hurdle remains high. Procedure for recognizing mental illnesses run on average over 22 months and can take years. Annika Schröder finally received the long -awaited recognition of her PTSD shortly before she was released and confirmation that she would go back to her commitment. Her current situation on a farm in which she lives withdrawn shows how many veterans have to help themselves.

Peter Zimmermann, the Bundeswehr's PTBS representative, is committed to improve the care of mentally ill soldiers, but has to deal with a variety of challenges. While the Bundeswehr is ready to make progress, the question of the actual support of those affected remains a central concern.

For more information about the Good Friday battle and its effects, interested parties can visit the Bundeswehr website . Also the Statistics on the PTBS-Hilfe of the Bundeswehr offer in-depth insights into the topic.