Overdose kills ex-Fort Bliss soldier

Drugs are bad m'kay?

how sad...RIP

The lord will cradle him in his arms , for he will feel no more pain."Farewell our hero."

PTSD is a reality and must be taken seriously by everyone. SPC Dwyer was once a good soldier. He was a medic in the Army and he cared. He's now dead. As an ex-Navy Hospital Corpsman in Vietnam with the Marines, I am truly saddened by all this.

"Albert A Hernandez
El Paso, TX
PTSD is a reality and must be taken seriously by everyone. SPC Dwyer was once a good soldier. He was a medic in the Army and he cared. He's now dead. As an ex-Navy Hospital Corpsman in Vietnam with the Marines, I am truly saddened by all this."

SPC Dwyer displayed great compassion and bravery under circumstances that few can imagine. He was obviously a great guy and it is very sad indeed. May God Bless You Joseph Dwyer.

I always wonder if our gov't has done enough for our troops and pay more attention to our troops needs than to te Iraqi needs. I always question the gov't on the help given to our troops after serving in Iraq. As a former Iraq war wife (ex wife) my ex husband was never the same when he returned home.

Shame on our government for not helping and protecting the brave men and women who serve so faithfully and with such honor. The mentality that a combat soldier does not need help and support once leaving service is a problem that has been ongoing since Vietnam. Merely going to the VA clinic once a week for group therapy is not enough. These heroes deserve better than that.

Im really sadenned by his death; but more ashamed of what this government has done in not helping soldiers like him. The Government is all about cutting costs, and withholding benefits, disabilities, and all the bullshit redtape it creates to help getting these soldiers the help they need. rest in peace my friend!

P.S.
I have promised my son complete financial support to attend college if he promises NOT to join the armed forces- ever. Too many sons and daughters have come home in coffins. All for what?

Pat wrote:

I always wonder if our gov't has done enough for our troops and pay more attention to our troops needs than to te Iraqi needs. I always question the gov't on the help given to our troops after serving in Iraq. As a former Iraq war wife (ex wife) my ex husband was never the same when he returned home.

In respect to your question, I need to say that, no, the gov't, in my opinion, is NOT doing enough. They're trying, but they just don't have the resources. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have proved to be too costly and our country is really not prepared to handle the ramifications of these wars. And you are quite right, many soldiers when they return from war, are simply not the same anymore. PTSD affects ALL aspects of their lives. The price of war affects society; it always has and always will. Take care and God bless.

Rest in peace, brave hero. Prayers go out to your family.

What is is going to take for the goverment to help our heros. They tell us to support them and be behind the war but who take care of them after they are done with their tour of duty? Certainly not the goverment.

The government took 30 years to even recognize PTSD and still ignores it in the Active duty soldiers.
My heart goes out to Sgt Dwyers family.

It is time for each of us to write our Senators and Representatives and complain about this reprehensible treatment of our soldiers and veterans from our government!

My former husband suffered from this and yet was never compensated or treated. In fact they laughed at his flashbacks.

A friends son has just been deployed for his 3rd tour in Iraq and has been diagnosed and is being treated but still was shipped back into combat! That is just insane!

With respect to those with strong opinions to the contrary, it is objectively incorrect to assert that the federal government, either the military or the VA, do not recognize that PTSD exists, or that it exists among active duty soldiers.

A huge part of the problem that I know does exist is that mental health issues tend to be career stoppers for both officers and non-commissioned officers; as well they should be. Everyone will get offended by that statement, but ask yourself if you really want your sons and daughters going into harm's way under the leadership of people who may not be fully stable. The question aswers itself with a "not only no, but hell no".
Because mental health issues can stop a career in its tracks, most people tend to keep away from treatment.

Sensational "EP Slimes" trying to sell more papers by reporting bad news of someone's tragic death

Diana wrote:

The government took 30 years to even recognize PTSD and still ignores it in the Active duty soldiers.
My heart goes out to Sgt Dwyers family.
It is time for each of us to write our Senators and Representatives and complain about this reprehensible treatment of our soldiers and veterans from our government!
My former husband suffered from this and yet was never compensated or treated. In fact they laughed at his flashbacks.
A friends son has just been deployed for his 3rd tour in Iraq and has been diagnosed and is being treated but still was shipped back into combat! That is just insane!

ptsd was not a recognized medical disorder in 1978, nor was there effective medical treatment or medicines at that time

The VA absolutely needs to change their treatment model of forced 12-step religious conversion, never-ending worthless groups after groups after groups after groups, handful & handfuls of meds that don't work, prison-type temporary housing with bunk beds-no privacy group showers and toilets, rules-rules-and more rules. The veterans are kept in absolute poverty and misery. The veterans are labeled mental and addicted and still denied benefit; with those labels YOU CAN"T GET A JOB! This is why so many kill themselves.

Jay wrote:

If only more would do this instead of getting drunk and driving. Sad but better then an innocent civilian getting hurt or killed.

You are a worthless piece of s--t. Most of the recent DWI accidents involving the military involved young soldiers doing stupid stuff that had no link to combat, several were around 18 years old, I doubt they did a tour yet of anything but a training base. This was a man failed by his country, especially those that have spent the last five years in an armchair bragging about what "we" did. This was not a secret case, this man showed signs years ago of needing help and the US failed him. We sent him off to fight and ignored the fact that no one goes through combat without any change.

My most sincere sympathies to the entire Dwyer family.
What a sad tragedy.

My heart goes out to his family. Their son paid a heavy for being in Iraq. PTSD is not something the American public can ignore. Any military man or woman that has been down range may show the effects of PTSD. Please for their and yours....Get Them Help. This is an after effect of battle and these young men and women have gone through and can flash back to the hell they were in. I am the mon of two that have been there and have seen what it can do to them.