Once Branded A Coward, He Fights For PTSD Victims (Charlotte Observer, Pauline Arrillaga)

This article is about a retired Army soldier named Andrew Pogany. Back in 2003 the Army signed him as a coward, because he was sent back to the states from Iraq after a short period of time. He saw a severley shreeded Iraq soldier and could not handle it. He became very sick, so he was sent back to be discharged with "cowardly conduct as as a result of fear", which means he could have been sentenced to death under the Code of Military Justice. The last conviction of this was back during the war of Vietnam War. Pagony hired an attorney and fought this conviction, eventually getting the charges dropped saying that Pagony had "a medical problem that requires care and treatment." By 2005 he was retired with all of his benefits. He still suffered from PTSD, which was so bad that he even had suicide thoughts. The only thing that kept him going were the soldiers that returned home in need of his help. Pagony's hard work paid off and is now the director of military outreach and education for the organization Give an Hour. He has helped many of soldiers who have been wore down by the PTSD.

This article relates to chapter 11 in our text. This chapter talks about different stress disorders and health, which includes post-traumatic stress disorder. PSTD is when the symptoms associated with ASD last longer than a month. These symptoms include anxiety, recurring nightmares, sleep disturbances, problem in concentration, and flashbacks. Many people even have suicide thoughts when suffering from PTSD just as Pagony did. In the military PTSD has tripled since 2001. Pagony's drive to help these soldiers just as he needed help is the main event that saved his life.