thedrifter
05-06-08, 06:46 AM
Trauma seminar director cries foul
Annual conference forced to relocate
By Rick Rogers
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 6, 2008
Camp Pendleton hosted the world's oldest conference on military combat stress for 15 years – long before the Iraq and Afghanistan wars put post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health issues back on the nation's front burner.
Civilian and military experts on mental health gathered on the base to share their latest findings and treatments, and to talk with troops and their families.
But no more.
In what the conference's organizer calls a power grab aimed at controlling the debate about combat stress, Camp Pendleton officials didn't allow the event to be held on their premises this month.
Camp Pendleton leaders said the meeting hall was needed for the Marine Corps' own mental-health symposium. So the 16th annual International Military & Civilian Combat Stress Conference was moved to a hotel in Los Angeles, where it runs through today.
Ultimately, the Corps decided to hold its own symposium in August and at a location other than Camp Pendleton.
“The past three years, the Navy and Marine Corps have tried to take over our conference and offered to fund us last year. But I said no because they wanted to restrict who can speak,” said Bart Billings, coordinator of the gathering in Los Angeles.
“They don't like it when speakers say that the military is prescribing too many psychotropic drugs and not doing enough counseling,” said Billings, a psychologist from La Costa and a retired Army reserve colonel. “They don't want those voices heard, but those voices must be heard.”
Camp Pendleton officials said Billings' interpretation is wrong.
“We believed that the Marine Corps-sponsored conference was going to be held here, but circumstances just didn't allow it,” said 2nd Lt. Tom Garnett, a base spokesman.
In a separate statement, Garnett said Billings' “approach to combat stress issues does not align with that of (the) Navy.” He did not elaborate on the differences.
Last year, Navy Capt. William Nash, who coordinates the Marines' combat-stress program, was a featured speaker at the Billings-led conference. Also in attendance was Lynda Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for military personnel policy, and Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego.
North County attorney David Brahms, a retired brigadier general and former legal adviser to the commandant of the Marine Corps, spoke to senior Camp Pendleton officials this year on Billings' behalf.
“First off, everyone is trying to do something good for the troops and their families. I know the people at Camp Pendleton, and they are honorable,” Brahms said. “But this looks to be a studied effort to kill the conference. Are you telling me that the Marine Corps just happened to pick the same dates for its conference as Billings' conference, the dates of which were known months in advance?
“With traumatic brain injury and PTSD and other psychological conditions, there has to be some debate. This . . . isn't how we should do business. Our troops deserve better.”
Rick Rogers: (760) 476-8212; rick.rogers@uniontrib.com
Ellie
Annual conference forced to relocate
By Rick Rogers
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
May 6, 2008
Camp Pendleton hosted the world's oldest conference on military combat stress for 15 years – long before the Iraq and Afghanistan wars put post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health issues back on the nation's front burner.
Civilian and military experts on mental health gathered on the base to share their latest findings and treatments, and to talk with troops and their families.
But no more.
In what the conference's organizer calls a power grab aimed at controlling the debate about combat stress, Camp Pendleton officials didn't allow the event to be held on their premises this month.
Camp Pendleton leaders said the meeting hall was needed for the Marine Corps' own mental-health symposium. So the 16th annual International Military & Civilian Combat Stress Conference was moved to a hotel in Los Angeles, where it runs through today.
Ultimately, the Corps decided to hold its own symposium in August and at a location other than Camp Pendleton.
“The past three years, the Navy and Marine Corps have tried to take over our conference and offered to fund us last year. But I said no because they wanted to restrict who can speak,” said Bart Billings, coordinator of the gathering in Los Angeles.
“They don't like it when speakers say that the military is prescribing too many psychotropic drugs and not doing enough counseling,” said Billings, a psychologist from La Costa and a retired Army reserve colonel. “They don't want those voices heard, but those voices must be heard.”
Camp Pendleton officials said Billings' interpretation is wrong.
“We believed that the Marine Corps-sponsored conference was going to be held here, but circumstances just didn't allow it,” said 2nd Lt. Tom Garnett, a base spokesman.
In a separate statement, Garnett said Billings' “approach to combat stress issues does not align with that of (the) Navy.” He did not elaborate on the differences.
Last year, Navy Capt. William Nash, who coordinates the Marines' combat-stress program, was a featured speaker at the Billings-led conference. Also in attendance was Lynda Davis, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for military personnel policy, and Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego.
North County attorney David Brahms, a retired brigadier general and former legal adviser to the commandant of the Marine Corps, spoke to senior Camp Pendleton officials this year on Billings' behalf.
“First off, everyone is trying to do something good for the troops and their families. I know the people at Camp Pendleton, and they are honorable,” Brahms said. “But this looks to be a studied effort to kill the conference. Are you telling me that the Marine Corps just happened to pick the same dates for its conference as Billings' conference, the dates of which were known months in advance?
“With traumatic brain injury and PTSD and other psychological conditions, there has to be some debate. This . . . isn't how we should do business. Our troops deserve better.”
Rick Rogers: (760) 476-8212; rick.rogers@uniontrib.com
Ellie