What could the military do to remove the stigma attached to seeking mental health care?
One of the things that is unique about the military culture is that they give the Medal of Honor to the soldier who fights through pain and through being wounded and still completes the mission: takes the objective, takes the hill. We hold that up as an ideal, and that’s appropriate that we should do that. But it’s also true, although it doesn’t make as good a story, that the soldier that takes good care of himself — takes good care of his equipment, takes good care of his uniform, does the preventive things, stays healthy, keeps on doing his job, he’s there day after day after day — that soldier contributes as much as the Medal of Honor winner. But that kind of day-to-day heroism doesn’t make the papers. Mental health is part of that taking care of yourself — you know, good food, clean water, taking care of your uniform, taking care of your equipment and making sure that you’re getting enough sleep. And if that means that you have to go talk to the doctor, maybe find out why you’re
