May 14,2008:
One of the reasons troops have
refused to seek help for combat fatigue problems has been the long standing
rule that you could not get a security clearance, or get one renewed, if you
had sought help for mental or emotional issues. That has now been changed, and
troops can no longer lose their security clearance if they get treated for
combat fatigue. In practice, the old
policy was not strictly enforced, but its existence did discourage
people with combat stress problems from seeking help for it. Many troops in
combat jobs have duties that require a security clearance.