Di Fi thinks we are all crazy
well not you 'Nam guys, PTSD is a new phenomenon. 
Here is what she said word for word:
...this adds an exemption of retired military. umm, as i understand our bill, umm, no issue has arose in this regard during the 10 years the expired ban was effect, err in effect. and what we did in the other bill, was umm, exempt posession by the united states or a department or agency of the united states so that included active military. the problem with expanding this is that you know with the advent of PTSD, uhh, which i think is a new phenomenon as a product of the iraq war, umm, it's not clear how the seller or transferer of a firearm covered by this bill would verify that an individual was a member, or a vetran, and um that there was no impairment of that individual with respect to having a weapon like this. so you know i would be happy to sit down with you again and see if we could work something out but um, i think we have to -- if you're going to do this, find a way that veterans who are incapacitated for one reason or another mentally, uh, dont have access to this kind of weapon.
http://www.c-span.org/Events/Senate-...10737438612-2/
= new reply since forum marked as read
but it is a good thing my wife won't let me keep a pistol in the house. I probably wouldn't be alive right now.
However, they are talking about all vets, not just crazy vets like me. I think??
As far as PTSD being a new phenomenon, I read an interesting article a while back. If you look at the way that fronts and units rotated in WWII, the average combat vet saw combat twice a year in WWII. In Korea, it was once every three months and in Vietnam, it averaged once every three weeks. When I was in Iraq, it was probably about once every 2-3 weeks that something happened to my platoon. Just taking into account the frequency that Vietnam (and newer era) guys saw enemy contact really illustrates why us Vietnam and later era vets are stricken more by PTSD than other generations.
I would not be surprised to find analysis stating that much of the "wild west" was made up of crazy Civil War vets. Wasn't the original group of Hell's Angels made up of WWII vets (pilots I think?) that found it impossible to fit back in with the rest of normal society?
It was normal that at least one platoon in my battalion each day encountered something like a couple of rounds of sniper fire, an IED, or a small arms ambush. Just playing the odds, you'd be hit probably once every 2-3 weeks. Most events lasted no more than a couple of minutes. Occasionally, we'd be involved in something big. Most events weren't even noteworthy to in terms of historical impact, but for those involved they can be very traumatic.
Anyways, I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm kind of in a rambling mood right now and I should get back to nursing my saturday afternoon beer 
Almost all of us have a demon or two in the closet. Some of us keep it fairly well under control, others of us need more help. I worry more about vets who do not have the occasional nightmare.
The help is out there- never be afraid or too proud to accept it.
Welcome home brother 