Ten years ago, a 22-year old marine combat veteran of Fallujah (Iraq 2005-06) appeared before me on charges in six indictments. First-degree armed robbery was the most serious, carrying a sentence within the range of 10 to 20 years’ imprisonment. His other charges included terroristic threats, drug possession and credit card fraud. After his military service, the veteran had spent a few weeks in a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) residential treatment program for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); before this crime spree, he had picked-up three municipal court convictions for drug related offenses.

The attorney representing him in Superior Court gathered VA records and had him examined by experts. In their opinion, the PTSD was chronic and severe with resulting substance abuse, “induced by gruesome, shocking and emotionally distressing events he experienced and/or witnessed during his military duty in a war zone.” The experts noted symptomatic nightmares with flashbacks of combat and other traumatizing events in Iraq.