Keyword: Haditha

Haditha Marine Arrested: Tells of Involvement, PTSD Email Print

From the Fresno [CA] Bee:

Felony charges were filed Friday against a Marine accused of stealing a truck and crashing it into a Hanford house -- acts he blames on stress from seeing his best friend die in combat and having to move the bodies of children in Haditha, Iraq. Lance Cpl. Roel Ryan Briones, 21, is charged with auto theft, hit and run and drunken driving in connection with the April 3 crash of a pickup into a Hanford home.

Not surprisingly, we find the first reported case of posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD] related to involvement in the tragedy at Haditha. Military officials at Camp Pendleton have confirmed that Briones -- who took no part in the alleged killing of civilians -- has PTSD; he has been receiving counseling from a psychologist for his condition in San Diego. The Purple Heart veteran was drunk at the time he stole this vehicle, crashing it into a residential home a mere 36 hours after returning home from Iraq.

Much more on this incident, as well as an expanded look on how Haditha affected two Marines ordered to photograph and handle the civilian casualities.

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