U.S. Army Mental Health Survey Concerning Private Firearms Ownership

There are a lot of rights you suspend, or give up, when you enlist. As I've stated before, all enlisted men ought not enlist again until these rights are restored. Maybe the military would get the drift. Some rights are inalienable, or at least they used to be.

I have been told the soldiers discharged from the military cannot but a gun anymore. Something about PTSD. It's in their records, whether they have it or not.

THAT would be worthy of a major media scandal - any proof to that?

None of my guns are registered... I must be a terrorist, or at least some sort of criminal, because I've even sold a handgun private party.

I'm a terrorist. I have never registered my firearms nor do I plan to.

One question asked whether you carry weapons when going to the grocery store.

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You are right to be suspicious, but...

This is apparently a new survey. If it is actually meant to be a clinically useful instrument someday, it must undergo testing and refining.

They may find that the questions on gun ownership, carry, and carry of other weapons correlate strongly (as we all know) with other markers of responsibility, protectiveness, preparedness and ease of mind. Or they may find that those questions give them no additional information compared to other questions in the survey, and they will be dropped from future versions of the survey.

It is possible that the motives are anti-2A, and previous medical "studies" and newspaper polls with that agenda give us reason for suspicion. But it ain't necessarily so. We should perhaps remember the apocryphal story that the RAF gave an extensive survey to potential pilots during WWII. They found that one question correlated strongly with their successful pilots: "Do you ride a motorcycle?" I wonder how many thought that that question was being used to screen out the reckless, and so falsely answered "No," hoping to be pilots.

I'm a terrorist. I have never registered my firearms nor do I plan to.

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Well, some people felt that way during the 1968 machine gun amnesty. So now they have contraband that can send them to prison rather than very valuable assets. The point is that you can't be too rigid about such things.

"Amnesty registered weapons are easily located and confiscated, should the government ever want to renege on the amnesty. The unregistered ones are a little harder to conficscate." Adolph Hitler, 1936

It has always been my understanding that basic training and OCS were where the Army wanted to find out if you would break under stress. Has that changed?

As to the STARRS program. If I had to sign it, or it was coaded so the results could come back to identify me...the whole survey would be turned in blank. If I did not have to sign it, it would be filled out accurately.

When I was in (60's and 70's) I did not encounter anything like this. If I had to sign it, I would have a real problem as the information is really none of their business. If the survey was not traceable to an individual, the results would be unreliable and a less than useless waste of time.

It's sad that anyone is forced into taking a survey such as you described, oh-well such is Army life. The only option I see is to lie about every answer, you may be able to force me to answer your questions but you can't force me to tell you the truth.

I have been told the soldiers discharged from the military cannot but a gun anymore. Something about PTSD. It's in their records, whether they have it or not.

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Where did you get that?

Chad, that is illegal. Soldiers assigned to Fort Bliss, or any other DOD post are allowed to maintain our 2nd Amendment rights unless there is official, legal disciplinary action to the contrary (such as an actual court-martial) as long as we are off-post and operating within the laws of the state (Texas). The exception is on-post or on federal land, due to command policies. Any orders to the contrary are in violation of Congress and should politely be treated as such- you can simply reference the Act and let your CO read away. If he keeps on it, go over his head and contact IG.

Furthermore, if you are forced to surrender your firearms, DO NOT turn them in to your unit. Family, the Rod and Gun Club, or the MP armory are ALL preferable to your unit arms room.

Registration is the worst option, and according to the Act, it is no longer mandatory. A lot of our leaders are trying to 'look out for us' by violating the rights that we do have, and it pisses me off, and that's why I'm leaving. To me, NCO is just another way to say "incompetent, power-hungry, slacker", but that's the caliber of leadership we have in 3-41 Infantry.

Get out and work a real job and don't tell the government about your legally-owned weapons. Registration precedes confiscation- just ask Australians!

Rocketmedic has the definitive answer. I concur. "Get out and work a real job and don't tell the government about your legally-owned weapons. Registration precedes confiscation- just ask Australians!"

I have been told the soldiers discharged from the military cannot but a gun anymore. Something about PTSD. It's in their records, whether they have it or not.

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If that in any way is true, there is a whole lot more to it than what you state.

Ask me how I know...

Quote:
"I have been told the soldiers discharged from the military cannot but a gun anymore. Something about PTSD. It's in their records, whether they have it or not."

Really? PTSD and receiving counseling doesnt effect your security clearance in most cases. Lets see my girlfriend got out of the USA in Fall of 2009 and she has purchased a few handguns, shotguns and rifles since getting out. She purchased her first Maxus within 30 days of leaving Army and she did time in a medical company.

Site please?

Sorry you are full of it.

Well if they are listed as mentally adjunct and discharged for PTSD I think that would do it.

Heretic said:

I have been told the soldiers discharged from the military cannot but a gun anymore. Something about PTSD. It's in their records, whether they have it or not.

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Either you misunderstood or you were lied to.

SimplyChad said:

Well if they are listed as mentally adjunct and discharged for PTSD I think that would do it.

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Incorrect.
The only mental competency factor is what's listed on BATFE Form when you buy a gun at an FFL

"Have you ever been adjudicated mentally defective (which includes having been adjudicated incompetent to manage your own affairs) or have you ever been committed to a mental institution?"

...in plain language - has a court ever ruled that you are mentally and/or physically incompetent and unable to manage your own affairs - i.e. alzhiemers, severe dementia, etc...

Unless a person is suffering from SEVERE PTSD which COULD/MIGHT/MAYBE requires a guardian, caretaker and couldn't manage their daily affairs without professional assistance, PTSD is NOT a factor.

It's NOT a mental illness

Additionally, while IN the service and after out of the service, a veteran's active duty military records are as confidential and private as their post-service medical records and are NOT "public record" - to include those veterans currently seeking treatment at Veteran's Administration Hospitals and clinics.

The paths don't cross.


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Hi, I have PTSD and get my treatments at the VA, not many nowadays but keep in touch.
I would think very hard about either not taking the survey or marking all A on the answers.
If you have essay I would write the first paragraph of the Code of Conduct on all of them

Get out and work a real job and [...]

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You lost me there. Hate to say it. And I'm not even an NCO.

Come to 1/1AD and you'll see why the Army is what it is today, brother.

Luckily, El Paso is fairly firearms-friendly. There's some great ranges and a pretty active community, although the gun show is a joke.

Questionnaires are amonge the least desirable ways of getting reliable information for study. They are very easily mis-informed. Why all the fuss?

Josh

Rocketmedic said:

Come to 1/1AD and you'll see why the Army is what it is today, brother.

Luckily, El Paso is fairly firearms-friendly. There's some great ranges and a pretty active community, although the gun show is a joke.

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1/1 AD is one of the newly formed Stryker Brigades, isn't it? I was in 4/2 ID when it was formed, and there it was horrible. We had some similar issues, and all kinds of other issues, and it was one of the worst experiences in my career, and many soldiers felt the same way. They Army has a horrible method of doing that. 5'2 ID had all the same problems as us.

I can be very rigid about not registering my firearms. See, the second amendment enumerates our RIGHT, handed down by our creator to bear arms.

Marbury v. Madison states that any law repugnant to the Constitution is not valid. ( paraphrased)

So, anything that would "infringe" on my RIGHT to bear arms would be an illegal law.

May god have mercy on their souls if they come after the guns of Americans, because I'm sure they will get none from patriots.

Tyrants have contempt for Liberty, and our Constitution which protects our Liberty.

You are not a tyrant, are you?