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Pilot: VA is 'Inept'; Private Sector Should Step in to Offer Troop Aid

The former Air Force pilot shot down over Bosnia nearly 20 years ago said private groups should play a bigger role in recovery for veterans and troops fighting PTSD and other mental-health woes.

Can the private sector do a better job of serving veterans who face mental health and substance abuse problems?

Capt. Scott O'Grady, who gained some renown 18 years ago when he was shot down over Bosnia, thinks so.

O'Grady, who spoke at the opening of the 2013 Freedom and Recovery Conference at the Hotel del Coronado Wednesday, discussed his harrowing survival tale at length, but he also touched on how veterans are treated when they seek help.

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He doesn't think the Veterans Administration is capable of providing the necessary aid.

O'Grady, who dropped a run for the Republican nomination for a Texas state Senate seat last year, said he's thankful that “there is private enterprise” to help those asking for help. The government, he added, is “inept and unable to do so.” 

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O'Grady made the comments during the question-and-answer session that followed his speech before hundreds of medical and counseling professionals gathered for the conference, which is focused on mental health and addiction issues faced by veterans and first responders.

The former Air Force pilot said he never suffered from post-traumatic stress in the wake of the six days he spent dodging the enemy during the civil war in the Balkans, though he has concerns about strains borne by current military personnel and their families. 

He said the current caseload “is just horrific,” based on those dealing with PTSD, brain injuries, divorce and threats of suicide.  

O'Grady, who often made reference to his faith in God while displaying a droll sense of humor, also noted his belief in the people he opted to fight for – Americans – and how it helped carry him as he awaited rescue.

“You weren't going to forget about me,” he said. “... I want you to know that I never doubted that.”

The conference continues through Saturday. It is the second year it has been held at the Del and organizers say they plan to return in 2014.


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