Army Checking State of Ex-POWs’ Physical, Mental Health

Five U.S. soldiers who spent 22 days in captivity in Iraq were under close observation by mental health experts Monday to see if the ordeal, as well as the sudden notoriety it conferred, has left psychological scars, Army medical officials said.

The former prisoners of war, who flew back to their home base at Ft. Bliss in a triumphal Easter weekend homecoming, were also being tested for any diseases they might have contracted, said Col. Glenn W. Mitchell, commander of the William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso.

The five members of the Army’s 507th Maintenance Company, who were captured in an Iraqi ambush March 23, are “in great spirits. They look incredibly happy,” Mitchell said. He said the four men and one woman would be given a battery of tests over the next two to four days, then allowed convalescent leave to be with their families full time.

“I think they have been through a lot,” the colonel told reporters after meeting with the former POWs on Monday morning. “Clearly, people who have had that kind of stress are not necessarily up for the normal 12-hour day in the Army.”

Mitchell said former war prisoners, like other people subjected to extremely stressful situations, might later experience nightmares or sudden bouts of sweating or be easily startled. So far, said Mitchell, a specialist in emergency medicine, the former POWs have displayed no sign of any unusual psychological effects of their time in captivity. He categorized their overall physical condition and attitude as good, and said none seemed to be suffering “overwhelming problems.”

The sole woman among the returnees, Spc. Shoshana Johnson, 30, of El Paso, suffered gunshot wounds to both ankles during the ambush. “When I left her she was smiling and looking forward to getting around on her crutches,” Mitchell said.

Johnson, who has a 2-year-old daughter, will require weeks of care and therapy, but her prognosis is good. “We expect her to be able to go on just like everybody else,” he said. “They are going to be back being soldiers after their leave.”

Since returning Saturday night on an Air Force C-17 from Germany, the former prisoners have been spending a lot of time with their loved ones, and they are not being required to sleep at the hospital, Mitchell said.

“Clearly, we want people to be near their families,” the Army physician said. “It really maximizes recovery and minimizes the time.”

When the C-17 landed, Mitchell said, Johnson had to be carried off the rear cargo ramp on a stretcher. But, he noted, she refused to be transported separately. She wanted to remain with the other returnees from the 507th, who made a victory lap of the airfield in a converted golf cart, cheered by a crowd of well-wishers.

When Mitchell offered her transport by ambulance, he recalled, Johnson said, “Well, sir, the answer is no. I’m going with my buddies. You can help me up, and you need to put me on that golf cart.”