Three years after a tour in Iraq, an Army Veteran was settling back into civilian life in Texas when he witnessed a terrible accident at work.
“I applied first aid on a fellow employee,” said M.V., who requested that he only be identified by his initials. “I had this uneasy feeling the rest of the day. This building tension was like a slow tidal wave.”
On his way home from work that evening, he bought some beer. When it was gone, he decided to go to a local bar and, when it closed, he continued drinking at an after-hours place.
“When I left that place, I was lost and drunk,” M.V. said. “A police officer stopped me for failure to signal at an intersection.”
M.V. was arrested and charged with DWI. After he was released from jail, he sought help from VA, which diagnosed him with PTSD and prescribed an anti-depressant. He pleaded guilty to DWI, successfully completed two years’ probation and tried to put the unfortunate 2007 event behind him.
Seven years later, he was arrested again for DWI.
“This time, I was so drunk I passed out at a stop sign,” M.V. said. “The cops had to smash the window to get me out. I’m glad I did not hurt anyone; that would have been tough to live with.”
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Tarrant County Veterans Treatment Court is recognized by county officials. From left to right: Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, Veterans Treatment Court Judge Brent Carr, Veterans Treatment Court Manager
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