A Pennsylvania Marine Corps serviceman who has served four combat tours of duty faces the possibility of losing his VA benefits because of a recent drunk driving charge. If found guilty, it would be his second DUI conviction. The 33-year-old currently receives treatment from a Veterans Affairs facility for post-traumatic stress syndrome relating to an injury he sustained from an exploding improvised explosive device (IED) while in an active combat area.

The Marine rifleman could face a court-martial and a dishonorable discharge from the military, which would result in the loss of all VA benefits. The man was charged with DUI in Pennsylvania and has a previous DUI conviction in Georgia and a current charge on a repeat offense pending there.

The judge hearing the case postponed his ruling when he learned of the Marine's tours of duty and potential loss of needed benefits. Many veterans stateside, including service members from Missouri, suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving or being injured in combat areas. The disorder often seems to become linked subsequently with offenses such as drunk driving.

"We don't have a veterans' court here, as some counties do, because we don't have that many cases," Judge Timothy Creany pointed out at a recent hearing. The judge could suggest a program for the veteran that would allow him to possibly escape the court-martial and keep his benefits. He plans to consult with authorities in Georgia to see if the states could together work on a solution.

"We owe him that much for what he had done for us and this country. To do him out of the benefits is just crazy," Creany said, who is also a veteran of the Marine Corps and served in the Vietnam War.

Source: The Tribune-Democrat, "Vets and crime: Judges consider service to country during sentencing," Sandra K. Reabuck, Feb. 4, 2012