The images from Afghanistan are difficult for Bundeswehr soldiers to bear. Traumatized war veterans experience a kind of retraumatization. Several voices are calling for less bureaucratic therapy places. Katharina Pfadenhauer met Afghanistan soldiers from Bavaria who would have liked more support from the Bundeswehr. Guido Sabbath has been on regular Bundeswehr missions since 1999, including in Kosovo, but also four times in Afghanistan. He still cannot get over what he experienced there. The 48-year-old suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder - PTSD for short. "I sleep for a maximum of one and a half hours before I wake up drenched in sweat," says Guido. "I never came back from the mission." Professional soldier Dirk is also traumatized. The fact that he was sent to Afghanistan at the age of 27 and witnessed a devastating bus attack there in which four of his comrades died has haunted him. He says: "When I'm away from my property, my heart starts racing, I get stomach cramps, my eyes start burning." He also always checks when he's out and about to see if anyone is behaving strangely or carrying a strange backpack. But both had to fight for years to have their illness recognized. The basic problem: many of those affected only seek help years after their deployment. Criticism comes from the ranks of the Free Voters, among others. The Bundeswehr is too bureaucratic and not very accommodating in this regard. The soldiers usually have the burden of proof and have to prove to their employer that they are mentally ill, says the deputy chairman of the Free Voters in Bavaria, Hans Martin Grötsch. He feels that the bureaucratic hurdles in the Bundeswehr are too high, and that processes are often too lengthy. The Federal Government's Commissioner for the Armed Forces, Eva Högl (SPD), is calling for more therapy options for traumatized soldiers. And above all, more targeted ones so that they can be helped earlier. Rapid procedures for determining whether there is an injury sustained during deployment are important. Then help could be provided quickly and those affected could be supported. The Association of German Veterans would like the burden of proof to be reversed in principle. However, under certain conditions this is already the case: If, for example, a soldier witnesses a bomb attack during a deployment and immediately goes into therapy afterwards, the burden of proof lies with the employer. The employer would then have to prove to the soldier that he is not suffering from PTSD. According to the Bundeswehr, PTSD is one of the most common diagnoses after soldiers are sent on a deployment. Since 2016, around 200 soldiers have been diagnosed with PTSD every year. The vast majority of them were in Afghanistan. Last year there was a peak: 213 soldiers were diagnosed with PTSD. Two thirds of them fought in Afghanistan. Dunja Neukam from the Association of German Veterans assumes that the number of unreported cases is much higher. She believes that one in three soldiers who was deployed abroad could suffer from PTSD. The Ministry of Defense has recognized the issue and has its own PTSD officer. When asked, a ministry spokesperson said that efforts have been made for years to "destigmatize mental illness." The Bundeswehr also has a central contact, control and coordination office for soldiers who suffer from the consequences of deployment. There is also the Bundeswehr social service. These comprehensive and low-threshold contact points are available to all active and former soldiers. Despite this, Guido Sabbath, for example, had to fight for years to receive a 50 percent deployment injury, which would mean better compensation for him. The Bundeswehr initially only wanted to grant him a 30 percent military service injury. Dirk's demands were also only granted after years. Author: Katharina Pfadenhauer Here is our BR24 website: http://www.BR24.de BR24 Facebook: / br24 BR24 Twitter: / br24 BR24 Instagram: / br24