A Tragic Update

You may remember a piece I did in early January on Travis Twiggs. A Marine Staff sergeant whose story of post-traumatic stress after 4 tours of duty (Afghanistan & Iraq) was told in the Marine Corps Gazette.

When I arrived back in the States, it was as though I had never left. All of my symptoms were back, and now I was in the process of destroying my family. That was all taking place because I did not understand what was happening to me. . . .

I learned today that Twiggs' PTSD won the battle. In Tom Ricks's Inbox (WaPo Outlook section). Here is the story from an AP story:

2 suspects dead after police pursuit on Interstate 8

STANFIELD, Ariz.

Two men who led law enforcement agents on a lengthy pursuit on Interstate 8 Wednesday morning were found dead after their car was disabled, and authorities said it appeared to be a murder-suicide.

The dead men were brothers who had been sought since they reportedly carjacked a couple and took their white Dodge sedan at the Grand Canyon on Monday night, said Pinal County Sheriff's spokesman Mike Minter.

Minter said officers approaching the white Dodge Caliber after it was disabled by spike strips heard gunshots and later confirmed both died of bullet wounds. No officers fired or were hurt.

"It appears one man in the vehicle shot the other guy and then turned the weapon on himself," Minter said.

Minter said the men were identified as Travis N. "T-Bo" Twiggs, 36, and Willard J. "Will" Twiggs, 38.

Authorities from the National Park Service had been searching for the brothers since two men stole a car at gunpoint from two people Monday night at the Grand Canyon National Park. The men had crashed their own car several hours earlier but walked away carrying backpacks. Travis Twiggs was recently an active-duty member of the military based at the Marine Corps base at Quantico, Va., said national park spokeswoman Shannan Marcak. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was reported to be unpredictable. Will Twiggs was from Louisiana.

In January I reminded us that Twigss' story should remind us of the harm being done to the young men and women who escape Iraq & Afghanistan without physical wounds. I fear that the tragedies of the Bush/Cheney mangled foreign policy will continue to haunt us long after this conflict finally ends.