This is an interesting analysis of the situation with which I'm generally in agreement, but you made a couple of points with which I would take issue. First, whatever the source of this particular young man's issues, I would not take at face value the VA's estimate of the percentage of returning combat vets diagnosable with PTSD (the diagnosis itself is a problem, but that's a different topic). There has been a lot of press about clearly traumatized vets being less than honorably discharged for having "pre-existing personality disorders" so the VA can avoid providing needed services to traumatized veterans. Secondly, your post pre-supposes that those of us with childhood trauma cannot be diagnosed with PTSD, which is incorrect. While I take issue with the usefulness of the diagnosis itself, it is clear that many survivors of childhood trauma meet the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.