Who We Are and What We Do

Chase Rauchle PTSD NOW! (the “Organization”) is named after Craig Rauchle’s son. Chase Rauchle was a staff sergeant in the Army National Guard who suffered from PTSD arising out of his tours of duty as a gunner in Afghanistan. After numerous failed attempts to receive help, Chase took his own life on September 9, 2019.

The Organization has found an inconsistent approach to preventing, identifying, and treating PTSD symptoms within our National Guard from state to state. Self-identification or discussion of PTSD symptoms is discouraged due to “the warrior mentality” of service personnel including among those within the chain of command. Even if symptoms are identified, the available resources are woefully inadequate to meet the needs of affected personnel.

The overall objective of the Organization is to reduce the incidence of suicide among U.S. military personnel who suffer from PTSD. The Organization will pursue this objective using three (3) main strategies. First, the Organization plans to act as a resource to help educate policy makers and those responsible for the mental health of our service personnel about the “best practices” for preventing PTSD, for recognizing the symptoms and effects of PTSD, and for treating PTSD. This strategy will be implemented through exhaustive research of available studies and materials, compilation and summary of such materials, and, where necessary, the production of concise materials and resources to be presented to, and discussed with, the Organization’s target audience.

Second, the Organization plans to advocate for, and assist with, improvements in the military’s processes and procedures for preventing, identifying, and treating PTSD. This strategy is already underway and involves identifying and gaining access to those individuals within the military and Department of Defense who have policy authority over such matters. To date, the Organization has had several meetings with the Nevada National Guard and is currently working with the Nevada National Guard to establish new polices relating to PTSD.

Third, to the extent funds are available to do so, the Organization plans to pay for and oversee pilot projects that would provide counseling and treatment services from nationally recognized PTSD specialists for service men and women within the military. The ultimate goal would be to assist with the creation of a permanent policy structure within the U.S. military to effectively deal with this national crisis.

The Organization’s initial focus will be on National Guard personnel in the State of Nevada (Army and Air Force). However, the Organization plans to take what it learns from its experience with the Nevada National Guard and to expand its efforts to other states with the desire to create programs that will extend to all military personnel nationwide.