Army Sgt. Gwen Beberg, 28, of Minneapolis, Minn., is scheduled to return to the U.S. in November. She enlisted in the Army for three years, but her contract was extended by the Army’s Stop-Loss policy last year and she was sent to Iraq, according to The Associated Press.Beberg helped rescue a puppy from a flaming pile of trash in Baghdad and attempted to adopt the puppy, named Ratchet, and take it back home when she completed her tour of duty. Beberg has described her relationship with Ratchet as essential to her survival in the war-torn country. More than 65,000 people signed petitions to grant clemency for Ratchet.Earlier this month, Ratchet was scheduled to board a flight to Beberg’s parents’ home in Minnesota through the efforts of a group called Operation Baghdad Pups but was confiscated before reaching the Baghdad airport.At least 36 other animals rescued by soldiers were destroyed under similar circumstances, according to the Star Tribune. After facing days of uncertainty about the condition of her puppy, Beberg confirmed Ratchet is alive and well and is on his way to Minnesota.The Department of Defense prohibits soldiers deployed overseas from adopting pets or taking them home, but Operation Baghdad Pups has managed to transfer at least 56 other pets from Iraq in 2008.A U.S. military spokeswoman said the reasons for withholding pets include health and animal care issues.Operation Baghdad Pups is run by SPCA International and uses donations to transfer pets on commercial and private airlines, according to The Star Tribune.Terri Crisp, Operation Baghdad Pups’ program coordinator said Iraqis view dogs as pests, and they will die if left on Iraqi streets.Crisp, along with  Beberg’s mother, Pat, has been an advocate of the positive effects Ratchet has had and will have on Beberg’s mental health.Crisp told The Star Tribune she thinks the situation is senseless because they took something helpful away from soldiers, which, in turn, caused them more trauma. “I know the military has its rules, but I think it could be some very positive PR if they were to revise and review that ruling … The military is very concerned about post-traumatic stress and high rates of suicide. When my daughter called here a week ago, she had trouble talking on the phone. She’s devastated,” Pat Beberg told The Star Tribune.The full impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on the mental health of our soldiers is not yet known and may not be known for years to come.But the Army Behavioral Health Web site reported about one-third of all soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom received mental health care in the year after return, with 10 to 15 percent at risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.But the military acknowledges the stigma soldiers associate with receiving mental health care. They encourage soldiers to seek professional help. According to Military.com, PTSD “can occur following a life-threatening event like military combat … Most survivors of trauma return to normal given a little time. However, some people have stress reactions that don’t go away on their own or may even get worse over time. These individuals may develop PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD can affect daily life and include nightmares, flashbacks, difficulty sleeping and emotional numbness. “PTSD is marked by clear physical and psychological symptoms. It often has symptoms like depression, substance abuse, problems of memory and cognition, and other physical and mental health problems. The disorder is also associated with difficulties in social or family life, including occupational instability, marital problems, family discord, and difficulties in parenting,” Military.com stated.In February, CNN claimed PTSD also may be a factor in suicide attempts because it can result in broken relationships and often leads to drug and alcohol abuse.Amid rising soldier suicide rates since the inception of the Iraq war, allowing soldiers to care for pets may provide a means for them to cope with PTSD, depression or other mental health issues.The article explained that long deployments harm relationships and increase the number of suicide attempts. In that article, U.S. Army Chaplain Lt. Col. Ran Dolinger said broken relationships were the central issue behind the Army’s alarming suicide statistics.So why not allow soldiers like Beberg to foster new and healthy relationships with pets like Ratchet?—-Contact Daniel Lumetta at [email protected]