South Carolina residents will be interested to hear about the story of a Marine Corps man from Pennsylvania who is being charged with a DUI. The charge carries its own legal penalties, but in addition the man faces a discharge from the service, a military court-martial and, maybe most importantly for this man, the loss of all benefits associated with military service.

The man has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and if he does lose all of his benefits because of the DUI charge, how could he get the treatment he needs to get better? The Veterans Administration provides programs to aid past and present military members, but they are only available if the members have benefits.

The 33-year-old served four tours of duty during his military career, with the tours split between Iraq and Afghanistan. During one of his stints overseas, he suffered a head injury from a nearby explosion. That injury was also being covered by the Veterans Administration under the 33-year-old's benefits.

This episode calls into question how the justice system deals with returning military members. They fight for our country and protect our way of life, but it comes at a definite personal cost to those who serve. It would seem that some leniency should be shown in criminal cases that involve military veterans, affording them the medical care they need as they try to recover from their times at war.

The 33-year-old, alongside the judge handling his case, are looking into a probationary program that would not only give the man the medical treatment he needs, but also allow him the chance to clear the DUI charge if he completes the program.

Source: The Tribune-Democrat, "Vets and crime: Judges consider service to country during sentencing," Sandra Reabuck, Feb. 4, 2012