Wife: Missing Soldier Suffers from PTSD, Long Untreated Brain Injury

A Fort Jackson soldier who has been missing since Saturday may be headed to his parents' home in Minnesota, The State reports. 

Sgt. Rob Larson, 26, served two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. He had a traumatic brain injury in 2006 and has been undergoing treatments since 2009, The State reports. 

Larson was last seen in Columbia at the Forest Acres Walmart buying camping equipment. 

A Facebook page operated by Larson's wife Pamela stated that Larson is probably not wearing military issued clothing. If he does not return in 30 days, Larson could be declared AWOL. 

"We know that Rob has 'left' us, but he has not abandoned us," Pamela Lawson wrote on Facebook. "Yes, he is AWOL, but he is not a deserter, and yes there is a HUGE difference."

Pamela Lawson also said on the Facebook page that she was a Purple Heart veteran that suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and understood, to some extent, what her husband going through.

"Please realize that people who suffer from a TBI and PTSD are living in a constant state of unbalance," Pamela Lawson wrote. "The smallest thing can set them off at the drop of a hat. He is most likely terrified of the repercussions of his actions at this point, and scared to come home. It is not that he doesn't love us or that he isn't proud of his military service. Please realize that he is still a veteran, and a confused one at that. He has been deployed three times and was untreated for a very long time. His brain injuries are extensive and he is most likely off of his meds."

Lawson is originally from North Branch, MN. His family now lives in Calhoun County. 

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