"We did a lot of air assaults and sweeps in villages," he said. When he got home, he had a hard time adjusting to civilian life.

"All of a sudden you're in the civilian world where you're not supposed to kill anybody," he said. "Over there you're supposed to kill people. You've got a split mind."

He said he started drinking too much and had some run-ins with the law. That's when he decided to find help.

"I wasn't diagnosed with PTSD till 1990 because no one knew what it was," Elhard said.

He's learned to cope with the symptoms but said they never go away.

"A car passes me on the highway Monday and I've got to look over and see the driver because he might have a weapon," he said.

Elhard has since gotten a master's degree in counseling and holds sessions at the Billings Vet Center to help others cope with the same symptoms he suffers from.

"Our philosophy here is to turn PTSD into a useful tool." For example, one of the symptoms of the disorder is a hightened awareness of your surroundings. Elhard said he used this awareness and his flying skills to dust crops. But treating veterans in Montana can be a problem.

John Viviano operates the Mobile Vet Center that travels throughout Montana giving care to veterans. He covers area from Bozeman to Sidney and even parts of Sheridan. The converted RV is equipped with a satellite that allows them to tie into counseling sessions taking place in Billings. But Senator Tester said he'd like to increase access to PTSD treatment for veterans across the state.

"Make sure rural veterans have access that urban veterans have is critically important," Tester said.

Elhard said the Billings Vet Center also helps veterans cope with relationship issues that arise because of service.