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Subscribe to RSSThere were 38 suspected suicides among active-duty and reserve soldiers in July, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Army.
That figure outpaces the 24 active-duty and reserve suicides the Army reported for the month of June and is the highest monthly number of suicides since record-keeping began a few years ago.
The Department of Defense did not attempt to explain the abrupt surge in suicides for the month of July in a statement announcing the figures.
"I do believe suicide is preventable," Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, vice chief of staff of the Army, said in the release. "To combat it effectively will require sophisticated solutions aimed at helping individuals to build resiliency and strengthen their life coping skills."
Related: Survivors of military suicide victims come together to grieve
Bruce Shahbaz, a medical analyst on the Army’s Suicide Prevention Task Force, told Time that experts did notice the deaths of non-commissioned officers outnumbered those of junior enlisted members for the first time since 2001. NCOs are more likely to be older, married and at home between deployments, a period of time that can be turbulent and exacerbate stress, according to Shahbaz.
"Issues like minor depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances -- those things that are kind of related to post-traumatic stress -- begin to surface after a service member has been home for more than a year, and start to reintegrate with their family … I liken it to a pot that’s on simmer -- having that person stay back home and reintegrate with their family sometimes allows that pot to boil over," Shahbaz told Time.
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The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), a non-profit organization that provides counseling resources to suicide survivors, estimates that each death personally impacts 10 people. TAPS said that each week, eight to 10 people grieving for a service member who died by suicide seek its services.
"We are deeply saddened by these numbers, and renew our commitment to support the families left behind who are grieving the death of soldiers by suicide," the organization said in a statement.
So far in 2012, the Army has confirmed 66 active-duty suicides and continues to investigate 50 more, for a total of 116 cases. There were 165 confirmed active-duty suicides in 2011.
Rebecca Ruiz is a reporter at NBC News. Follow her on Twitter here.
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They are there when we needed them, now we need to be there for them... before it gets this bad. They are fighting for a country that is spinning out of control with moral, financial, spiritual issues that can't be addressed without offending the rights of the people pushing agenda's.
"They live-- or die-- with the consequences."
Problem solved , next ?
I have never walked a mile in their shoes. I feel for them. I really do.
It's
really worse than that. After signing on for that low-pay job, many are being forcibly
retired with the explanation that they were defective in that they didn't
advance fast enough. This occurs while the hiring of non-military federal jobs
spirals out of control. The Army is
countering this with a new motto-search; stuff like: “Army for life”. It’s really quite sick. The new motto –search project is currently
taking place on AKO – the Army’s web portal.
Compounding this issue is the yoke of constant deployments and other not-necessarily
family-friendly sacrifices mentioned in the article, and the dismal job
prospects once the service member is forcibly retired. The unemployment rate for many of these
soldiers is close to 15% if you believe administration numbers, and probably
really much higher due to the election-cycle fudging that goes on. Army spouses are no longer offered as many
jobs either; creating strain on already-tight budgets. That the private sector is taking a beating
at the same time, despite the POTUS claims, promises a dilution of any support
or sympathy for the plight of these warriors and their families.
us navy a global force for good.that says it all.us=global.sad.
No one "signs up" for the military to kill people for $1600 a month. You have no clue whatsoever so you shouldn't even comment on the topic. By your logic or lack there of how do you explain the suicides on college campuses? The level of stress placed on service members even in peace time is incredible, The basic problem is lack of involvement from the command level until its to late. Ask any number of service members about that very issue and see what kinds of answers you get.
War is never the answer it will always have bad repercussion doing the goverments dirty work like pawns in a chess game
I suspect that many of these soldiers signed up because it was the only job they could find, especially as it offers a higher education if the soldiers survive it. At least we can thank the Democrats, and a few Republicans for that much. As for the war(s), I fault the Obama Administration for carrying on the Cheney/Bush policies in an attempt to prove he can out-Republican the Republicans in his support for the profits for the Military Industrial Complex's side-bar small-print wars.
I agree with you David K., A new soldier joins to get away and better himself but not much to come home to.
The foundation of life starts at home.
There
used to be Honor in having a military background, standing up and being a part
of something that was our countries alone. Now, the honor is only a fading
glimpse. The respect for each other is lost, and the typical 'what can you do
for me' attitude is on the rise.
We
send our young men and women in harm’s way, to fight, kill and sometimes they
die, others to support the operations taking place. This is what they are
trained to do, and to do without question. No one, by them self is the
military, it is a highly trained group(s) of brave men and women.
War
is Hell, just by itself! With all the other pressures, and to witness the same
people we are fighting, laughing and smiling with our leaders, as if nothing
has happened, takes its toll. With the respect of our country being laughed at,
listening to the horror stories these brave men and women are being subjected
to, while under these conditions is unimaginable (unless you have been there).
We
say there is an 8.3 % unemployment rate, when it's really about 30% or better,
so our children see the military as the 'ONLY' opportunity for employment, when
actually they are being manipulated into believing their options are to school
or work. There are many college grads with no jobs either and no HOPE for the
future, and there is no work.
How
does one fight for their country thousands of miles away, when they are being
slammed with the demands of everything else and the BALANCE is lost. It’s hard
enough IF the balance is there. They
lose their families, homes, dignity and HOPE!
The Government is trying to send God on vacation permanently, and without a Foundation for strength, Hope is fading!!!
Shandril your post makes me sick. You're disgustingly ignorant of the female privilege you have in NEVER having to experience the consequences of war. Did you ever ONCE think about why men sign up for the military when it has such bad pay and extraordinarly dangerous working conditions??
(poor) Men sign up because using their bodies as meat shields is sometimes the only opton they have. You wouldn't know this but men HAVE to work or they go homeless/starve. They also believe they are protecting YOUR rights and freedoms. They don't choose where they serve. They don't do it because they want to act out violent fantasies. How many rich people sign up for the military??? Almost zero. Such an ingrate you are. For shame. Shame!
If you had any sense of decency you would have the courage to post an apology.
The reasons people sign up are as varied as the people themselves. Patriotism, a job, or college money are probably the top three. All honorable indeed. But most people don't read history and don't talk to older people and so they have no idea what military life is about. I've seen interviews with a married couple with children where Mom and Dad are in their first or second year in the military. One couple the Mom flunked out of basic - couldn't do the physical stuff - no paycheck. They were counting on her military paycheck and the military providing daycare for the kids to make a living. They thought they could get deployed in a staggered deal where one is always home with the kids. This part of it is inconsistent with historical military life. They produce their own hardships when 18 to 23 years olds go into the military looking for a family support organization. The military tries, and they devote a lot of money to it, the families support each other as best they can. But the Nature of being a troop is to be a lean mean fighting machine ready to drop your bag anywhere, anytime and put up with all kinds of nasty conditions when your country needs you. You life needs to be in that bag. And that is diametrically opposed to a settled down family life. The kids of these parents are getting shorted too ! And it's much worse now because the military industrial complex has arranged war after war to run continuously for profit. Multiple wars running simultaneously is what the industry wants. They are literally using these young people as a commodity for war profits. IT all runs against nature. So family stress and breakups, suicides, mental illness, RX dependency is running at high levels.
I absolutely agree with you, IReadyou. Enlistees have no idea what they are getting into, and they are ill-used by our political leaders who are bought by military contractors.
Wow $1,600 amonth now and that is just start pay. How many of you average $400 a week? When I signed up I got less than $250 a month to go kill Viet Cong. By the time I retired I was getting over $3,000 a month. Like all jobs the military has a starting rate, the longer your there and the more you know gets you pay raises. Quit making it sound like these guys are being paid nothing to do what they do. When I went in I went in for a purpose not money. Most people are lucky to make $225 clear a week. that's $900 a month.
This article only addresses 1 reason for suicides. There is the Dear John Letter the a soldier gets while in Basic or away to another part this world. Yes you little sweethearts at home are another reason and there are others. Troop draw downs are another reason. People that are career minded after 12 -14+ years in and caught up in the drawdown are likely to want to commit suicide. After Desert Storm there was a Draw Down that caused great concern for suicide in the Military. Finacial and career unknown can cause bouts of suicide in mass. Example: When the Stockmarket Crashed begining the Great Depression people where jumping off buildings and killing themselves a number of ways. Rich all the way down to the poor were effected.
6dogs
How about some of the @!$%# that is said on this site. I remeber my father coming back from Vietnam and getting called "Baby Killer" and being spat on. Now the same thing is happing by these so called enlightened people. That makes me sick. By the way I have served three tours in Persian Gulf region and two in Somolia so I know from experience
Has it occurred to anyone else that one of the reasons the Defense budget isn't audited is because we would have an accurate count of the dead US soldiers AND the costs of rehabilitating the maimed ones? And maybe the politicians know full well that we might not like that number of dead and disabled and demand something be done about it.
Sammy John "Did you ever ONCE think about why men sign up for the military when it has such bad pay and extraordinarly dangerous working conditions??"
well, apparently you are unaware, but women sign up for the military too. newslfash, it's 2012.
lots of different reasons, and some as pathetic as wanting to play grown up GI JOE and "blow some sh!t up"...others think they are "saving america" from a fake boogeyman they believe are real, others think they are stoping the evil muslims from taking over america and instituting sharia law (like that COULD or WOULD ever happen)...and still others think that Iraq and Afghanistan attacked us, so naturally we have to fight back (even though neither nation attacked us ever).
and I suspect, a handful of those suicides are people who've come to realize they put their lives on the line and watched buddies die, over 2 wars that are as pointless as ever...and were only ever waged for the personal gain of a few.
Iraq and it's oil (which is wholy evident by the fact that we tried to bribe the "new iraqi govt" into giving american and british corporations sole ownership of the oil fields...which Iraq smartly said HELL NO to)...and the fact that we dont EVER invade and occupy nations with "bad leaders" like Saddam, when those nations have nothing in value for us to raid and take. (see Syria and most of Africa)
The Nukes were a joke from the start and MANY OF US (probably not you) saw through the BS from the start. There's a reason we dont invade an occupy nations with REAL nuke capabilities - it's an equalizer and NO ONE wants to start a nuclear war that cant really be stopped. We knew from the get go Iraq had no real weapons, nothing that could EVER be used...hence we invaded.
Afghanistan...it's all about the minerals baby. Those mountains are LOADED with precious minerals and natural resources, probably in the trillions...not to mention a quite lucrative poppy business that Big Pharma in America has profitted off of greatly.
Nearly EVER war the US has started has been for profiteering and colonialism purposes...and has had little to NOTHING to do with "protecting americas freedom".
Our freedom has NEVER been at stake, not even when Japan bombed pearl harbor...
nothing rally's the patriotic americans more than a good punch in the eye or stomach...how else can you convince millions of people our "freedom is under attack and must be protected" when no one is EVER invading us...ever.
unless you count the mexicans and other illegals coming here to do our manual labor...but how can you count that, when this entire nation was BUILT on immigrant slave labor from the very beginning.
Study your history, it's a roadmap to the future...little changes but the names
I don't know how many of these suicides are stateside, but my mom has depression issues. They run in her family. My brother took her to the hospital last week for anxity and depression and the nurse said hot weather plays a role in a persons depression. The mid-west had almost a month of 90 plus temps in July.
Jessica - I have an ACTUAL history degree.
As far as women in the military, what percentage are in combat roles??????? I mentioned women's military contributions in a different post but don't for one second think that it's equivalent because you say so. It's ignorant and arrogant and it's false. This has nothing to do with your geopolitical ramblings. Take it up with your congressman or woman. This is about real men suffering and dying by their own hands. As far as you thinking its' "some GI Joe @!$%#" for men that's an absurd strawman distortion. Men better understand honour, loyalty and sacrifice because of evolutionary biology. I know you'll find that distasteful but it's true.
Again - men see the military as an opportunity for a paycheck and benefits when there are no other opportunities. Hence why no rich kids join the military. It's an ancillary "benefit" if they see something noble in the work. It's not for you to denigrate because YOU will never EVER have to face the fire. This should be a message board strictly of compassion, empathy, and caring for these men and not a place to air your political grievances. It's ridiculous.
The suicide rate is going out of control because of the homosexual policies that the armed forces have adopted and because of the hopelessness that is going on in the world... fighting wars for no reason other than to put money in the banksters hands?
being told that there is no God... and we evolved from slime and there is no meaning to life? then why fight and what is the point?
These are the lies that people are facing in the army right now...
The TRUTH will set them free...
FYI - IT'S NOT A "HANDFUL" OF SUICIDES!!!!!!!!!! That is so disrespectful. The rate in the article (which is about 1 a day) is only active duty suicides. There are 8 combat vets committing suicide A DAY! That was straight from Lisa Ling's mouth on the almighty fem network OWN just last week. That's over 3000 a year but in your privileged world that's just "a handful" who apparently should've known better than to join the army. Again, projecting why these men are committing suicide is arrogant, dismissive, and just @!$%#ing wrong.
I can blow a hole in your Iraq argument a mile wide. Ahem - the cost of continuing to support Saddam in exchange for oil/resources was many many times less than the cost of the invasion. Tony Blair succinctly pointed that out prior to the invasion. Obvious facts like that elude people like you who insist on seeing global corporatist conspiracies everywhere. It doesn't mean the invasion was correct but don't think you know everything about the reasons for military action. Here's a fun fact for you. Did you know the dropping of the two atomic bombs saved AT LEAST a million and a half lives, probably more?
Another fun fact. If you look at the TOTAL cost of war it's never, ever profitable. That's a nice meme that goes around.
Should we adopt isolationism as a policy again? I don't know. Maybe. It would save a lot of lives. It's easy to argue for when you believe there's some evil capitalist monetary motive at the core of every military action. It's really not the truth though. A better way to frame it is realizing that we probably can't force democratic institutions in countries/cultures that have intrinsic anathema to democracy. They've literally had no experience with it.
Anyways, as I said before, this isn't the board for ridiculous geopolitical ramblings. It's about disturbing suicide rates amongst soldiers and should be about compassion, empathy, and caring.
BRATZDAD, you are totally WRONG. It is damned near impossible to get a federal government job and not be a veteran at this time. And even difficult for vets who are not a "ten pointer." The DOD civilian workforce is expected to shink by 10-20% in the next 10 years, to coincide with the drawdown of the military. What is messed up though, is that when the military expanded earlier this century, the civilian force did not. The non-DOD agencies are also looking at a reduction of about 10%. So, government employment is NOT spiriling out of control. The Army is NOT searching for a new motto, they are looking for a theme for Veterans Day. Also, for military spouses, the President signed an executive order, giving hiring preference to military spouses, something they have never had before. This President has done more for the military than any other President in recent history. So, your claim about him diluting support for the military is a damned lie.
Oh, and the military have always had a "move up, or move out" philosophy. They relaxed it a bit when Iraq was in full swing, but have gone back to it with a vigor.
Lets just keep the USA in 'endless wars' kept going by Congress to appease the corporation war-mongers and lets keep pissing away billions and killing our kids until the whole country collapses. Why do you think anyone in the military is not happy? You sign up to do a job and find your mission is to make big war-corps money and YOU are expendable...DUH!!!
raddave. I agree. Up or out was the program post Vietnam. I saw them RIF combat Vets with multi tours in Vietnam who had 17 and 17.5 years in. The unwritten rule was if you made it to 18 they'd let you stay to a 20 yr retirement at least. so family guys who thought they were lifers and had not prepared for career disruption or a civilian career were getting furloughed without severance packages. I was young and decided any organization that would do that to the senior guys I looked up to with respect would dump on me in a heart beat and I did my contract and got out. I thought their "up or out" was a form of orgaizational suicide (no pun intended). The Riffed people didn't kill themselves back then. I think the reasons they do it now is the US society is coming apart at the seams and opportunity no longer exists for young folks like it used to. corporations are highly disloyal to their people. The military is disloyal to it's people. Colleges will take your money and graduate you to a no jobs in the field . The feds are trying to make dependent serfs out of everyone. And the people are cannibalizing each other like crazy - Trying to buy imported stuff and causing more and more unemployment among the working class. Drugs and alcohol everywhere. 24 hour cable and talk radio bombarding everyone with doomsday messages. Family breakdowns, weak religious understanding, low social tolerance, foul language, poor fundamental educations. Young people are finding a heck of a time trying to cope.
How very, very sad this info is. I know what "war"is. My Father never came back, 2 of my uncles did not, nor did most of the men from our village..that was WW2. Both of my Grandpa's did not make it..WW1.
I can not recall how many breakdowns my Mom had and live to age 96! She passed away 4 Mos. prior to our Son 5 years ago.
Than there was Grandma who never let it show, she took care of my Brother (now 82,) me and Mom. (Mom was cleaning houses for the "rich" and stopped at 81.) Until I saw "Oma" crying in a little room she had. Grieving does not stop, no matter the time frame.
My husband came back from "Nam" 40+ years ago..he is still fighting this war..he was forever changed.
Committing suicide was always "on the table." Much more so now since our son (42) passed away with cancer. I understand.
For the woman, or men of returning soldiers it is an every day job to tend to them..even when you have another job! Some of us woman expected "romance" to return as they walked in. And we got angry when it did not happen..also when they did no longer think their child/children came from heaven..they just needed a lot of peace..just be held and feel safe. Yes they still love you!
To the Big shot's" who start war, after war,I would like to say something..but I can't. Our Hero's need to believe in them. Thank God for Obama, he has more brains. Seems he ONLY does want to protect OUR Country!
We would like to talk with the soldiers & familys, but don't know how to do this safely.
Best Wishes..Stay Safe...
Thank you for your post, windsong-1922521. To all you brave hearts everywhere, at whatever capacity - "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet just perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die" Romans 5:7. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13. There are 300 million Americans living in the United States. Give honor to where honor is due.
The Obama administration is failing again.
If the American people allow him to stay in office we have ALL failed. That simple.
For many people, joining the Army opens up alot of oppurtunities for them and there families. They dont sign up "to kill others for a living". They are here to fight on the front lines and protect our country. If you have a problem with the Army maybe you should go stand in front of them? Oh, besides the fact your "hard earned taxes" go to the government who SENDS our men and women into war. My heart goes out to all of the soldiers and there families left behind <3
What you are talking about fredom1st ?
P.R.E.S.I.D.E.T... Obama didn't START ANY WAR.
( before you get to excited : our military involvement in Syria didn't kill any of our soldiers )
Any clue, Freedom 1st ? ? ?. YOU ARE VERY WELL-INFORMED, so I bet you can help me out. 8 )
Shandril Too!, You have some good points and I share your frustration. However I assure you, if you sign up to kill people you will be disappointed and end up in jail, and if/when you find yourself in the situation to have to kill it will be a bad experience. The truth is, people sign up for the military to eat. The politicians use them for things in the name of freedom, while they pass laws to take away yours.
Shandril you disgust me on so many levels. A young white female who will never have to serve due to the innate privilege you've been born yet you have the unmitigated gall to come on public message board about SUICIDE and shame military vets who are committing suicide at a rate of 8 a day!! That's straight from Lisa Ling's mouth. Such arrogance and ignorance.
Do soldiers choose where they serve?? NO! Is it necessary to keep a standing ready army? YES! These brave men and women most likely choose to serve because they need to eat and need benefits. How many rich kids go into the army??? Almost zero. They also (stupidly to you) think that protecting rights and freedoms has some nobility.
If you don't like where soldiers are serving then lobby your congressman or woman. But show these people the goddamn empathy, compassion, and respect they deserve you giant ingrate.
Bush has most of that record Einstein. :)
You're just another example of Republicans failing to take responsibility for their own actions. Bush started it in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Obama brought them home from Iraq and now Afghanistan too, WHICH I might add he's being attacked for doing by the Republicans in Congress.
So, I guess this begs a question. Why do Republicans want to continue the war?
Jeff,
Really? Last time I checked we still had troops in both countrys...
Tranqqwa, the only troops we have in Iraq are pulling security on our embassy there and a few trainers left there to help with the Iraq Army. There are no combat troops in Iraq anymore.
It can't see how the people who blame the Republicans, Obama, the Democrats, the Commanders, the soldiers motivation for joining the military or on anything else that helps them validate their political orientation really care about solving the problem or the soldiers and their families--it seems that they care more that they have something they can use to validate their politics. The ones that irk me the most are conservatives and liberals blaming the other party, and people blaming the Commanders. Soldiers are there and are assigned to their tasks and missions as a result of our collective democratic political process, influenced by big money or special interests is irrelevent after the fact- it is our current process. Their motives for signing up vary, whether they realized it or not when they joined, they become the spear enforcing and defending our homogenized political conscience. From top to bottom, they take this responsibility very seriously. Commanders and Privates deserve our support and respect for soldiering on in spite of the politics.
I personally know the military Command Structure has been working very hard to try to fix it. Their focus has been to ensure policies are in place so soldiers admitting problems will not be stigmatized as wimps in a very "suck it up and move on" culture, penalized with their career or security clearances. They have required training for every soldier and civilian encouraging them to seek help and to recognize symptoms of problems in others and intervene. They obviously are failing in too many cases, but they are trying and will continue to try.
I think the root cause may be the very folks pointing fingers-- including a bunch of the flag-waving folks that say "Support Our Troops" if in the next sentence they are demonizing our leaders policies. I believe every single one of the people in the Democratic and Republican Parties, and even more the centrists who won't commit to a party, wants to do the right thing for themselves, their famiy, their neighbors, their community and their country- except those that make a living serving some political agenda with an all or nothing, my cause is right orientation--- they are nothing more than mercenaries for politics, soulless vultures who don't really give a s*** about anything at all good. How can soldiers reconcile the moral dilemmas where they may lose their life and ability to fulfill their responsibilities to their families, wives or husbands, children and parents and just generally enjoy all these thing, or may have to do the very hard thing of ending someone elses, when the country as a whole can not seem to come together and support the leaders or policies or generally come together with some similar common consensus of why they are doing all of this?
An example of the lowest of the low, in my opinion, are the "ex-officer attacks on Bin-Laden" thing. The blatant distortion of Obama's remarks to put together a montage that intentionally paints a distorted picture, offices just down the hall from Conservative operatives, etc. I know and have known many military officers, the huge majority are people with absolute commitment. Above all, they have an absolute commitment to service and doing the right thing. Any "ex officer" who would intentionally politicize actions of their Commander-In-Chief's actions does not deserve the honor of the Officer title and all it represents. Those who would orchestrate this vile thing should be prosecuted as sabateurs of our country and it's honor.
If you want what is right for our country, work within it to advocate for what you think is right, and respect others who differ from you as wanting what is right as they see it. When you see common ground, codify it. Don't spend all your time looking backward. That is past, we can't change it. Work to curing our current problems and look to the future and so we can help our soldiers, workers, citizens with a roadmap as to how all can help.
I'm sorry Jessica and Shandril. I take these boardst to heart. It really discourages me when people confuse the broader political machinations with individual men and women.
They keep sending us back into war zones over and over and we lose our wives/husbands, our homes, our sanity and come home to no job and a government that throws money to every illegal alien here as well as other countries while they threaten to not pay us if the budget isn't balanced. We fight and die and that's what we come home to. It's hard to think of a reason to live at times. We have vets come home to no home and while they go homeless our wonderful government is finding places for illegals to stay and food and medical attention for them. I vote if they wanna stay in our country they go sign up for any branch of the military they would like or go the hell home and stop whinning they don't get enough. You go do at least 4 years of service of this country and then ask for citizenship.
actually, its a lot easier to get citizenship while in the military, we see it as a government expense in order to get a clearance, its free and it only takes about a year, so, waiting until you are discharged from the military and then paying out of pocket would be foolish to say the least. all it takes to join the military is an i-551, social security card, education, and a clean record
It's a volunteer military, if you don't like it, don't join.
I wish to heck no one would volunteer any more. Maybe that would even get Corporations out of Government. Imagine no tax money military to make Venture multinational Corporate Capitalists safe or able to occupy and steal more countries. They might have to blow all their profits on Private Soldiers.
Ann: It feels to me like you might be authentic, a soldier or the spouse of one, one of those all of us arm-chair people are talking about.
If so, hats off to you, thank you for everything. I don't agree with the aliens part, the military is Full of minorities that are first or second generation immigrants, but you deserve the best of whatever the USA can give you in gratitude for your sacrifice.
It's very sad what the military is doing to these poor young men and women. All the wars are bogus and our military has these poor young kids to do things that go against their morals. There is a group of ex-Marines that speak out against the war. They tell about what really goes on while on duty and the things they were told to do like shoot at innocent women and children and kill their husbands and fathers etc......and the more they shot they would be rewarded with some home time or whatever. Yet the stories we hear through the media talks as though we are under constant threat from this terrorist or that.......but in truth we are the terrorists. I know people are going to hate me for saying this stuff but just look it up on You Tube. Marines Against War....
War is hell no doubt.
The Lieral media is giving aid and comfort to the enemy ust like them and the anti war radicals did during Viet Nam. By pushing to withdraw troops immediately they are telling the enemy to hang in there just a little longer and you'll win. Our troops read the trash the left puts out so of course they're demoralized. Who wouldn't be knowing that your putting your life on the line for a country that doesn't even back you up. The MSM and Liberal polititions should be tried for treason. And any ex military that speak out against what our troops are doing should be shot on the spot.
And of course you had no problem with Bush and Rumsfeld sending them over with inferior equipment . With Halluburton charging $450.00 per gallon of gas and Blackwater Mercs making $250k per year with no acountablity why wouldn't our troops fell second rate.
Defective body armor , unarmored viechles , showers that kill and a VP who treated them like cattle doesn't seems like America itself cares much for it troops .
But sure blame it on a liberal press , never mind that the right was on Obama for expanding the drone program and wanted to know when he was going to end Bushes wars
IF you want you version of real news then there are plenty of right leaning news sites you can visit that also discredit our troops when it fits their political goals
"should be shot on the spot."
No doubt about where you stand. (kill more people)
They will delete you soon,,That truth hurt's,, We have got to come togeather as the people of the Land of the Free,, No more of this bull,, Money hungery powers that be,, Burn,, U will..
seems and pt, You need to crawl back under your rocks. I don't expect people? like you to understand anything that isn't fed to you by the DNC, (kill more people) That's a liberal thing. (See the last three gunmen).
Olen, If it gets deleted it will just prove my point.
Help stop tis from happening!! Sign this petitio please!!
#!/
um=email
Well, what do you expect? Uneducated young people are lured to join the military with promises of career training and educational benefits...and they find out that they have joined an organization whose real purpose is to kill and destroy in order to provide business opportunities for the subcontractors and military suppliers. When they realized how misused and abused they are by their government which they trusted, of course large numbers of service people become depressed. Very sad.
You are too sick for words
"You are too sick for words"
Just call for his/her death like in your other post.
(cough) i would like to stand up for the navy and air force, where combat training is not given to the majority. as for uneducated, excuse me? everyone that joins the military must have at least a high school diploma, or a GED with a qualifying asvab score and/or college credits. the air force as well as all TS required jobs must be able to pass a credit check. all branches also require everyone to be morally sound, mj convictions disqualify for army/airforce, felonies of any kind whether it was expunged or not will disqualify for all branches. did you know that the current iteration of the gibill pays tuition 100% to any public institution and pays a tax free living allowance? take your propoganda elsewhere, what factual information do you really have? go spread your filth over there at foxnews
That is really the knife through the heart. Believing in our Government which has now become the Big Private Corporation all out for Bankers and Multinational profits. The ideals don't count, there is no Justice. and the Public has no place in "Private Corps". They want to lay us all off after we worked our tails off for them. When we aren't profitable to them anymore, its just business. We aren't supposed to take it personal when they pull the life support. They devalue us, call us names and lay us off. We are the Public. It really does hurt and more than soldiers commit suicide these days.
Go @!$%# yourself "homesick yank". The military is not encouraging the "uneducated young people" to join the military. They are encouraging the the best and brightest to join. I enlisted in the early 80's from high school when I had an opportunity with scholarships to go to many prestiges universities. I chose to enlist in the Army. From the enlisted ranks, I wound up with the opportunity to go to West Point and become a officer. My son had many opportunities when he left high school, he also chose to join the Army as an enlisted soldier. He went to Afghanistan and saw close combat as an infantryman. He did not join for "career training and educational benefits". He joined because he believed it was what he owed to our country, for the others that went before him and the sacrifices they made so that he could be here today and have the choices and opportunities that were afforded to him. It's not the poor and uneducated that are dieing in combat today, look at the statistics. PS to msn, if you choose to delete my post do to the phrase "go @!$%# yourself" then go @!$%# yourselves.
I never wanted to sleep in the mud and eat bugs . Thank GOD for U.S. Army and people who Enlist so the rest of us do not have too.
I don't call holding the average US high school diploma as being well-educated.
And Gary, there is no need to use profanity. Just proves that you have a limited vocabulary.
@retiredcoastguard
Don't thank god, thank those who enlist.
Mike , i am just about sick of atheist . Thank GOD , for ignore list too.
I am saddened that we have lost so many trained and dedicated servicemen, I believe that our country has broken these men with multiple deployments and then just throw drugs at them when they complain of symptoms. Many of these medications are addictive and have bad side effects. They do not take the place of one to one counseling and compassionate care. The system is broken as is most of the health care delivery in this country. We are a very hardened country you can't just use people and then throw them away.
The government has cut services for soldiers with psychological problems and until the government realizes how important these services are it will just continue. But that will never happen under the Obama administration because he has already ordered the Defense Budget slashed which includes programs for soldiers.
You don't know what you're talking about.
actually, guen, the government has increased funding for behavioral health in the DOD. But it's a matter of too little, too late for a lot of soldiers. Add to that the current push to reduce the number of individuals in the military and you see many soldiers (marines, sailors, airmen) getting thrown out on chapter discharges when the source of their difficulties are the emotional problems that go with multiple tours in combat zones.
Should have never done away with the draft. The government is putting to many trips into war zones for these troops like never before, It is creating to many hardships for them. If there was a draft the guy or gal does the 2 years for their country and then moves on. We are asking to much of this all volunteer military. And it is begining to take its toll.
When you want to engage in unjust wars, use a professional (i.e. volunteer) military. Soldiers will be motivated by a desire to kill and/or a large, steady paycheck; ethical questions will have a low priority for them.
how can we get polititions to kill themselves?
Or better yet why would anyone be dumb enough to give a politician money ?
Finances are the problem. Why is it so hard to understand?
Distribution of Finance, you mean. And unclogging the blocked arteries of hoarded trillions (32 to be more exact) in offshore shadow Banks. There's more than enough money. Its just in the wrong hands and used for the wrong things. Its not circulating. We're going to have another financial Stroke.
For the first 6 years of the War on Terror our military men and women were supported and couldn't catch a cold without the US media reporting it.
Today, they get shot out of the sky almost daily in our now losing war effort in Afghanistan and you won't even find a story in MSNBC about them...other then their killing themselves.
Unless you are gay, President Obama and the US media have failed our military men and women.
Just keep doing double tours to Afghanistan for these folks Mr. President and congress. Get some guts and get us out of there Mr. Obama.
This is not like prior to 1973 when people were forced to go in the military, just ask Romnuts and Cheney about that. People need to think about all those old men who ran away from service during Vietnam and now want to send them off to war before they enlist, you will never see any of Romnuts 5 sons down at the enlistment office with you they do not have time.There ar a lot of polititians who ran away during Vietnam and to be fair Biden ran away too when it was his turn a lot of them are in Congress.If the draft was re-instated they would think twice before going off half cocked and attacking every country under the sun for B/S reasons if their children had to go off and fight and die too.
The pres. Fed gove. MAKES ME SICK,,That war on pot one thing,, a real money maker along with war. We are the BAD guy's now..
As as vet, I fear the draft would not have solved the problem.Simply giving the government more resources to dip into to use repeatedly for more wars. When it has the resources, it tends to use them and can't keep itself out of aggressive engagements with other nations.It needs to be in fewer conflicts to begin with. The failure is lack of proper support by cutting services for those who need it and refusing to accept responsibility for the damage done when soldiers sustain injuries and stress related conditions that always follow in the wake of combat.In addition, there is a failure to recognize the real hardships placed on military families,Both while soldiers are deployed and upon their reintegration.
Society itself plays a significant role in adding to hardships for far too many veterans, when they won't hire these good men and women. Because they are seen as possible risks due to mental health issues they have sought treatment for.That most often being PTSD and depression. Society also criticizes them for serving their nation during war, attributing the fault of the being in the war on the soldier.
The article said preventing suicide was a complicated matter, involving helping build resiliency in the soldier.I say how about changing the military attitude that it isn't a sign of cowardliness being depressed and asking for help.Starting with the highest officers on down the ranks and put that into training when people enlist.Until the attitude of the macho soldier who is never affected by war changes, the stigma will always be there and shame about asking for help. One high ranking official posted an email to everyone below in his command,that anyone who committed suicide was a coward,completely selfish and leaving a mess for others to clean up he refused to.So get over himself up deal with his own mess.This after a suicide occurred in the ranks.
Next, put the money were the mouth is, by having the military actually take care of its people properly before they leave and after until they can stand on their own. It is a win/win.By ensuring those vets are properly cared for, it will help encourage good men and women are attracted to protect our country.For we do need good men and women who will not abuse their role in the military. Just as we need good military leaders who will not abuse their role.Those come up through the ranks.It's interesting they only posted the Army's numbers. They should have added all the military branches for a better picture of the real cost to our country in the loss of so many good people.It's not a complicated answer.Just hard to do the right thing when one is used to doing the wrong things.
Re: the draft. If we had a draft and ALL young people were obligated to serve, including the children of the military leaders, the politicians, the 1% (and I don't mean "serving" like Bush did), there might be more reluctance to involve our military where it doesn't belong (like in Iraq) and the public in general would perhaps be more involved and vocal about military forays and abuses.
Is anybody old enough to remember what was going on in this country during the war in Vietnam? At least people cared what was happening. Now people just shrug their shoulders and ignore what our military is doing to innocent people in other countries and what the military is doing to its own rank and file.
In most jobs if the stress gets too high one can always quit. In the military, one cannot just quit. So, they feel trapped with no way out. My prayers are with them.
So tell all their friends and little brothers and sisters NOT to go.
Are these suicides or "suicides"? (Just like "Were those electrified showers that took so long to fix in Iraq accidents or 'accidents'?")
Can't win unjust wars for the "powers that be" if our forces include any soldiers with a conscience....
A few possibilities. VA funding via the DoD budget. Keep the VA going strong. All hands on deck and paychecks coming in for the 1000's who serve our American Vets.
Also, the sociologists and political psychiatrists who study stress and the effects of certain drugs given to certain vets. Answering such questions as: how do we get someone to kill themselves? What function of the brain causes this to happen? Which social backgrounds kill themselves most often?
The country built on war, conflict.
Like the Romans. La de da.
What a surprise! It cannot be from our F*&^en president Buckwheat Barry and the politicians and generals and all of our so called leaders sending these soldiers over and over into combat overseas with no hope of winning as we are just there to appease the ragheads and Karzai. Start the draft and send all americans kids to do this dirty work and we would see the college folks protesting like the 60's/ Now they can vote for buckwheat and party and hit the bong and wait for him to forgive their college debt for their liberal arts degree.
I recently returned home in December from my 4th tour. What we get sick of is people telling us, we know what you go through, NO YOU DON"T!!! Remember, there are Veterans, and then there are Combat Veterans. If people want to help, and know a Vet, just be cordial. Don't try to invade on their personal space to much. That won't help. If we feel like talking, we will talk. But,don't expect a monsoon downpour of conversation. Remember, what you see on TV is exactly that, @!$%# on TV!! People see some of it now and then on the news, but, we see it everyday. I had a close neighbor point out to me yesterday that Combat Veterans are the number 1 threat to Homeland Security. First of all, I thought that we Combat Vets ARE Homeland Security. Secondly, my neighbor was correct. Check for yourself. How is that for helping us Stress more. So to the people that don't want their hard earned dollars going to people that kill others, WE pay taxes TOO!!!!
thank you for your service, and your opinions if anyone has a right to scream them here amongst the ignorant and the trolls it is you.
BlackIce
I so agree with you. I was at Ft. Dix doing my outprocessing from my first tour in OIF and they forced us into this classroom to hear a class about anger management (for the fourth time). The teacher, an undergrad from a local university, was talking to us and asked me if I ever got angry enough to hurt someone and I told her the truth. Yeah, you if you don't shut up ande sign the paper so I can get my plane ticket home. I was given a bunch of mind candy all the sudden
what is all the ballyhoo about, suck it up and lets get in there and get that oil before china takes it. we are energy dependant on OIL and we must get it or we will perish.
its good to have and excuse to go and take the oil. we are bigger and better than other nations and we deserve the oil so suck it up and lets bathe in the richness of the crude.
why would the Great Nation let the oil go to waste on some other nation with small dreams. We have big dreams here with what the oil can do. Set those dreams high my friends.
I will vote for the Romniery, cause he is mor like the Chimpspter in Tex. he won't wory what anyone does who cant suck it up. Giter done Vern and Take the earl. get greasy in the sweet crude. slurp it up and get rich comrades.
what most of you people do not understand is that these kids join the service for a couple of reasons. 1. because they love their country. 2 because they want to protect their country and their way of life and freedom. Freedom that you people enjoy. 3 to make themselves better people. What they do not realize is what they are expected to do sometimes, and these things they have to do is hard to live with. Also they do not realize how they will be treated by the very people they are protecting. They come home in uniform and are treated like killers by many people. Not service people that have done a job for their country. Also this country is known for using their servicemen and women and then throwing them away. Also as a note we now have Clinton over there dancing and getting ready to send us over to another area to fight. If their is blood on the hands of the service people it is also on the hands of all the American people, not just the higher ups. Good night and may God bless and help our service people, my brothers and sisters.
I wonder if it could be related to the media telling them they are fighting unnecessary wars, no longer reporting on their deaths now that Bush is out of office and accusing them of being war criminals when they slap a guy that was shooting at them 20 minutes before the cameras were rolling? This is a tragedy, these are good men and many of them are being bombarded daily with the message that they are fighting for nothing and that we should just abandon the cause because it is not winnable or immoral or both. The truth is these guys are fighting a war that could be won if we had the proper leadership, the right rules of engagement and a nation that was behind them.
Obviously there are a myriad of reasons that people kill themselves and this is not the case for all of them, the one common thread these men and women have is that they were failed by our military and failed by us, we owe them better than this regardless of our political persuasions or feelings we need to support these people and find a way to prevent this from happening.