Supporting the troops Bush Style
WASHINGTON – Suicide rates among active-duty U.S. military personnel are continuing to rise even as the Defense Department dedicates more resources to identifying troubled service members and getting them the help they need.
At least 128 soldiers were confirmed to have killed themselves in 2008, compared with 115 in 2007, 102 in 2006 and 87 in 2005, the Army said Thursday. Last year’s figure is likely to rise even higher, because the Army is investigating at least 15 other deaths as possible suicides.
Army officials calculated the suicide rate at 20.2 per 100,000 soldiers, the highest in its history and higher than the civilian rate for the first time since the Vietnam War.
This post cancels itself out.
You report an increase in resources and in fact the services are adding mental health professionals by the thousands.
Did the stimulus package contain more mental health professionals? Doesn’t Pres Obama care?
Yep, adding mental health professionals is the Bush way of doing things….
note the fact that the troops were on 3rd and 4th tours of 1 year or greater…
but sure, throw a few therapists at the problem and wash your hands of what you’ve done…
Bush style.
Bush’s war was the worst on so many levels.
Now come on fellas’. How is it possible that Bush could care about the mental health of the men/women he sent to Iraq, while he himself had a “Secret Psychotherapist”. Dr. Mark Alter the doc who treated the biggest CEO’s in America was busy treating Bush for his alcoholism (while in the White House) and God knows what other mania problems. His book is now out “The Presidents Therapist”, even though the Doc was terrified “they” would get him, the man who knew too much. He has been missing since May 2007. So we had a lunatic in the White house and you all expect him to “care” about the mental states of the soldiers he sent to kill innocent women and children. One piece in the book says the “doc was trying to get Bush to do an Executive Order to end the Iraq War and bring the soldiers home”, but that never happened. Probably over ruled by the real nutjob Cheney or the other lunatic Rove.
Still way below the civilian suicide rate, and I know military suicide. I had to clean up a barracks room where one of my comrades took his own life over Christmas vacation, and that was in peacetime – his girlfriend dumped him the week before. Did it ever occur to you that these troops are driven to suicide by complete bitches of wives and girlfriends who cheated on them when they were deployed? Hooray for our new permissive society!
I’m sorry you had to experience that tragedy, GRex.
Dear John letters have been around quite a while… so has infidelity.
Yes, G, suicides are all the women’s fault.
And, of course, male troops never cheat…
Perhaps you could mention the amazing survival rate of wounded service members?
Some of the techniques learned in Iraq are saving gunshot victims in the U S. My oldest son is a surgery Resident (Dr.) and mentioned to me the trauma care he is learning basd on the superior care by service hospitals in Iraq.
Whether you agree or disagree about Iraq, there is adequate medical care on active duty. The focus should be on follow up care after leaving the service.