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- ReligionOfPeace, on 11/14/2007, -2/+28Hoopla. Same hoopla they always raise, and the same hoopla the VA ignores when the cameras stop.
This is why they say you can never go home. Same problem, different war. - weeeezzll, on 11/14/2007, -2/+15Yea, you know how "ungrateful" those war vets can be.
It is easy to watch extreme violence on TV or the movie screen and then move on, but to see the real thing first hand has a deeply damaging impact on the psyche.
You my friend are a douche bag... - ForlornHope, on 11/14/2007, -4/+16The analysis is flawed: http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/defense/index ...
In the US, male veterans outnumber female veterans 13:1. Since four times as many males as women commit suicide in the general population, you'd expect the rate among veterans to be close to the rate among males - 17.6/100,000 per year in 2002 - and indeed it is, if the CBS raw numbers are correct.
CBS also makes an issue of the fact that suicide rates among younger veterans exceed that of the general population by an even bigger margin - but again, that's what you'd expect, because in that age group, the male-to-female imbalance in suicide rates is greatest, almost six to one.
Click for more. - JJ2K1, on 11/14/2007, -2/+12Whats troubling is that once you're done with the service and its time for the government to pay up the disability and benefits you deserve, they turn their heads away and push you to the curb. And people wonder why 1 in every 4 homeless are vets. Post tramatic stress disorder is no joke, and it includes every hardship and disorder gained from the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan. Basically another name for Gulf War Syndrome given by our governmnet. This will be a HUGE pandemic in the next couple years when more troops begin comming home.
- redfan, on 11/14/2007, -2/+12So will buying a yellow magnet for my car fix this?
- inactive, on 11/14/2007, -1/+9Not surprised, considering the usa doesn't give the veteran what they deserve. The homeless rates for veterans has increased. They fought for our country and get hardly anything in return, and a bunch of empty promises. Our veterans don't get the respect and treatment they deserve in this country.
- Phrag, on 11/14/2007, -0/+8He never said he lived through a combat situation. He said one should not be pwned by oneself after they lived through a combat zone. He just said it backwards.
- GRTWHT, on 11/14/2007, -1/+9"They volunteered to bravely protect this country from direct threats to it's sovereignty. They didn't volunteer to become pawns in the industrial war profit machine. THAT'S the difference and that makes all the difference in the world."
From a vet: thank you. - pintomp3, on 11/14/2007, -1/+9yes, that's why we shouldn't be so quick to send them into war.
- fant0m, on 11/14/2007, -3/+11My dads friend got back from Iraq about a year ago. He was a tank gunner (sat on top with the machine gun). When there were little kids in the street, they gave them 10 seconds to get out of the way over the megaphone. If they didn't move he had to shoot them. No questions asked. He had to shoot the little kids, and the tank had to just keep moving forward. Those sick guys over there strapped their young sons and daughters with bombs to blow up our troops.
He gets back from Iraq to his newly married (to him - he married her before he left) wife and brand new baby daughter that she gave birth to while he was overseas. He put a gun in his mouth within 2 months after moving back.
I'm on my way to the recruiters office tonight to check to see if my medical record will hold (I have Barrett's disease - Kept me out of the Marines last year, so I'm TRYING the Army - doubt it will go through, though).
I'm scared of the mental abuse that I'll get if I go over there. - GRTWHT, on 11/14/2007, -0/+8Vets end up seeing and doing things in combat that will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Some can take it, some can't.
Of course, since you're 16 (guessing your mental age based on the 'pwned') you wouldn't have a clue what I'm talking about....yet. Vet or not, you'll learn what I mean when you grow up a bit more. - notque, on 11/14/2007, -3/+10Comments like these are worthless. You could have instead spoke passionately about the article. Why do people feel the need to post things in this manner. They serve no purpose but to waste our time.
- fuckedupworld, on 11/14/2007, -1/+8How is this stunning? Do you think war is a playground with free lolly pops? No! War is horrible, stupid, and generally leads to the suffering of way too many people.
- JJ2K1, on 11/14/2007, -0/+7You should check out the documentary called "Killing our own"
It explains in depth what our governmnet is doing to our troops. I'm a medically retired Army combat vet with a kidney disorder due to depleted uranium and military immunizations, thus being a guinea pig. My overall diagnosis, PTSD. - whatthefu, on 11/14/2007, -2/+8Hasn't the soldier suicide rate always been high during times of war?
- notque, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7I am for a draft. I am also for refusing to serve for the draft that I am for. The population needs to be involved intimately with what it means to fight an aggressive war against another country. Attempting to push the costs down the road while others get rich is a worse option than forcing the issue at the start.
- itchie, on 11/14/2007, -1/+7It's a ***** shame... This isn't new, look at WW2 & Vietnam, chewed up and spit out. While I would defend this country to the death I wouldn't willingly sign up for it. Seeing how they treat their heros made me not want to join up when I was younger. Your effectively the henchman who has no speaking role in the movie and your the first to go without acknowledgement.
- bolognium, on 11/15/2007, -14/+20these numbers should be added to the casualty figure, maybe that'll help shake the peoples apathy.
Ron Paul '08 - laserblazer, on 11/14/2007, -0/+6They were forced to suicide by the evil men who rammed this illegal war down America's throat. Their deaths should be considered homicides and Bush and his minions should be held accountable for depraved indifference.
- jimmy72, on 11/14/2007, -0/+5Besides, shooting innocent people is Blackwater's job.
- notque, on 11/14/2007, -2/+7The war in Iraq is the supreme war crime of aggression as outlined as the Nuremberg Trials. The war isn't "useless" to those in power, as they profit heavily off of it. It isn't exactly "useless" to citizens of our country, or citizens of Iraq. It's certainly negative, and criminal. But not "useless".
If you would like me to expand on why this is a war crime, or what makes a war crime, etc. Please let me know. - Spuy767, on 11/14/2007, -4/+9You cheapen true genocide by saying that.
- Phrag, on 11/14/2007, -1/+6When you have PTSD and are involuntarily thrown back into the most horrific experiences of your life completely at random and without warning, please feel free to come back and tell me how I should feel. Until then, shut up.
- inactive, on 11/14/2007, -1/+5Gulf war syndrome has nothing to do with post traumatic stress.
Gulf war syndrome is a physical condition caused by exposure to uranium shells. It includes an immune system deficiency and birth defects along with fibromyalgia and a higher risk of brain cancer. - rpfsc, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4I hope you are not serious.. If a soldier is contemplating suicide, he/she needs professional help.. He would never be and should never be used as a dispensable pawn.
- negrospiritual, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4As a recently homeless veteran with a history of depression (I was intermittently homeless from 2003 to 2006) , I'd just like to thank the diggers like "ForlornHope" for pointing out that "The analysis is flawed..." It's good that we don't all get overwhelmed by emotion when we hear that 5000 veterans are expected to commit suicide in the coming year. What would happen if we all focused on that issue instead of thinking critically about the report's use of statistics? Again, thanks for providing some context.
PS Why don't these "critical thinkers" consider tutoring at their local VA hospitals? There are many veterans there that would be fascinated by your unique perspectives. - inactive, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Yeah, I prefer actual medical literature to movies.
PTSD is purely psychological, if you have a kidney disorder you have something else. Maybe on top of having PTSD.
I won't argue that you've been only diagnosed with PTSD though, it's the all encompassing illness. The army is shameless when it comes to paying it's vets. - RollFizzlebeef, on 11/14/2007, -0/+4Anyone who uses the "there are less deaths/suicides than other wars" should pretty much kiss using the word "pro-life" to describe themselves goodbye.
Well, they already did that by supporting the death penalty, but you get the idea. - vat0r, on 11/14/2007, -1/+5Beefing up the mental health services is only a part of the solution. We need to stop the problem at it's root which is obviously the war.
- Hetman, on 11/14/2007, -3/+6I thought it said vegetarian until I clicked on the article. I was like damn I knew their was something wrong with vegetarians.
- rowlodge, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4pretty bad in WW2 also, but if people add politics to everything, thats just piling more on to their problems. i know i'm just talking to a tree stump.
- inactive, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3Aww, look. You tried to be an ass and it turned out you were dumb.
- norman619, on 11/14/2007, -4/+7Think this should be filed under "NO *****" and then move along. This is old news. Like REALLY old news. It hasn't chanegd in decades.
- plarp, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4the rich don't get drafted.. they buy themselves out and go to university.. or they enlist in the coast guard, or some other cushy enlistment.. there better schools guarantee that there entrance exam won't get them front line infantry..
- GRTWHT, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4Pure troll or 100% sociopathic *****.
- rpfsc, on 11/14/2007, -1/+4Thank you for injecting truth into this matter
- notque, on 11/14/2007, -0/+3The sacrifice of a solider does mean nothing. The solider is a human being. A citizen of this country. They have been force to commit a war crime of aggression against another country.
The solider is trying to survive. The war criminals must be put to justice to defend this solider from war criminals. Even if the solider wants to go fight Iraqis.
A war crime is a war crime. I do not blame the soldiers, I blame the government and those that profit from war crimes. We are all guilty of allowing this to continue. - rpfsc, on 11/14/2007, -3/+6I frankly don't believe your story. Our troops make up the best trained military in the world. Our soldiers do not fire indiscriminately on children without the extremely rare exception who will face justice. That is just not within their rules of engagement.
- DRINKxREDxBULL, on 11/14/2007, -1/+3I guess all they needed to do was overthrow the brutal totalitarian state they were living in. You make it sound so simple.
- ZenMojo, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2There is the constant argument that "if they didn't shoot first, they may be dead. Do you want our troops to die?"
- CyberSmackdown, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Hang in there dude. You are part of a master plan that needs to form you before it can reveal itself.
- chall2001, on 11/14/2007, -1/+3Think you for injecting more "half-truth" into the matter.
The rate of 17.6 is for all age groups of men. This rate spikes for the elderly
The suicide rate for ages 19-40 (most military age) is slightly higher in the military but the major problem is that this number has increased in the last couple of years. - adinb, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2I’m a vet, and I can say that the treatment of vets by the VA and federal government is abysmal. The VA help system is so full of twists, turns, conflicting information, conflicting departments that I’m surprised that the number of vets on the streets and/or dead isn’t even *higher*.
I just received my disability rating of 170%, after a year of watching the VA foreclose on my house and living off of help from my and my wife’s family (the AF wasn’t paying me while it tried to figure out how to pay me as an IMA reservist on active duty in the process of being medically retired).
Even though I’m housebound, I don’t know that I’m going to receive any aid from the VA itself since disability is subtracted from retirement (if you have less than 20 years active service), and the “combined rating reduction system” will probably push my “payable” disability rating below the 160% required to receive additional assistance via the “special military compensation” tables.
This just illustrates the byzantine system that has been set up to provide the illusion that vets are being cared for — while in reality much effort is expended to keep from having to actually take care of (i.e. *pay* or provide assistance) veterans in need.
I know that many have it worse than I do — especially since I’ve gotten assistance from my incredible wife and the D.A.V. — but I now understand how vets actually do end up on the street or end up committing suicide. Without an advocate I *would* be dead, probably by suicide.
The story here is not just that vets with mental health issues aren’t getting taken care of; it’s that vets are being stigmatized and actively *driven* to acts of desperation even if they were previously mentally healthy.
This is one of our country’s biggest hidden shames — our greatest advocates are actively being driven to acts of desperation by the very people that are there to help them. - fixhist, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2Not a bad ratio of yearly Veteran Suicides.
Not sure how many will take suicide option among 1.25 Billion Muslims world wide.They need to practice safe and productive methods though. Botched attempts like 217 or June 2007 London-Glasgow or reported dead on 911 don't count, as these were cold blood murders. - ZenMojo, on 11/14/2007, -1/+3You can't prepare someone for killing. You can't prepare someone for smelling the charred body of a 2-year-old. You can't prepare for war.
- EyeJayKool, on 11/15/2007, -0/+2Wait... Are you serious? Brainwashing people into mindless killing machines and dropping them into hostile environments to watch their friends die doesn't bode well for their mental health when they return from war!?!? Well who'dathunkit?? This truly is some amazing and groundbreaking news!!
- LeeSoong, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2If you really care:
http://www.goneblue.com/pmiblricarma.html
For a lot of U.S. families, WWII, Korea, Vietnam - still isn't over. - LeeSoong, on 11/14/2007, -0/+2The problem is training soldiers bodies for fighting, but not enough mental training for the consequences of warfare.
Soldiers need realistic expectations of harsh combat, horrific wounds, agonizing death.
Discussion of combat wounds, and videos showing failed missions.
The military needs to spend more than a few weeks preparing the minds of young soldiers for the graphic violence of war. No one will ever be 100% unaffected by live combat - but if too many soldiers are having problems after the fact, they were not properly prepared before the fight.
The responsibility belongs to the Military. Strengthen the Soldier's mind, not just their bodies. - lolwaffle, on 11/03/2008, -0/+2The thought has crossed my mind since returning from Iraq. From my girlfriend cheating on me while I was deployed, to not being able to find a meaningful job in months and months (or even get an interview or reply!) despite applying to over 80. There were plenty of reality checks that smacked me in the face upon ETS'ing from the Army.
- EarlOfLade, on 11/14/2007, -1/+3It's easy to see that you have not been outside mommas basement , and it's glaringly obvious you have no idea what combat do to you, not a single idea.
Sign up and get your ass over in Iraq and then when you come back, revisit this thread. -
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