[Nate]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/militar...htm?csp=34news

So the army does a study and figures out that because we are in a war our attention has been focused on war-fighting and not garrison. Huh, I wonder if that cost 9.1 billion to figure out. I really like how towards the end of the piece the report insinuates a causal relation between taking prescriptions meds (ANY med),suicide and indiscipline, or that because 216,000 soldiers were in some form of mental counseling that is proof positive of some form of a first-line leadership failure. Its good to know that the people at the top have done a study, and found that the people at the top are not responsible.


Cant wait for the next awesome suicide video, that should fix it.

Nate

Hey Sparky,
what the hell is "life fatigue" anyway?

[Skippy_the_Bold]

Personally, having seen life in the regular army and the army medical system (including a year in a WTU), I'd offer the possibility that it's not just stress cause by deployments (which is likely a major factor, don't get me wrong), but the lower quality of soldiers that recruiting command is bringing into the army. Add to that the fact that you pretty much cannot be failed out of basic, and the major softening of IET in general (no yelling at privates? WTF???), you get a lower quality soldier with less ability to cope with tough and changing situations. I remember when I was in the WTU, every appointment, no matter if it was dental, mental health, the proctologist, whatever, they'd ask how my mood was and if I had had thoughts of harming myself or others. 90% of then couldn't have given a fuck, either, or at least they didn't sound like it, as if they were bored of the damn cue card. There, that didn't cost 9.1 Billion, either.

[Sparky2]

Originally Posted by Nate Cant wait for the next awesome suicide video, that should fix it. Nate Hey Sparky, what the hell is "life fatigue" anyway?

a. Herding everybody into a theater, gymnasium, or auditorium to watch a video on the topic of suicide is tantamount to screaming at the top of your lungs, "We don't know what the fuck we are doing, but we made this video, so please watch it, and this will cover our asses, and don't forget to sign the attendance roster, mm-kay?"


b. Life fatigue. I have no idea what the hell that is.
I love life. I thrive on it.
I want 51 more years of it.

I would never kill myself.
That solves nothing.
I would rather kill somebody else who is a fuck-up and/or a waste of oxygen and human skin.
That would definitely solve something.

[GTDave]

Originally Posted by Skippy_the_Bold Personally, having seen life in the regular army and the army medical system (including a year in a WTU), I'd offer the possibility that it's not just stress cause by deployments (which is likely a major factor, don't get me wrong), but the lower quality of soldiers that recruiting command is bringing into the army. Add to that the fact that you pretty much cannot be failed out of basic, and the major softening of IET in general (no yelling at privates? WTF???), you get a lower quality soldier with less ability to cope with tough and changing situations. I remember when I was in the WTU, every appointment, no matter if it was dental, mental health, the proctologist, whatever, they'd ask how my mood was and if I had had thoughts of harming myself or others. 90% of then couldn't have given a fuck, either, or at least they didn't sound like it, as if they were bored of the damn cue card. There, that didn't cost 9.1 Billion, either.

It is not the same Army as when I joined 17 years ago. I was yelled at, grabbed by the cuff of my unifom, "smoked", and that was all at the school house before the drill sergeants came back and dealt with us.
As an AIT instructor I have been told, and been sent the memorandum, that forbids us from doing anything other than written counseling. And even then, A soldier can be "waived" through by the higher ups to keep the numbers up. I've had soldiers break down crying because he was being counseled for failing a written test!
As much as I hate to say it, I look forward, more and more, to 2013 when I am eligible to retire.

[PHeNiX]

I, sadly, think this is an attempt to exonerate Big Army from being culpable in lawsuits. "My husband killed himself because of what the Army made him do, then failure to help him." into the Army saying "Your husband killed himself because his co-workers kept pushing him, and did not let him express his feelings to anyone."
I don't know if its just me being negative, but I smell some dirty ass lawyer behind this.

[avidwanderer]

The problem with internal Army Studies is that the people who conduct them are are rated by people who may have a vested interest in a positive result.

[stickpig6]

Originally Posted by GTDave It is not the same Army as when I joined 17 years ago. I was yelled at, grabbed by the cuff of my unifom, "smoked", and that was all at the school house before the drill sergeants came back and dealt with us. As an AIT instructor I have been told, and been sent the memorandum, that forbids us from doing anything other than written counseling. And even then, A soldier can be "waived" through by the higher ups to keep the numbers up. I've had soldiers break down crying because he was being counseled for failing a written test! As much as I hate to say it, I look forward, more and more, to 2013 when I am eligible to retire.

Yeah, the Army in 1993 was HARD, man. You had hardened combat vets from PGW1 and Somalia; there were LOTS of those. So getting beat in basic makes Soldiers impervious to PTSD, right? Vietnam Vets did real well with PTSD--no suicides, drug addicts or guys dying early from pickled livers from that war.

Soldiers are committing suicide because they have been at war for 9 years and war is a machine built to tear men, and now women, apart.

It's time to end this war.