Soldier Suicides

hlcroghan

Active Member
Originally Posted by MR.M
http:///forum/post/2746617
Well if you dont like our military then move

That is really uncalled for. I love our country. I served in the Marine Corps and I am proud of what they do. I am not proud of how our government has treated our military in this war. It is shameful and it's shameful how much lying has been done to the public.
 

reefraff

Active Member
Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2746619
Didn't I just say they could do a lot more to prevent them? Having a priest come talk to you when you aren't even Catholic to work you through your depression doesn't work so well. But guess what? That is the only counselor available to you on this particular military installation. Or they can give you lots of drugs which help sometimes. But once again you can't carry a firearm if you try to commit suicide. They can do shorter deployments, offer more leave time. I am upset because those things do not get put into place. They just leave those people out there for years on end and expect them to be fine. That is why I am upset.
Dunno, my kid went through 10 days of mandatory "classes". Seems to me they have a few more resources than just a priest at Fort Stewart anyway.
 

hlcroghan

Active Member
You may be right about that. It was a problem when I was in though. I am sure they have put more classes in place. They were saying for years that they wanted to make the deployment shorter but they never have changed that. It is unfortunate. A good friend of mine has a child who is almost two and he has still never seen her. They wouldn't even let him go on leave before he left for Iraq when she was first born. It just makes me really sad.
 

reefraff

Active Member
Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2746632
You may be right about that. It was a problem when I was in though. I am sure they have put more classes in place. They were saying for years that they wanted to make the deployment shorter but they never have changed that. It is unfortunate. A good friend of mine has a child who is almost two and he has still never seen her. They wouldn't even let him go on leave before he left for Iraq when she was first born. It just makes me really sad.
I do believe they are back to 12 months now. My son is home 15 months then gets to make the December 2009 cruise to Afghanistan.
 

lovethesea

Active Member
my cousin is a shrink in the Air Force stationed in Alaska soon to be moved to Henderson NV. Let me tell you.........it is more than a full time job. Most are
depression, suicide thoughts, attempts, drugs, etc. Most are young kids right out of high school. When they signed up, everything seemed wonderful.
Now they are seeing/living the end result of war. A lot are injured and not being cared for mentally and some are slipping through the cracks with physical injuries. When some were hospitalized they were being billed for their meals, this caused problems financially with families. The list goes on and on. What blows my mind is some of these men and women were in Iraq trying to train Iraqi's and the Iraqi's told a lot of our troops that they did not want to be away from their families.

So yes ANY suicide is unacceptable.
 

groupergenius

Active Member
Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2746514
If all are confirmed, that means that the number for 2008 could eclipse the 115 of last year — and the rate per 100,000 could surpass that of the civilian population, Col. Eddie Stephens, deputy director of human resources policy, said at a Pentagon press conference.

Any suicide is terrible. Military or civilian. But by this report, sounds like the military has been better off than civilians though.
Weird, doing some googling for this and seems as though White Male Dentists are very prone to suicide.
 

reefraff

Active Member
Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2746670
An entire year away from your family, your spouse, your children. It just blows my mind.
He was gone 15 months. But what can I say, he knew what was coming when he enlisted but military life has been a HUGE plus for him and his family. Hopefully things come together where his next tour will be 6 months or so.
 

reefraff

Active Member
Originally Posted by lovethesea
http:///forum/post/2746728
my cousin is a shrink in the Air Force stationed in Alaska soon to be moved to Henderson NV. Let me tell you.........it is more than a full time job. Most are
depression, suicide thoughts, attempts, drugs, etc. Most are young kids right out of high school. When they signed up, everything seemed wonderful.
Now they are seeing/living the end result of war. A lot are injured and not being cared for mentally and some are slipping through the cracks with physical injuries. When some were hospitalized they were being billed for their meals, this caused problems financially with families. The list goes on and on. What blows my mind is some of these men and women were in Iraq trying to train Iraqi's and the Iraqi's told a lot of our troops that they did not want to be away from their families.

So yes ANY suicide is unacceptable.
Again I must point out my son's situation. Before he left Iraq he tweaked his knee, nothing too serious, they were playing baseball. They made the appointment for him to see an orthopod in Georgia BEFORE he left Iraq. Maybe he's just in a particularly good division?
 

sepulatian

Moderator
My Brother just got back from Iraq. He left last October. It was his second tour over there. He went in 91 also. He came back, this time, to all of his money gone. His wife had been having an affair since April, she even cut off the phone service. He is working double shifts to pay it all off. He is doing just fine, other than working his butt off. It is true that some succumb to the stress. Others go on with their lives, no matter what life hands them. It doesn't matter why the war was started. It is going on now. US cannot pull out of it fully.
 

ca161406

Member
i feel the war is just a bunch of bs for $. the main reason to go to war was 9/11 and to capture bin laden and defuse al quaida (h/e its spelled). US invaded, and bin laden went running to Afghanistan. their president told our secretary of defense(i think it was rumsfeld) thats where he was. but bush dont want2 send troops into Afghanistan cuz of all the oil ties so they continue to put out bs stories while the troops are over there waiting for laden to come out of Afgan. obviously he aint coming out and now were just wasting $ and lives doing stuff in the middle east to "improve" or whatever when its going to go back to the same garbage once our troops are pulled. stupid
 

reefraff

Active Member
Originally Posted by ca161406
http:///forum/post/2746989
i feel the war is just a bunch of bs for $. the main reason to go to war was 9/11 and to capture bin laden and defuse al quaida (h/e its spelled). US invaded, and bin laden went running to Afghanistan. their president told our secretary of defense(i think it was rumsfeld) thats where he was. but bush dont want2 send troops into Afghanistan cuz of all the oil ties so they continue to put out bs stories while the troops are over there waiting for laden to come out of Afgan. obviously he aint coming out and now were just wasting $ and lives doing stuff in the middle east to "improve" or whatever when its going to go back to the same garbage once our troops are pulled. stupid
Your facts are a little...... A lot confused
 

darthtang aw

Active Member
Originally Posted by ca161406
http:///forum/post/2747006
i learned what i know from my military sci. professors in ROTC.
45 years in the AF. ret CMSgt.

Ummm...hate to break it to you, but 45 years in AF would make him how old? Also the career military guy usually only does 20 years unless a high ranking officer. Also Bin Laden did NOT run to afghanistan, he was there in the first place. Also we did invade Afghanistan. Also Afghanistan has no oil or oil ties that is known of.
Your facts are way off.....................
 

jerthunter

Active Member
I knew people who tried to commit suicide in bootcamp when there was no war going on. I don't think you can put most of these on the war. I would lean more towards poor screening processes.
 

michaeltx

Moderator
lets keep it clean guys this is one of those touchy and emotional topics so choose what you say carefully so it doesnt take a turn for the worse.
Thanks
Mike
 

kingsmith

Member
Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2746623
That is really uncalled for. I love our country. I served in the Marine Corps and I am proud of what they do. I am not proud of how our government has treated our military in this war. It is shameful and it's shameful how much lying has been done to the public.
Seems Like you've done alot more for the country than all of us
I aqppreciate it. I also Agree alittle extra effort on behalf of the goverment and I mean real effort not campaigns and counsiling they don't want after the fact, but something PREVENTITIVE its a shame that we so often side with a goverment who takes advantage of its people and not those actually willing to die for us. Who is the better Patriot youe average soldier watching his friends die and fighting for us or the fat cat politicians who campaings and lifestyles spend well beyond what any average American could expect to see as income in there life time
 

rylan1

Active Member
This is becoming a big problem... and the soilders are not getting what they need when they come home. They have been deployed too long...3-4-5 tours.. This issue needs to be brought to light... There is a recent local story of a soilder from my area... that went to war... came back different... and killed himself. It is said that they are not getting the support they need once they get home or back to the states. They are also being denied the benefits they were told they would recieve..
 

hlcroghan

Active Member
Originally Posted by Darthtang AW
http:///forum/post/2747029
Ummm...hate to break it to you, but 45 years in AF would make him how old? Also the career military guy usually only does 20 years unless a high ranking officer. Also Bin Laden did NOT run to afghanistan, he was there in the first place. Also we did invade Afghanistan. Also Afghanistan has no oil or oil ties that is known of.
Your facts are way off.....................
Some of his facts may be off, but actually a lot of enlisted and officers stay well beyond 20 years. The longest I knew of personally was 31 years. I doubt that he stayed active for 45 but it is highly likely if he had a specialized job that they retained his services as a civilian working for the military and then he retired. A lot of these people go in when they are 17 remember so 45 years doesn't really make you that old.............
On a side note, I appreciate the support from the people on the board. I simply wish the military would be more proactive about how they are treating the people that are giving up their lives. Besides suicide rates, you should see the divorce rate......it is something like over 100% because you get several who get remarried again for the money benefits. Most marraiges and relationships cannot survive those long separations, even when the two people truly love each other. Oh and this will really get you guys. There used to be an article preventing two parents from being deployed at the same time. Yeah.....not anymore. My ex and I almost both went. They tried to force me but I was only two month postpartum from having my son and you can't deploy until you are four. So who takes care of the children while you both are gone?? You better figure it out before it is time for you to leave.
 

jdl

Member
Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/2747243
Oh and this will really get you guys. There used to be an article preventing two parents from being deployed at the same time. Yeah.....not anymore. My ex and I almost both went. They tried to force me but I was only two month postpartum from having my son and you can't deploy until you are four. So who takes care of the children while you both are gone?? You better figure it out before it is time for you to leave.
You better figure out a lot of stuff before you have a kid. The military is no different.
they closed a loophole, what will really get us guys?
 
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