"Suicide Toll Fuels Worry That Army Is Strained...

Excerpts from 11/3/09 - Wall Street Journal (By Yochi J. Dreazen)

Sixteen American soldiers killed themselves in October in the U.S. and on duty overseas, an unusually high monthly toll tat is fueling concerns about the mental health of the nation's military personnel after more than eight years of continuous war-fare.

The Army's top generals worry that surging tens of thousands more troops into Afghanistan could increase the strain felt by many military personnel after years of repeated deployment.

The Oct., suicide figures mean that at least 134 active-duty soldiers have taken their own lives so far this year, putting the Army on ace to break last year's record of 140 active-duty suicides. The number of Army suicides has risen 37% since 2006, and last year, the suicide rate surpassed that of the U.S. population for the first time.

The health of ground combat forces is emerging as an element of the Obama administration's review of its Afghanistan strategy. Conditions there have deteriorated in recent months mid lingering political instability and a worsening Taliban-led insurgency.

Gen, McChrystal, top American commander in Kabul, wants more than 40,000 new troops, in addition to the 68,000 that will be in Afghanistan by year-end, and has warned that the U.S. faces possible "mission failure" unless it adopts a new strategy and quickly deploys significant reinforcements.

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Goes on to say:

Army officials say the strain of repeated deployments with minimal time back in the U.S. is one of the biggest factors fueling the rise in military suicides.

The Arm hit a grim milestone last year when the suicide rate exceeded that of the general population for the first time: 20.2 per 100,000 people in the military, compared with the civilian rte of 19.5 per 100,000. The Army's suicide rate was 12.7 per 100,000 in 2005, 15.3 in 2006, and 16.8 in 2007.

Track Army suicides month-by month, plus see rates among non-active-duty soldiers and video at WSJ.com/US.

So, I have a question...why are we in this war almost alone? United Nations, is not helping out at all. Yet, we're expected to fix their countries, hold democracies, encourage them to build their economy, while all the help extended to foreign countries, money-wise, lost-lives-wise, is totally ignored right here, in our own country.

Eight years of war, for what?

War, what's it good for? Absolutely NOTHING.

Perhaps this is why Congress and President Obama are not making a rapid stance decision on sending more troops right away. I think we should just bomb the area where the ding-dong is wanted dead or alive and call it "Mission Accomplished". I see no end to this bullcrap, other-wise. Drop a bomb on it, and end it. Enough of this stupid religious war.

Yay!

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/06/texas.fort.hood.shootings/index.html

At least the suicidal ones were honorable enough to not kill 13 others. The war is good for nothing. These conflicts are a mess. Something needs to be resolved.

Suicide doesn't look so bad when the alternative is killing others.

I really believe sending troops back over and over again, has taken a toll on our military. We really need to pull them out, and bring them home.

I can only imagine how mentally depressed they are when they do come home. I've come across many articles over the past few years where the men or women could not re-adjust to civilian life. Marriages suffered. Many of their partners would tell about how their partner returned a different person.

I think 8 years of rotation is enough.

Another thought: Even if they find what was his name...Osama Biden(?), there are different terrorists of their own, like gangsters, and it wouldn't put an end to the terrorists. So, to me, we have done what we could, and it seems it's just going in circles.

Our country needs to ask other countries to step up to the plate. Bring our troops home, the national guard also. America needs help badly; we're so weak right now under Obama, that it's useless trying to fight in those countries.

Gary, Chicago, for example, could use the help of the national guard in fighting the terrorists (gang-bangers) that infilterated our country, coming from South America, Mexico, that kill at random, for no good reason.

We need to focus on rebuilding America, and quit aiding other countries. We need to step up security HERE.

UrRight wrote:

Our country needs to ask other countries to step up to the plate. Bring our troops home, the national guard also. America needs help badly; we're so weak right now under Obama, that it's useless trying to fight in those countries.

Yeah I think it's about time for the UN to take this one over... I don't blame us being weakened on Obama. That being said he certainly hasn't fixed the situation any...