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Peter1469
03-22-2012, 08:14 AM
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/mar/20/troops-stressed-to-breaking-point/


A recent Army (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/army/) health report draws an alarming profile of a fighting force more prone to inexcusable violence amid an “epidemic” of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the mental breakdown attracting speculation as a factor in a massacre of Afghan civilians this month.


Based on an exhaustive study of nearly 500,000 soldiers, reservists and veterans, the report finds that troops are more likely to commit suicide and violent sex offenses, and notes that as many as 236,000 suffered from PTSD since the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/afghanistan/) and Iraq (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/iraq/).

Mister D
03-22-2012, 08:28 AM
This occupation has lasted a very long time and I'm not surprised it's having such psychological effects.

Chris
03-22-2012, 10:42 AM
This really isn't something new, soldiers came back from other wars with this, but it just wasn't out in the open.

Peter1469
03-22-2012, 10:50 AM
No it is not knew. But now that it is out in the open, how is the US going to deal with it?

Chris
03-22-2012, 12:50 PM
I think part of the reason it's more prevalent these days also has to do with the way we fight "war". In the past we usually had clearly defined enemies associated with governments and armies, so we knew who the enemy was. Fighting for hearts and minds, to spread democracy, for humanitarian reasons, not knowing who's the enemy and who's friendly, creates a lot of cognitive dissonance. So I'd suggest we stop that sort of policing action.


I say this, I fully admit, never having fought in the military, just from a civilian perspective.

Peter1469
03-22-2012, 12:56 PM
There is truth to that. I fought in Desert Storm and I served in the current war in Iraq.

In Desert Storm we were fighting a 3rd generation war. We knew when we were in danger and we knew when we were not in danger.

Today's wars are different. I was a field grade officer who rarely left my base, yet our base was hit by over 2000 mortar rounds while I was there. People died randomly, one dude was hit while taking a crap in a porta potty. That creates 24/7 stress. But I was still the guy who would run outside to see where the mortars were hitting. We had several land pretty close.

MMC
03-22-2012, 12:57 PM
Not long both parties are looking to cut Vets medical benefits. Including Tri-Care.

Conley
03-22-2012, 01:02 PM
Interesting thoughts.

While I agree we've always had this sort of risk to our soldiers, the length of these engagements and the repeated deployments seem like something else to consider in the numbers of affected. Even though the violence doesn't compare to Vietnam, we've been at war, sometimes two at once, for over two decades now if you consider GW1 (1991), GW2, and Afghanistans. Granted there was a break between GW1 and GW2, but that is more than outweighed by the overlap of the last two conflicts if you ask me.

Conley
03-22-2012, 01:03 PM
Not long both parties are looking to cut Vets medical benefits. Including Tri-Care.

Instead of cutting benefits we should be cutting deployments.

MMC
03-22-2012, 01:10 PM
Instead of cutting benefits we should be cutting deployments.

That or Cut Afghanistans Head off!

Conley
03-22-2012, 01:13 PM
Too many heads now. They want Taliban rule, so give it to them.

Peter1469
03-22-2012, 01:13 PM
Interesting thoughts.

While I agree we've always had this sort of risk to our soldiers, the length of these engagements and the repeated deployments seem like something else to consider in the numbers of affected. Even though the violence doesn't compare to Vietnam, we've been at war, sometimes two at once, for over two decades now if you consider GW1 (1991), GW2, and Afghanistans. Granted there was a break between GW1 and GW2, but that is more than outweighed by the overlap of the last two conflicts if you ask me.

In WWII you were deployed 1 time. And you didn't get to come home until the war was over. Unless you were wounded or killed.

Conley
03-22-2012, 01:24 PM
In WWII you were deployed 1 time. And you didn't get to come home until the war was over. Unless you were wounded or killed.

But they rotated in and out...like on The Pacific when they spent some good time in Australia, right? That war was quite a bit shorter than 20 years, also...

Peter1469
03-22-2012, 01:34 PM
They would rotate to a rest phase. They would not come home.