Comments on: Suicide rate among US troops hits all-time high

By: Tynam

Tynam — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 21:08:00 +0000

We’re not even fighting an idea, unless you count ‘justice’.

By: bobkat

bobkat — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 20:11:00 +0000

This ‘news’ is unsurprising. War is inhumane for everyone involved. Don’t blame the soldiers, blame the cultures that create them – on both sides. Take some personal responsibility.

By: jimh

jimh — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:58:00 +0000

Every time I hear or read “freedom isn’t free” I hope these hidden costs are being taken into consideration. Is what we have “freedom”, and is it worth this?

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:14:00 +0000

People are still joining the military, every day. I share your sympathy, but it’s limited.

By: Nathan Hornby

Nathan Hornby — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 13:13:00 +0000

I’m sure you appreciate that eldritch’s primary point was that he volunteered to enter that contract, not that the contract is easy to get out of.

Although his comment wasn’t very sugar coated, he makes a solid point. It’s not just a gang of blood thirsty war mongerors that join the military, it’s also people with no better option. It’s all a bit sad really. And costly.

By: ffabian

ffabian — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:39:00 +0000

They choose to become soldiers, no one forced them.

By: noah django

noah django — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 10:28:00 +0000

this is all very sad, and to any troops reading: Keep your head up. we are disillusioned by this “war” also, but we do support you, the soldier. Please, do your time and come back to us, we WILL help you.

By: dayhat

dayhat — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 06:53:00 +0000

War really is hell and I imagine Iraq/Afghanistan are about the seventh circle.

This image is from the excellent On Killing by Lt. col. David Grossman about the personal and societal impact of conflict.

Much like the WW II returning participants versus the Vietnam participants there is a huge impact on the person depending on the support and recognition you get when trying to re-intergrate.

By: Sagodjur

Sagodjur — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 03:35:00 +0000

Sadly and ironically, it’s the government that has deserted these soldiers, especially once they return home.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 02:52:00 +0000

Against his will?

It’s a term of service, which is usually four years with the military’s option to force you to do four more years if they’re short on personnel. It’s not a job that you can just quit. It’s called desertion, and you go to jail.

By: eldritch

eldritch — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 02:35:00 +0000

Against his will? What, was he drafted? Or more likely he just wasn’t willing to leave the military without an “honorable” discharge, and the extra cashflow from Uncle Sam that comes with it?

No one forced him to join the military. And no one forced him to stay. If anyone or anything other than the man himself is to blame, it’s the financial incentives of our mercenary army combined with the crippled state of our economy driving him to choose a life of brutality in exchange for money.

It’s a sad and pitiable state of affairs. So long as we have young men and women who feel compelled to do our government’s dirty work because our society tells them it is their duty and obligation, and because for many it is one of the few ways to ever be able to pay for an education and have a life beyond menial labor, this sort of suffering and senseless destruction will continue.

By: miasm

miasm — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:59:00 +0000

after some reading I admit I was ignorant of the extent to which soldiers were being asked to repeat, what seems to be being described as, harsher tours of duty.
There are many references to the lack of a draft and some talk from soldiers who suspect that they are being more readily asked to return to active duty if they have already been on it, rather than being replaced by others who may not have the same level of experience.
And that impetus to return really does seem to be driven by the ‘next guy’ attitude.
However, the people who served long tours in Vietnam were all, essentially, choosing to do so.
I still think there is some inherent quality to the type of warfare they are being asked to fight in which is contributing to the situation.

By: bcsizemo

bcsizemo — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:26:00 +0000

I agree with this. This kind of “war” makes me sick. We aren’t fighting a country or even a specific group of people, we are really fighting an idea.

Notably the kind of “war” I might advocate would end up with a lot more people dead, but at least it would have a clear and rapid conclusion.

By: bcsizemo

bcsizemo — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:24:00 +0000

To my knowledge no one up until the whole Iraq thing served more than 2 tours, and if so it was very rare. Now you have guys serving 4+ tours… You have to imagine that for someone that is 20 years old that’s going to be 1/10 of their life roughly spent in a war zone.

By: Jason Conort

Jason Conort — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:31:00 +0000

Its a war with out any objectives that can never be won. And sadly there is very little out rage to make it end. I truly feel so sorry for our men and women over seas going through this.

By: Antinous / Moderator

Antinous / Moderator — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:45:00 +0000

That guy who went out and shot up a couple of families a few months ago was on his fourth deployment. Against his will. After two injuries. One of which was a head injury.

By: miasm

miasm — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:34:00 +0000

These experiences seem like they would be par for the course.
Are you saying that these are new types of experience or that they are somehow worse than before?

By: SedanChair

SedanChair — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 23:13:00 +0000

Today’s soldiers face a battleground which is absolutely unprecedented. It’s basically legion garrison duty punctuated with firefights and explosions. And then you go back to base and get on Skype with your spouse. And you do it for ten years.

Can somebody explain how you’re supposed to remain sane in those conditions?

By: Sagodjur

Sagodjur — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 22:59:00 +0000

Without any actual knowledge on the matter, my first guesses would be repeat deployments, psychologically and emotionally troubling experiences, minimal or ineffective social support systems, and PTSD.

By: Sirkowski

Sirkowski — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 22:58:00 +0000

That’s a little price to give freedom and equality to the women of Afghanis… Ah, uh… nevermind.

By: miasm

miasm — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 22:17:00 +0000

I think we have a few active-duty and vets that sometimes post at this site, maybe they have an insight into what has changed in the life of the regular soldier, driving them to suicide?

I’m always met with the ‘man-next-to-you’ flub when conversing with them face to face.
I suspect that that particular mitigating factor has been overtaken by the increasingly politically-driven, expedient reality of signing away your ability to choose for yourself just how evil your actions will be.

I know it’s insulting to even ask and I’ve tried to pare down the language but thems the apples.