Mentally Ill Troops Forced Into Combat
CNN.com has a heartbreaking Associated Press story about mentally ill U.S. troops being forced into combat.
Apparently the military is not following very own policies and procedures regarding the screening, treatment and evacuation of mentally ill troops who have been deemed unfit for duty.
The Hartford Courant reports that some troops who "committed suicide" (I assume they mean attempted suicide) in 2004 and 2005 were kept on duty despite their mentall illnesses, and even after being described antidepressants with little or no counseling. This appears to be in conflict with regulations the Army adopted last year that "caution against the use of antidepressants for 'extended deployments."
Col. Elspeth Ritchie, who serves as the Army's mental health go-to person, says that this practice of sending mentally ill soldiers into combat (or even back into combat for an additional deployment) is in part due to the fact that the Army is facing a recruiting shortage. Col. Ritchie says "The challenge for us ... is that the Army has a mission to fight. And, as you know, recruiting has been a challenge," she said. "And so we have to weigh the needs of the Army, the needs of the mission, with the soldiers' personal needs."
Well, call me crazy here, but I don't think your recruitment crisis will be helped any by the fact that the Army is showing such disrespect and disreguard for their soldiers' well being.
How is it supporting our troops, to send them into harm's way, and arm them with weapons for crying out loud, when they have these mental health issues? Who would want to join the Army under these circumstances?
To our government and our friends on the right, I say: You want to support the troops? Don't just talk about it. BE ABOUT IT!
The House and Senate Armed Services Committees should take up this matter ASAP.
Report: Mentally ill troops forced into combat
Military not following own rules on deployment, paper says
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OBL sent me a message via your cell phone and said thanks for this post.
Comment by — 2006/05/13 @ 10:20 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Dugg— 2006/05/13 @ 10:24 PM — (Reply)
no from shalana's bed
Comment by — 2006/05/13 @ 10:26 PM — (Reply)
Comment by Dugg— 2006/05/13 @ 10:31 PM — (Reply)
But he won't take your advice and start a petition for the troops. Because he could care less about them. He's made that much clear from his comments.
His bringing OBL into the conversation, just shows how sick he is.
This has nothing to do with OBL, and EVERYTHING to do with our troops. And the sad fact is that troops who have attempted suicide are being sent back into combat. They aren't receiving the care or the help they need.
He should be outraged. But he's not. And that speaks volumes about him.
Comment by SMillard— 2006/05/14 @ 08:09 AM — (Reply)
Why is everything OBL? Why can't it be just a F'd up thing our government is doing? Maybe the unnamed poster was leaving his comments from GWB's bed. It's a trendy thing to do, after all.
Comment by WaterCat— 2006/05/15 @ 05:37 AM — (Reply)