SURGING BACKWARD

As you raise your flag today, I have something for you to think about. If I told you that at least one American service personnel died everyday this year, I would hope you would be as appalled as I am.

Now let’s add that up, that is 365 men and women a year dead from the results of a war in Iraq or Afghanistan! That is pretty sickening in itself: but what if the death is NOT due to enemy fire, but suicide? How do we stand on that? Do you realize that the death rate to suicide among service people is higher than that due to combat?

It seems to me that we need an explanation for these deaths. Why are we losing good men and women to self-inflicted death? This horrific news is shocking and it is getting worse. The causes seem to be re-deployment, combat fatigue, studies indicating that combat exposure, post-traumatic stress, misuse of prescription medications and personal financial problems are also culprits, and they are the direct results of military duty.  And yet, non-deployed service personnel are also committing suicide! I think the military has a duty to perform for their warriors, or am I incorrect?

How are we sending these people into combat? How are we preparing them to deal with the stress that comes with war? Or are we dealing with it? Further still, what is our obligation to these people when they leave the service? Do we just leave them to their own devices? Did you know that many suicides occur because the victim’s are afraid to get help? That they fear the end of their careers, that people will think them weak? And yet, there is no barometer to read that!  

If this government deems it necessary to fight in a foreign land, and order these kids, brave men and women into harm’s way, train them for the fight, then we should also train them, and arm them to conduct the fight of their lives, that of self preservation. There should be a psychological evaluation and assistance to those who need it, especially when they muster out.

Just think of all the families that are affected by not only the suicides, but also the trauma that causes divorce and physical harm. We seem to be doing more harm to our military personnel, ourselves as a nation then to the enemy!

Let’s look at the disarray the service is in when we hear and read about misconduct, scandal and attacks on women in the military. It seems to me we need to screen better the people who are enlisting, then leaving the service and we need to do this in a hurry.

But maybe, just maybe, what we need to do is look closer at the idea of sending our troops out to fight in foreign interests, when they are not even valued by those they are sent to help.

Finally, let me say, that if we leave people in charge of young lives, and those in charge can order their charges into harm’s way, and have that kind of control over young lives, then they better have better control over what they are doing and how they are doing it. We as a people should demand it.