Our Soldiers

[Sadie]

 

I found this in a Cincinnati newspaper headline this morning...

This makes me so mad and leaves me heartbroken...this war is Iraq has got to stop. This is just so horrible...words fail me...as this nation has failed our boys.

 

We need to pray for our troops as I know several of you have sons and daughters in service there. Maybe we could do a prayer chain or a prayer day or something...

 

What saddens me even more is I saw a video yesterday where some of the soldiers were promised college educations if they enlisted and when they came home they found out it was all a stinking lie. What little bit of money they would get would not even come close to allowing them to go to college without further loans and debts. Horrible this is just horrible.

 

Army suicides reported at two-decade high

 

Last Update: 10:49 am

 

WASHINGTON (AP) - Pentagon officials say there were fewer Army suicides last year than they had feared. But it was still the highest number in almost two decades.

 

Two defense officials said Thursday that 108 troops committed suicide in 2007, the most since 1990. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the full report on the deaths wasn't being released until later Thursday.

 

Preliminary figures released in January showed as many as 121 troops killed themselves, but a number of the deaths were still being investigated then.

 

Suicides have been rising. The 108 last year followed 102 in 2006 and 85 in 2005.

 

The increases come despite a host of efforts to improve the mental health of a force stressed by lengthy and repeated deployments to Ira

[westbrook]

I disagree ... the freedoms we are offering the people in Iraq is so precious!

 

people come out to thank our soldiers but the news doesn't report that.

 

Interesting... every one I know gets what they got when they signed up for the military! signing bonus from little to a lot! education paid for from a little to a lot! when you signed the dotted line it was all there! they even pay big incentives for you to reenlist! perhaps they didn't read the fine print... you have so many months or years to go to school or loose those benefits. They never promised to pay for 100% of their education! they are given $10K or in the case of one son $25K and the other son $50K transferable to children. Signing bonus was $7k for one and $12K for the other. Just depends on your contract and how bad they want you!

 

Sure there are problems in the lands but it isn't the people it is those from outside Iraq like Iran and surrounding areas that create the problems for our soldiers.

 

This doesn't mean we don't help! we do! we are a huge part of the problem. We pay a finders fee? bounty? call it what you will to those that turn in the bad guys.. it is the bad guys turning in little wee wee bad guys to get $100k then turn around and buy weapons to fight us with!

 

As to suicides... doesn't that say a lot about the Character of a person? perhaps they joined to try to 'find' a purpose to their lives? perhaps they are part of the Retalin crowd! or maybe just depressed and hoping beyond hope the military will fix them.

 

I think there is 'way' more to the story then being told! look at suicide % nationwide over all and you will find them up.

 

I go back to 'it says a lot about the character of a person'

 

sure pull out.. then we are back to battling the war on our own soil! no thanks!

 

Proud Mother of not 1 but 2 sons in the Army... one just got back from Iraq (second tour). Did he like it there? No! but it was his duty! He is an RN and worked out in the field. My other son.. is a translator.. an arabic translator.. if it was as the media makes it out to be.. then why would my sons keep enlisting? need I say more?

 

I think WE need to leave the decision as to whether we stay or leave up to those that have a better grasp on the reality of what is going on... and leave the media out of it!

 

 

[Crazy4Canning]

Good post, Westie! :usaflag2:

 

You are correct about the signing bonuses - they vary according to person BUT are ALWAYS written down. Regarding the freedom - people are still wanting to come to America. Many soldiers form bonds with the people there and are fighting for democracy....enough said.

 

Close family friends have sons who are ALL in the military. Currently they were ALL in Iraq, the second boy was in his THIRD tour, special ops. He did it BECAUSE IT WAS HIS JOB. Enough said.

 

Suicides are up nationwide due to economy, family, etc. Also, the character of people isn't what it was years ago. Many choose the easy way out through drugs, alcohol, or military. When it doesn't work, they kill themselves.....so many are without HOPE.

 

I find the US Military brings hope and order....may they always be available to us and others!

[Stephanie]

Well said Westie!

 

And I agree crazy4! with the hope and order comment!

 

I have very dear friends in the military and the love their life. Yes, he has been deployed both now and in Desert Storm. But, they are living a good life, getting a free education, raising theeir children, seeing the world. He recommends it to everyone and has influenced my own sons favorably.

 

Military life is not for everyone, but it is not without it's merits. And God Bless our Soldiers!

[Jeepers]

Concerning the G.I. Bill lies;

 

When I married my DH he had 2 years of college. He quit school to marry me. Our plan, was for him to return the next semester. It was during Viet Nam so Uncle Sam came calling.

 

After much prayer and discussion, we decided instead of the two year Army stint, he/we would inlist in the Air Force for the four years Air Force stint. The reasoning was I had a better chance of being able to be with him and he would get the G.I. Bill longer. They promised him for every year he was in the military he would receive the G.I. Bill for a nine month school term.

 

Those four years were difficult. What life is without difficulty? But, we met THE nicest people from all over the world. All of our peers were in the same boat and we helped each other like family. I got to live a year in Taiwan and a year in Japan...off the military base. My DH job in the military was a Chinese linguist. I helped him study so naturally, I picked up quite a bit of Chinese. It was a real plus living in Taiwan. We still speak a little of it to each other...especially when we want to keep our conversation private.

 

When he got out of the military, he recieved the G.I. Bill for the remaining two years of college and for two of the three years of law school. The last year of law school they extended him another year!

 

Throughout his remaining five years of college, after the military, he got a monthly check from Uncle Sam. We were to use it how we saw fit. That included housing, food, clothing, books, tuition or what ever. We lived on campus and had one son. I only went to work the last year we were there because our son started school. Husband worked summers.

 

We both worked hard and put up with a lot of crap. But we were strong and worked together for a future. That's when I started learning my 'survival' skills. When we had extra, we saved it! We didn't expect anything for anyone. I guess that is what is missing from some people today. A sense of entitlement. We knew if we were going to make it to the end, we'd have to do the best we could ourselves. He graduated law school, with a family, debt free. He worked for that G.I. Bill and 35 years later it is still working for him.

 

BTW, we have been divorced for about 5 years now and because of all we have been through together, we are still the best of friends and he never forgot the lean times when we were going through the settlement phase of our divorce. I guess character building was taught somewhere.

 

I'm not really sure why I'm putting this all out there. I guess it's because I'm tired of people making statements about something they haven't lived.

 

You want to do something for the military man and women? Put feet on your prayers. Adopt a unit. http://anysoldier.com/

[Stephanie]

That is a great site Jeepers! Thanks for sharing it, I'm thinking of doing it as a homeschooling project as we plan our July 4th celebration!

[zzelle]

thaks for all the info ladies it gave me alot to think on

[Ambergris]

Suicide has nothing to do with a lack of character, or with weakness.

 

Dying is what you do when it hurts too much to live.

[Stephanie]

Hmmm, I don't know. Perhaps suicide is not a sign of character or weakness. However, I've had times in my life that to simply stop breathing would have relieved the pain I was facing, as we all (or most) have. I never considered suicide however. Because I am "stronger", probably not. But because I know Him who is able, and willing to bring hope into a hopeless situation.

[Lois]

As my DH always says "suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem"

[Louis1]

Please keep things in perspective everyone, and keep in mind that most articles such as this are designed to inflame you. They are agenda driven.

 

The article says suicide rates are the highest in 2 decades - in other words, they are lower than 20 years ago? Or maybe close to the same?

 

Also, military suicides are less than those for same age groups in civilian life.

 

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=15687

 

Another stat:

 

The 115 deaths last year and 102 in 2006 followed 85 in 2005 and 67 in 2004. The only Army records immediately available go back to 1990, and show no year with a higher number of suicides than 2007. The figure in 1990 was 102.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationw...0,6105432.story

 

Air Force alone averaged about 65 per year from 1979 - 1991.

 

TABLE 6–14

ACTIVE DUTY AIR FORCE SUICIDES

(1979–1991) BY MILITARY GRADE

Enlisted Number (%) Officer Number (%)

E–1 33 (4) O–1 8 (8)

E–2 39 (5) O–2 19 (19)

E–3 156 (21) O–3 31 (32)

E–4 180 (24) O–4 24 (24)

E–5 178 (24) O–5 8 (8)

E–6 93 (12) O–6 7 (7)

E–7 47 (6) Cadet 1 (1)

E–8 21 (3)

E–9 4 (~0)

Total 751 (99) Total 98 (99)

 

http://www.bordeninstitute.army.mil/publis...iatry/MPch6.pdf