18 returning Iraqi and Afghanistan vet suicides per day. Now another one close to DUer Ineeda.

[valerief]

Link here.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002132556

Why isn't there some effective transition program for these multi-tour veterans?

[Lint Head]

1. There isn't an effective transition program because soldiers are

only good for rich politicians to use and praise when they are in uniform. Not when they are retired and considered
using government money. Contractors are paid and average of $100,000 a year while soldiers make around $30,000 or less. Then they
are treated like unused cannon fodder that needs to be disposed of.

[madokie]

3. War does something to a person

that if you've not been there it is hard to explain what the feelings are. Even having been there I find it hard to explain what the changes I went through were, trust me there were many and many didn't manifest until years later.

In '69 -'70 when I was but cannon fodder I was making 350 bucks a month for a total of 4100 bucks a year to put my life on the line. I came back in one piece albeit some of the pieces were scrambled a tad though.

Children should not be sent off to war. You either get killed or you live with the after effects of war the rest of your life. Its not right. In a real war where we were fighting to protect our country I'd happily go again in place of a young person and do my part, hell as a bonus I've already been trained, already have experience. The wars since world war 2 were not to protect our country though.

The American warmongers, (bushco,) should be at the Dock at The Hague or already incarcerated somewhere right now.Their enablers right along side of them too.

[jwirr]

6. Very good summary. I would also say that I doubt it is that easy to identify who needs special

help and who does not. My uncle fought in Korea and would have said much like you just did but his crisis only came when the Pueblo was captured by Koreans years later. If my father had not listened to him he may have done what these soldiers are doing now. The symptoms are not always visible until it is too late.

[Fumesucker]

2. The average WWII vet spent sixteen months overseas..

Some of these troops have spent several multiples of that in country.

They also come back to a country that doesn't have a clue or much give a damn, another big change from the WWII vet..

Where was the celebration when the Iraq war ended?

Oh, wait..

[90-percent]

4. Dick Cheney once said:

"So what? They volunteered."

-90% Jimmy

[whatchamacallit]

5. Fuck Ron Paul!

[Initech]

12. What does Ron Paul have to do with this?

Fuck George Bush and Dick Cheney is more like it.

[postatomic]

7. I had really really really hoped that we learned something from Vietnam

War serves no purpose other than to line the pockets of death merchants. The numbers seeking mental health care are staggering. Where's the media? Crickets.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/11/30/1927720/va-told-to-hurry-care-for-mentally.html#storylink=mirelated

[sad sally]

13. Media AWOL in exposing Iraq War’s years of ineptitude

The U.S. war in Iraq ended just before Christmas, and if you blinked you probably missed it.

TV news coaxed some seasonal sentiment out of the troops getting home for the holidays, but the Sunday-morning talk shows — where news of consequence is usually autopsied — barely noticed. The Beltway sages had weightier matters to discuss, such as the Gingrich ascendancy and the latest congressional standoff.

The silence was understandable because the topic is so awkward. The Iraq war wasn’t a defeat, like Vietnam. But it wasn’t a win either: Saddam Hussein is long gone, but the strategic menace the invasion was meant to thwart was bogus, the installation of democracy seems shaky at best, and the country seems on the verge of tearing itself apart again.
----
Our country isn’t unique in making war needlessly, but we may be unique in our insouciance. Attention really should be paid. After all, destroying another country is a big deal. Between 105,000 and 130,000 Iraqi civilians died violently, and half a million more were lost to degraded infrastructure, lousy healthcare and other miseries caused by years of murderous strife uncorked by the U.S. invasion. Some two million Iraqis are now refugees, and hundreds of thousands of ordinary lives have been mutilated.

You’d think some sort of examination is in order: Congressional hearings? A truth and reconciliation commission? At least, an extended segment on 60 Minutes?

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/01/2567324/media-awol-in-exposing-iraq-wars.html#storylink=cpy?du

[postatomic]

17. Iraq was never really a War

The people we sent there were not trained on how to kill and there was no battle theater. Where was the War? What were our military objectives?

Like your numbers and the link show it was just one huge clusterfuck. Did we learn anything? Probably not. Some asshole in the future will try it again for some bullshit reason.

[Zywiec]

8. what is the daily rate for the same age group

that didn't serve?

[postatomic]

10. There are no good statistics

It is 'estimated' that Iraq & Afghanistan Vets account for roughly 20% of total suicides. Even as an 'estimate' it's a pretty substantial number. If Vets accounted for 1% of total suicides that number would still be too high.

[Zywiec]

11. Of course there are no good statistics

I work with Iraq & Afghanistan Vets all the time. Not once has anyone killed themselves.

Not trying to underplay it, but also not selling propaganda.

[Ineeda]

15. well, my cousin just did...

so that's certainly not propaganda. Even one is too many.

[postatomic]

16. It's not propaganda

Where do you work? Do you work in the screening facility? Are you a Psych Doc? The "propaganda" is in the attempted sell that this isn't going on. Just sweep it under the rug. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Not me. I know the integrity of my source. I don't know you but if you had anything to do with the Vets coming back you'd have a clear understanding of the problem. With the Iraq and Afghan Vets there are over a Million Vets seeking Mental Health assistance. Over one fucking Million. No matter how you spin it that's a huge problem. And suicides occur quite regularly. That's a fact.

[Robb]

9. That's attempts, and all vets, not just Iraq and AfPak.

http://www.armytimes.com/mobile/index.php?storyUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.armytimes.com%2Fnews%2F2010%2F04%2Fmilitary_veterans_suicide_042210w%2F

Horrifying nonetheless.

[valerief]

14. Thanks for the clarification. nt