Army Suicide Toll

[Beanstalk]

Iris, your the one who stated this..."I will explain later where I get my facts. Just don't have any time to waste right now. "

You must be a really unhappy or angry person having to highlight. I just needed to go shuck some oysters for dinner. Family, food, and good will are worth more of my time.

I just want to enjoy good ole SOWAL life. Eat fresh food, protect a wonderful area. Help those down here that might need an ear. And give my best opinion from what I just experience for over 30 years.

And I do love my government health care. It is excellent as your sons . Don't know if you are retired from the government and have the same opportunities, but hope you do. I talk with all of my reitree friends and we hope that what we pay (I pay about $100 a month for primo care others pay about $250 per year and $5 co pays) that we can offer other people that need health care something reasonable. Maybe $250 per month. I have friends that are self employeed that pay $500 to $1000 per month per family. And don't receive good care.

Take that one on Jack.

Sorry Scooter. Had to rant about something else. Jack got me started. I do agree with you most of all.

Our poor soldiers and their families.

PS. For all of you comma mammas, I am not going through and correcting all of my typos and grammatical errors! So I will not respond to your rants! I love all of you. Just don't have the patience!

Good to see you are enjoying life and only wishing you well. I fail to see where I questioned anything that you mentioned above, I only asked for your facts that you were too busy at the time to share. You are retired military? You seem to have some pent up anger about the system. That?s another thread; I will say I could never compare the theaters that you say you were in to anything I experienced first hand myself. I find it hard for some to understand the Viet Nam War since the history in my opinion has been twisted and I even find myself questioning what I really seen and heard for myself when I see what some proclaim as fact about something they never lived. I ask for facts so I can filter thru the BS and the truth. Much of what I read and see on the news about the current War and I did say War, and comparing it to Viet Nam is just plain and simply Bull. I have served our Country and have no regrets for anything I or the ones under me had done under the Flag; Yes I did say Flag of this Great Nation.
The problem in today?s world and I am sure adds to the pressure of our young men and women in uniform is the instant media and communications that are available today. Instant is not good. When a Country is at War and has been attacked within the need for controlling the information flow becomes an important tool for protecting our Country and our service personnel. Having open flow of information puts the individuals at risk of stress related problems including the current thread topic. These young people serving our Country are exposed to all the media flush and public opinion that could and would have them filtering another level of thought process that could effect the way they carry out their job and following the orders of their commanders.
As an experienced Commander I find this liberal self-righteous pandering of socialistic life breaking down this Country.
I will not be as vain as some to list my accomplishments in my lifetime. I have pride in my Country and Pride in my career, I question the ones who served in the military honorably to defecate on the Government and the Military they served and as one says "Enjoys the BENIFITS" . Glad the oysters were there for you to eat last night, My son had a Stir Fry MRE for supper. He did take time out to defend his fellow comrades. Good luck Iris, Oh and let me pass this on, My Son who is in Iraq has told me and our family and friends he is Proud to be an American. He is Proud to be a part of a Country that is feeding and protecting innocent people including the children and helping them to become educated so they can build a better life for themselves.

I am done.. Today I have the FREEDOM to go to work and enjoy my life here in a Country that so many have given to allow me that Freedom.

Jack

 

[Bob]

you served, you're proud, you are free. every war you, your son, or andy a. were in was a just and righteous cause. anything else?

 

[Iris]

you served, you're proud, you are free. every war you, your son, or andy a. were in was a just and righteous cause. anything else?

Well said. That was great.

I can honestly say that over the many years I spent in the Military I was at the right place at the right time. It has not been a peaceful Army but I got to live a very enchanted peaceful life. When I commanded units, we were not in any conflict. Then I was either in a senior service school or serving as a staff weannie. And it was the staff weannie jobs that were the hardest. Being in the Pentagon and seeing the wounded being toured through was extremely disheartening.

I can say I retired from the Army and went back as a civil servant (because I didn't know how to do anything else!) to another staff weannie positions. I worked for GEN Colin Powell at FORSCOM and as a civilian GEN Hondo Campbell. Both great guys. You could listen to each of them speak forever. They didn't have attitudes. They cared for the troops. It was all great. But when you start to care it gets harder and harder. And I am happy to be alive and well. I care for the military families and I care for our nation. I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal which a lot of military can't stand.

Keep up the good comments and work.

 

[AlphaCrab]

Well said. That was great.

I can honestly say that over the many years I spent in the Military I was at the right place at the right time. It has not been a peaceful Army but I got to live a very enchanted peaceful life. When I commanded units, we were not in any conflict. Then I was either in a senior service school or serving as a staff weannie. And it was the staff weannie jobs that were the hardest. Being in the Pentagon and seeing the wounded being toured through was extremely disheartening.

I can say I retired from the Army and went back as a civil servant (because I didn't know how to do anything else!) to another staff weannie positions. I worked for GEN Colin Powell at FORSCOM and as a civilian GEN Hondo Campbell. Both great guys. You could listen to each of them speak forever. They didn't have attitudes. They cared for the troops. It was all great. But when you start to care it gets harder and harder. And I am happy to be alive and well. I care for the military families and I care for our nation. I am fiscally conservative and socially liberal which a lot of military can't stand.

Keep up the good comments and work.

Iris thank you for your refreshing and EXPERIENCED point of veiw--I have learned a lot!

 

[scooterbug44]

All the more reason to be concerned about the issue:

Is Fort Hood a Harbinger? Nidal Malik Hasan May Be a Symptom of a Military on the Brink. - The Human Condition Blog - Newsweek.com

 

[LuciferSam]

All the more reason to be concerned about the issue:

Is Fort Hood a Harbinger? Nidal Malik Hasan May Be a Symptom of a Military on the Brink. - The Human Condition Blog - Newsweek.com

This really struck me: "Suicidal behavior is bad," Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend said at the time. In black shorts, a T shirt, and running shoes, he climbed atop a podium in a field and addressed his troops. "It's bad for soldiers, it's bad for families, bad for your units, bad for this division and our Army and our country, and it's got to stop now."

Seriously, does he really think telling a suicidal person to straighten out and fly right is going to have much effect? I mean we're dealing with people who have no fear whatsoever of the consequences of their actions. I don't think rules and laws and discipline can do much to deter them.

 

[Lake View Too]

Very good point. Timothy McVeigh was an ex-military "fundamentalist", who considered what he did to be "patriotic". What he did was kill innocent children...

 

[TooFarTampa]

Wow, just wow. I never, ever thought I would see veterans on this site criticizing other veterans and making assumptions about how successful they were or what they did while in the service or their knowledge of the military or their capability or their viewpoints. A new low! Just in time for Veteran's Day, too.

Please, just have some respect, people.

Very sincerely,

Former military wife

 

[Bob]

lots of words. tons of pride. very little wisdom.

 

[Beanstalk]

Wow, just wow. I never, ever thought I would see veterans on this site criticizing other veterans and making assumptions about how successful they were or what they did while in the service or their knowledge of the military or their capability or their viewpoints. A new low! Just in time for Veteran's Day, too.

Please, just have some respect, people.

Very sincerely,

Former military wife

Honestly, there is no way a man would do what some have done here on this thread if they were TRUE VETERANS! A brother that has fought and seen death and mayhem would never attack another that has seen the same. I almost puked my guts out after reading some of theses post. I would say some are not worthy of what the Real Vets have done, but that would cheapen their sacrifices and I wont.