Latest Army Mental Health Survey Brings More Bad News. Is McCain Listening?

by: Jon Soltz

Thu Mar 06, 2008 at 12:49:18 PM EST


Today's release of the Army's latest mental health survey provides very little to be happy about. In the past, I've talked repeatedly about mental injuries in war, so I won't rehash all of that again. But here are the highlights from today's report:

Despite all the talk about how wonderful things are in Iraq, the overwhelming majority of troops in Iraq continue to say that morale in their units and their own morale is low. Just 11 percent reported that their unit's morale was "high or very high." Only 20 percent said their own morale was "high or very high."

Afghanistan, which is quickly becoming the 'forgotten war' for Bush/McCain, is finding a worsening of the mental health among our troops there. Preliminary reports are that there has been a rise in the amount of troops in Afghanistan reporting depression. In Iraq, troops report the same level of depression as last year.

Combined, the findings are highly troubling. What it tells me, and any person with an elementary school education, is that for all the talk of success in Iraq, the troops aren't feeling that, at all. At the same time, we're crushing our troops in Afghanistan, who have done heroic work there with little help, but now are feeling increasingly overwhelmed.

The report is so bad, that apparently one of the conclusions is to consider sending more mental health workers to the war front. That's right. Rather than deal with the root cause - repeated and extended tours - we're going to send shrinks to the field. I'm not opposed to having counselors on the warfront, because that can only help. But we're joking ourselves if we think that will keep our troops from severe mental injuries.

At any rate, the press, which has treated Senator McCain with kid gloves so far, should bring these findings up with him. Let's see what kind of Commander in Chief he would be. When the troops are telling him for the second straight year that they don't see 'sunshine and lollipops' progress in Iraq like him, when more and more are showing signs of severe breakdown in Afghanistan, when they are clearly telling him they need a break, is he really OK telling them that we're going to stay the course?
Jon Soltz :: Latest Army Mental Health Survey Brings More Bad News. Is McCain Listening?
Tags: , , , , , (All Tags)
Print Friendly View Send As Email
Latest Army Mental Health Survey Brings More Bad News. Is McCain Listening? | 11 comments
Just shake my head (0.00 / 0)
when I think of Iraq and Afghan veterans coming home and being among civilians who have zero feel for what these vets have been through.

Talk about isolation, depression and anxiety.

I enjoy reading (2.00 / 2)
this website and the comments but it's starting to look like this website has become the DailyKos but for veterans.

Are we going to be reading negative blogposts about Senator McCain all the way to November?

I understand that Senator McCain has a terrible record when it comes to veterans bills, and yes he is the Biggest cheerleader for the war in Iraq....But don't let the other two Senators off the hook just because the vast majority (if not all) of the people who work for VoteVets are Democrats.

Everyone admits that we took the eye of the ball and have made a huge mistake in Iraq. But for some reason the two Democratic Candidates think its okay to fund the mistake.

These candidates know about all the issues our troops are having with mental health and what do they do? They continue to give George Bush a blank check so that more and more troops will come home screwed up for life.

I have yet to see the DailyKos..oops I mean Vetvoice go after Senators Obama or Clinton. This war continues because they want it to continue.

You are right... (0.00 / 0)
...about all of the remaining candidates deserving equal treatment when it comes to Iraq.

I say that because not one of these yahoos has the first clue about what is going to be required to end the civil war in Iraq and bring US troops home responsibly without leaving a failed state behind.

And, I don't believe for a minute that cutting off funding will end the civil war in Iraq, either. The only way to accomplish that is to change US policy in Iraq. Unfortunately, that will have to wait until the Bush-CHENEY regime is through wreaking havoc.

More unfortunate still is the fact that neither Senator Clinton nor Senator Obama nor Senator McCain understand why the current Iraq policy is floundering and, therefore, are oblivious as to how to change it.

[ Parent ]
Even more depressing is the Army plan to fix the problem (0.00 / 0)
Truly mind-boggling:

Army: Psychiatrists needed on warfronts
By PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press

WASHINGTON - U.S. troops on the battlefield found it harder to get the mental health care they needed last year, when violence rose in Afghanistan and new tactics pushed soldiers in Iraq farther from their operating bases.
A report the Army released Thursday recommends sending civilian psychiatrists to the warfront, supplementing members of the uniformed mental health corps.

And how would they send them?

The recommendation of civilian mental health professionals for battlefield duty is unusual. But civilian contract employees are doing many other jobs in Iraq, from security to providing food service.

So now your mental health care in a war zone is going to be provided by civilian contractors. I'm sure only the absolute best will sign up to go, and that their performance will be closely monitored for high quality.

And vets... (0.00 / 0)

...will have to pay more for their VA benefits in the future!

Oh what a wonderful world.

[ Parent ]
Yeah (4.00 / 2)
imagine the shock when these guys realize what a pittance their VA benefits really are, as it is. Heres to hope that James Webb's post 9/11 Education benefits for veterans gets passed.
[ Parent ]
We are working on it. (0.00 / 0)

 We just got a briefing from a member of Sen. Webb's staff on the GI bill and it is something that will benefit us all. It is going to be hard to veto proof it, which we need since the Pres. said he will veto it. It is a shame that this adminstration is too afraid to ask the american public to sacrfice a small amount to help those that have sacrificed an assload.
[ Parent ]
The President (0.00 / 0)
is going to veto it? Seriously? I think there is something seriously wrong with that one. It's almost as if there really is no heart or brains involved in a decision to veto that.
[ Parent ]
Yup. (0.00 / 0)

President Bush and the Pentagon oppose any such improvement of this miserly benefit for our young veterans. Why? The president says it would cost too much and be too hard to administer, and he's threatened to veto Webb's bill if it ever passes.

http://www.thestate.com/140/st...

[ Parent ]
Too (0.00 / 0)
costly and too hard to administer? Well, I can think of a laundry list of wasted money that could be better used for this, which is only estimated to be 2bill a year. Lets see, UN dues, foreign aid, fraud, waste, and abuse. The list goes on and on. As for the Pentagon, I don't think their argument carries any weight either. Lots of people are getting out right now.  
[ Parent ]
I know (0.00 / 0)
Maybe we should all write letters to the King of Saudi Arabia, and ask him will he fund it.
[ Parent ]
Latest Army Mental Health Survey Brings More Bad News. Is McCain Listening? | 11 comments
VetVoice on Facebook
VetVoice Recommends

"The War I Always Wanted,"
By Brandon Friedman

"The welcome mat for memoirs by veterans of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom might never wear out so long as they write with the savvy of Brandon Friedman . . . Friedman's take is vivid, frank, precise and dramatic." --Military Times

"Add Brandon Friedman's The War I Always Wanted to the ranks of outstanding non-fiction produced by officers from elite combat units in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Always truthful, often excruciatingly so, The War I Always Wanted rises at numerous points to the level of literature." --Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire

Buy The War I Always Wanted here.

"A Time To Lead,"
By General (Ret.) Wesley K. Clark

"A Time To Lead confirms the rewarding benefits of military service at a time when such service is experiencing considerable strain. It also includes a comprehensive description of America's current national imperatives, which deserve serious consideration." --General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., former Secretary of State

"This is a primer on leadership forged in battle and by decades of experience. . .This isn't just a book; it's a manual for leading people and living a good life." --Barry McCaffrey, General, USA (ret.)

Buy A Time to Lead here.

"Love My Rifle More Than You,"
By Kayla Williams

"Whip smart, sassy, with a mouth as foul as a sailor's, 28-year-old Sergeant Kayla Williams. . .tells what it's like to be a female soldier in Iraq." --Booklist

". . .echoes military memoirists from Julius Caesar to Ernie Pyle." --Publishers Weekly

". . .a shocking, on-the-ground view of one military woman's experience in Iraq." --Bookmarks Magazine

Buy Love My Rifle More Than You here.

"How to Break a Terrorist,"
By Matthew Alexander

"...a riveting, fast-paced account that reads like a first-rate thriller." --Publisher's Weekly

" ...an absorbing behind-the-scenes look at the secret intelligence war within a war." --Military.com

Buy How to Break a Terrorist here.
RSS Feed Links

Subscribe to VetVoice in a feed reader!

Subscribe to VetVoice by Email!
Diaries and comments at VetVoice do not necessarily represent the views of VoteVets.org. VetVoice will strive to remove any illegal material as soon as it is flagged. Similarly, VetVoice will use its discretion in determining whether to remove exceedingly offensive material. However, between posting and removal, any offensive or illegal material does not reflect the condoning or endorsing of said material by VoteVets.org or VetVoice.
Similarly, the views expressed on this website are those of the authors alone. Opinions on this website do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Defense or any of its components.
Menu

Make a New Account

Username:

Password:


Forget your username or password?

Front Page Writers
PTSD Resources
TBI Resources
IRR Information
Casualty Reports
VA Information
Support the Troops
Veteran Candidates We Support
Congressional Committees
Contact Your Elected Leaders
Sites We Like
Search

Advanced Search

Paid for VoteVets Political Action Committee. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. VoteVets Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization which primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on behalf veterans and their families. VoteVets Political Action Committee is a federal political committee which primarily helps elect Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran candidates and educates about veterans and military issues aimed at influencing the outcome of the next election.

Site Design: Articulated Man

VoteVets Political Action and Vote Vets Action Fund are separate organizations.

Powered by: SoapBlox