[Sniper03]

Friends,
After reviewing all of the valuable contents of what most of you have posted here. There is not anything that was not covered and very well. All I can say is for me and many of the others here we did come home in one piece. The other issue that is by far worse today in deployment after deployment for the present military. Some even as many as three to five deployments. That is almost unbearable. Gone first taking care of the home, bills, wife & children, scraping to make it as we did. Then about when things start to get stabilized again it is time to go again and again. No wonder some of the kids are having a hell of a time. Then as stated I guess in a way I am thankful for those who return at all even with catastrophic injuries from IEDs and all the modern warfare weapons. I am amazed how they can be saved. In Vietnam days, it was not near that good of medical marvels being performed. Bottom line, all I can say is we need to thank everyone of them when we recognize them about appreciating their service and sacrifice! In our day we were the bastard step children when we got home. All the hippie peace loving freaks were chanting and smoking their dope. And that war was a terrible war with seemingly no support at home. We were about to win that war when the pulled us out because of the liberal crowed in America who I might add was not willing to protect our freedom. Anyway, God Bless our Troops and I am sure they could do more for them than they are doing. And personal weapons have nothing to do with it. A friend of mine used a rope years ago! And thanks to all of you for you addition to this thread and JJ for sharing his feelings and experience.
God Bless America!

03

03

[alsaqr]

In talking with young veterans and troops one thing came to light that i never mentioned. The US military dispenses large quantities of psychotrophic drugs. Prescribed psychotrophic drugs are used to treat mental conditions. In my day the taking any psychotrophic drug, legal or not, got one kicked out of the US military.

Today the US military dispenses psychotrophic drugs like candy. Those drugs have caused soldiers to commit suicide.


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/01/19/concerns-raised-combat-troops-using-psychotropic-drugs/

Prescription drugs have already been linked to some military suicides, and a top Army official warned last year about the danger of soldiers abusing that medication. Psychiatrists are now coming down hard on the military for continuing to sanction certain psychotropic drugs for combat troops, saying the risk from side effects is too great.

"There's no way on earth that these boys and girls are getting monitored on the field," said Dr. Peter Breggin, a New York-based psychiatrist who has extensively studied the side effects of psychiatric drugs. "The drugs simply shouldn't be given to soldiers."

Anxiety, violent behavior and "impulsivity" are all side effects of some of these medications, he said, the latter symptom being particularly dangerous in a war zone. Breggin said that if patients were given these medications in the civilian world and not monitored, it would amount to "malpractice."

The VA and US military still use triazolam as an aid to sleep. i had my run with triazolam when the VA prescribed it 30 years ago. i had all the side effects listed below plus the desire to commit murder. After one week those poison pills got flushed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000809/

•
you should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways while you are taking this medication. It is hard to tell if these changes are caused by triazolam or if they are caused by physical or mental illnesses that you already have or suddenly develop. Tell your doctor right away if you experience any of the following symptoms: aggressiveness, strange or unusually outgoing behavior, hallucinations (seeing things or hearing voices that do not exist), feeling as if you are outside of your body, memory problems, difficulty concentrating, slowed speech or movements, new or worsening depression, thinking about killing yourself, confusion, and any other changes in your usual thoughts, mood, or behavior. Be sure that your family knows which symptoms may be serious so that they can call the doctor if you are unable to seek treatment on your own.

[JonM]

i think this sums it up. its got nothing to do with guns

YouTube

YouTube

[beastmode986]

Takin my gun would piss me off more! What they don't understand is that if they were going to go through with killing themselves then they are mentally unstable at the time and need counciling and help either way. Taking there guns won't fix the anything.

[WebleyFosbery38]

Its bad enough soldiers have to live as half citizens, they dont get the protections of the Constitution they swore to defend until they become civilians. Now they want to take away their right to bear arms also?

[PanBaccha]

Originally Posted by Vikingdad

The really morbid thought I had (and it may not be far from reality) is that the military likes the high suicide rates because it reduces their obligation towards our veterans.

Perhaps a morbid truth. Is that why so many of our veterans are committing suicide in Afghanistan on a daily basis vis-à-vis early retirement?

[Ubergopher]

Originally Posted by willshoum

It would seem that todays military, to some extent, are a bunch of kids still playing thier video games in a time of war.......Just like teens they text every body and anybody that will go along with thier rant. They are caught up in a fantacy world. The U.S. military is caught between a bannana peel and an ice flow. My advice to these kids, Grow Up.......My respects to all those that have fought and died.....To all the others, you made your bed,sleep in it. You have no one to blame but your self......

Get the HMMWV blown out from under you and end up being lucky and not getting hurt, then spend the next couple years hearing about people getting killed, losing limbs in similar (usually smaller) IEDs. Tell me that won't **** with your mind. Sure there's the happiness that you're alive (which also results in a chasing that high), there's also the moments where you sit there thinking you're only alive because someone (or someones) screwed up.

In my case because the driver (me) was driving a little faster than the SOP was at the time, the other thing was they were hoping to get a strike right under an MRAP cabin and the delay was a little longer than needed for my vehicle.

I'd submit that kind of opinion is part of the reason my generation of vets/active duty is struggling with suicide and PTS.

...Well, that and we aren't a conscript Army with drug abuse problems...

[Dillinger]

I hope your memories, and your heart, are eased soon Gopher.

We ALL appreciate your service and that you made it back to us.

JD

[Mosin]

Okay... I'll just rewrite this little story headline...

hold on....

still working on it...







Military Suicide Rates UP Under Obama Administration!!!!

Now that's how you write a headline.

[jjfuller1]

Originally Posted by Ubergopher

Get the HMMWV blown out from under you and end up being lucky and not getting hurt, then spend the next couple years hearing about people getting killed, losing limbs in similar (usually smaller) IEDs. Tell me that won't **** with your mind. Sure there's the happiness that you're alive (which also results in a chasing that high), there's also the moments where you sit there thinking you're only alive because someone (or someones) screwed up.

In my case because the driver (me) was driving a little faster than the SOP was at the time, the other thing was they were hoping to get a strike right under an MRAP cabin and the delay was a little longer than needed for my vehicle.

I'd submit that kind of opinion is part of the reason my generation of vets/active duty is struggling with suicide and PTS.

...Well, that and we aren't a conscript Army with drug abuse problems...

right there with ya brother.. unlike you my big incident was not an IED, my vehicle(second in the row) took an RPG to the passenger door.

and they wonder why vets tend to have a booze problem..