Mental Health Care Failing At-Risk Troops

Related Study Finds Battlefield Ethics Also Suffering

(CBS/AP)  The U.S. military is putting already-strained troops at greater risk of mental health problems because of repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, a Defense Department panel says in warning of an overburdened health system.

The Defense Department's Task Force on Mental Health chaired by Navy Surgeon General Donald Arthur, issued an urgent warning, saying that more than one-third of troops and veterans currently suffer from problems such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder. With an escalating Iraq war, those numbers are expected to worsen, and current staffing and money for military health care will not be able to meet the need, the group said in a preliminary report released Thursday.

"The system of care for psychological health that has evolved in recent decades is not sufficient to meet the needs of today's forces and their beneficiaries, and will not be sufficient to meet the needs in the future," the 14-member group says.

The report found that 38 percent of soldiers, more than 30 percent of Marines and nearly 50 percent of National Guard members are returning with signs of post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and other disorders after returning from deployment, reports CBS News correspondent Cami McCormick.

Those numbers are expected to grow because of repeated deployments and extended tours of duty.

In a related finding, the Pentagon reports that only 40 percent of Marines and 55 percent of Army soldiers in Iraq would report a member of their unit for killing or wounding an innocent civilian. In an internal military study of battlefield ethics in Iraq, officials said they also found that only a third of Marines and roughly half of soldiers said they believed that noncombatants should be treated with dignity.

In addition, the survey found that 10 per cent of soldiers and Marines mistreated civilians by hitting or kicking them and damaged property for no good reason, reports CBS News national security correspondent David Martin.

Martin reports that the Marine Corps works hard to teach ethics to its recruits. On a recent visit to Parris Island, Mike Brown, a drill sergeant asked a recruit, "Who thinks they know what in the Marine Corps we feel about honor?"

"Sir, this recruit believes that honor is doing the right thing when no one is looking, sir," he replied.

And now, for the first time, the military has hard data on how the values taught in boot camp stand up in combat conditions.

"This is the first time that questions of this nature have ever been asked of soldiers or Marines in combat," Maj. Gen. Gale Pollock, chief of the Army Nurse Corps, told reporters.

Branding Pentagon policies overly conservative and out-of-date, the mental health task force called for more money and a fundamental shift in treatment to focus on prevention and screening — rather than simply relying on soldiers to come forward on their own.

It cited a significant stigma in which soldiers believe they would be ridiculed or their careers damaged if they were to acknowledge having problems.

The four-page summary of findings, which will be incorporated in a final report to Defense Secretary Robert Gates in June, comes amid renewed attention on troop and veterans care following recent disclosures of shoddy outpatient treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the premier care facility for soldiers in Washington.

Paul Rieckhoff, executive director and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, says the military must do something about the stigma attached to these problems and upgrade its system for psychological care.

"It's going to be expensive. That's the reality that we have to face. If we're going to run our military as hard as we are right now, we've got to allocate the resources to take care of the people who are in it," Rieckhoff told McCormick.

In recent weeks, several U.S. senators have pointed to problems in the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs' mental health care — citing the Army's Fort Carson in Colorado, where some troops have said their pleas for mental health care went unanswered or were met with ridicule.

In its report, the task force — which visited 38 military bases in the four armed services within the past year — underscored many of the lawmakers' fears. Without citing specific examples, it said soldiers too often do not seek the care they need.

Both the VA and the Pentagon in recent weeks have acknowledged a need to improve mental health treatment. Jan Kemp, a VA associate director for education who works on mental health, has estimated there are up to 1,000 suicides a year among veterans within the VA system, and as many as 5,000 a year among all living veterans.

[zootallures2]

It's the leaders who have the real mental problems.

[rafterman1]

===In this case (pre-war WMD claims), the messenger deserves to be shot. They abdicated their role of independent watchdog and truthful informing.===

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't defending the media. But when I see the righties rage of liberal bias in the media, it's laughable. If it wasn't for the MSM protecting Bush, he would have been impeached by now. After they report a Bush scandal, they don't bother to look into it, they just drop it and move on to the next without any digging. Though, in their defense, there are so many Bush scandals, it's probably hard to keep up with them.

[feelfree1]

Re: "In this case (pre-war WMD claims), the messenger deserves to be shot. They abdicated their role of independent watchdog and truthful informing."

No doubt about it. They also continue along this calamitous road.

Those responsible should be placed on the dock, next to the Bush regime terrorists, to face war crimes charges.

[rfield9]

In this case (pre-war WMD claims), the messenger
deserves to be shot. They abdicated their role
of independent watchdog and truthful informing.

Moyers has it all documented. You can watch it
on your computer;

pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/
watch.html

[rafterman1]

===documenting how our "liberal"
press totally rubberstamped Bush on the pre-war
WMD scam===

We all know the myth of the liberal media. Republicans, once they get into power, will over-reach (which is what happens when you believe in force over peace and laws over privacy), the media reports it and the messenger is the one that gets shot.

It took people 30 years to get sick of Dems, but the Repubs managed to pi$$ everyone off in only 12. Well done.

[rfield9]

Thread CC'd to;

CC:
[e-mail]
reid.senate.gov/contact
http://www.speaker.gov/contact


Only the morons are left on the RNC Titanic my friends.
Only the morons -

[rfield9]

Incompetent again. Poor Junior!


Every American should see the Moyers report
from last week, documenting how our "liberal"
press totally rubberstamped Bush on the pre-war
WMD scam, and failed their mission of true
information. The disproof of it was known at the
time, simply not reported by liberal bastions NYT
and Washington Post. Knight-Ridder had it, and
the national media ignored it.

You can watch it on your computer;

pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/watch.html

You won't be getting up once you start into it,
it's riveting. Pass the link on please -

[seven-pesos]

never a war the south couldn't lose.

jefferson davis lost his.
johnson lost his.
bush will lose his.

soon those soldiers that bush is ******** on will start whacking their superior officers.

just like vietnam.

fracticide will begin and the u.s. forces will self destruct.

good!

war, hate, division, arrogance, phony christian creeps...

never a war the south couldn't lose.

[iceman_1960]

"In spite of The Democrat's Surrender President Bush and the Brave men and women of the US Military continue to fight on against global terrorism." - didntinhale

Except for the "Brave" description of the fighting men and women, the above sentence is sheer nonsense.

"George WALKER Bush (*)" himself just assumes that a withdrawal date equates automatically to an insurgent victory. I'd love to get "George WALKER Bush" up there on that debate platform on national TV, and ask him how it is that after almost 4 years of U.S. military aid and support, the Iraqi government is still so feeble. Has "George Walker Bush" been wasting the taxpayers' money all this time ? Has he been sacrificing troops in vain ?

The American people have every right to demand an accounting of how their resources have been spent, or squandered, over the course of the war.

If the Iraqis still aren't ready to "stand up" after all this time, if the Iraqi government is still a house of cards, if BIG U.S. GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION is still necessary to prop them up at this late date, then something really stinks in "George WALKER Bush"s handling of this mess.

Also, connecting the war in Iraq to the war against global terrorism, is yet another one on the list of "George WALKER Bush"s "Missions Unaccomplished." The majority of the American people don't believe it.

(*) The notorious John Walker the worst spy for the Soviet Union in American history.

[iceman_1960]

didntinhale,

This isn't your picture, is it ?

http://stopduiaz.com/stopsites/image/imageContent?id=3182

[j-whitman]

JDUBS63,,, You've got a good point... Please also keep in mind our freedom is provided by our Constitution & laws,, We also have an ongoing war at home to protect & defend them also..
. And let's actually support our troops & veterans instead of just mouthing the words for political correctness & electioneering.

[jdubs63]

May I suggest to all..............instead of sitting at your computer hour after hour with comments on what is right what is wrong GO VISIT A VETERAN AT A vETERANS hospital SIT and talk with them tell them personally how thankful you are for your freedom and being able to sti at your computer with your comments. You would be surprised how much a VETERAN WOULD APPRECIATE THIS AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILIES, NURSRS AND DOCTORS

[j-whitman]

didntinhale,,,, Rapes of the women in combat by our own troops are up ----- Enlist,, you might enjoy it.

[j-whitman]

didntinhale,,,, Still playing politics with our troops girl ???? ---- Maybe the 1/3 of our combat troops needing mental help will give you head of the line privlages.

You should turn your attentention to tne NRA -- They say now,,,, "Don't stop selling guns to terrorists,, It violates thier 2nd Amendment rights".

[bluestardad]

Here are Senators from Military states that support keeping our troops in this Civil War.

101st Airborne in Kentucky and 82nd Airborne In North Carolina, Fort Benning Georgia Home of Airborne, Texas, Armor, Fort Sill Oklahoma, Field Artillery ! Write them let them know they work for America not Israeli Government!

McConnell, Mitch- (R - KY)
361-A RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
[phone]
Web Form: mcconnell.senate.gov/contact_form.cfmn


Dole, Elizabeth- (R - NC)
555 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
[phone]
Web Form: dole.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=Con

tactInformation.C...

Graham, Lindsey- (R - SC)
290 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
[phone]
Web Form: lgraham.senate.gov/index.cfm?mode=contac
t

Chambliss, Saxby- (R - GA)
416 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
[phone]
Web Form: chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?Fu

seAction=ContactU...

Cornyn, John- (R - TX)
517 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
[phone]
Web Form: cornyn.senate.gov/contact/index.html


Inhofe, James M.- (R - OK)
453 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
[phone]
Web Form: inhofe.senate.gov/contactus.htm

CONTA
CT CONGRESS http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Sp
eakers email address: [e-mail]

info@go
p.com Republican Party email

[e-mail] Democratic Party email

[skyk-2009]

For as long as I can remember Con's have been able to do TWO things REAL well. 1) Blame all their failures and everything that's wrong on those who do not agree with them. 2) Give lip service to the many valuable programs like the VA, Social Security and Medicare while all the time doing absolutely NOTHING to protect and defend them.

[iceman_1960]

DIDNTINHALE IS A SPAMMER.

DIDNTINHALE IS A RACIST.

DIDNTINHALE IS A TROLL.

DIDNTINHALE IS A SPAMMER.

DIDNTINHALE IS A RACIST.

DIDNTINHALE IS A TROLL.

DIDNTINHALE IS A SPAMMER.

DIDNTINHALE IS A RACIST.

DIDNTINHALE IS A TROLL.

DIDNTINHALE IS A SPAMMER.

DIDNTINHALE IS A RACIST.

DIDNTINHALE IS A TROLL.

DIDNTINHALE IS A SPAMMER.

DIDNTINHALE IS A RACIST.

DIDNTINHALE IS A TROLL.

DIDNTINHALE IS A SPAMMER.

DIDNTINHALE IS A RACIST.

DIDNTINHALE IS A TROLL.

[iceman_1960]

"In a related finding, the Pentagon reports that only 40 percent of Marines and 55 percent of Army soldiers in Iraq would report a member of their unit for killing or wounding an innocent civilian. In an internal military study of battlefield ethics in Iraq, officials said they also found that only a third of Marines and roughly half of soldiers said they believed that noncombatants should be treated with dignity. In addition, the survey found that 10 per cent of soldiers and Marines mistreated civilians by hitting or kicking them and damaged property for no good reason..."

Many of the Iraqi people now hate us, as Americans would hate an occupying Chinese army that treated us like this. The image of Saddam's toppled statue is a fresh memory only in the minds of Bush-Cheney's inner circle.

Another piece of pro-war propaganda falls into the trash heap of history.

[alphaa10-2009]

aznyron said, "McCain is my hero even though I disagree with him on the war in Iraq ..."
---
To confuse likability and ability is a grievous mistake in the wake of our national disgrace with Bush2.

For example, some have commented how-- at first-- they automatically gave Bush2 the benefit of their doubts. They did not pay attention to his lies until later, because they found it much too pleasant to bask in Bush soundbites and spin. Of course, this was just fine with Bush, who pays his staff consultants and rewrite hacks heavily because everything depends on appearances-- as bad as they are.

With any con man, we must watch what he does. not what he says or how he says it. Enron's CEO Ken Lay-- a professional con artist, a Bush buddy and a heavy political contributor-- owed his fortune to fleecing investors (who now hate what he stood for).

Likewise, McCain may be just peachy as a golfing buddy, but is no more presidential in caliber than any other from the party which gave us Iraq.

McCain is the bozo who wants to prosecute the war that never should have been, aka the war Bush already lost through incompetence (and a lot of "help" from his neocon friends). Eventually, McCain will understand, but we do not have the time to tutor him in current events.

[alphaa10-2009]

didntinhale gasped, "Barack Obama Bin Laden?? Barack Obama Bin Laden??..."
---
This poster faithfully regurgitates the daily gross national product of the Faux Nooz network, whose whines and yelps closely resemble Sean Hannity, Limbah, etc. Unfortunately for him, Faux Nooz is no news-- and no news to anybody else, for that matter.

---

And this comment for his posteriority--
---
No, bad dog! Now bark, "Richard bin Laden, Richard bin Laden"
---
(text of intercepted message to D**k Cheney from undisclosed (MidEast) location...)

Mr. VicePresident of the United States,
We are deeply most gratful for your fateful support in our jihad against Shia infidels of the Axis of Evilness in Iran. We Sunni and our brothers in al Qaeda repel these invaders daily.

Plase no personal offence in our attacks killing USA troops. We spend USA monies on bombs against Shia infidels, only. Promise.

Your fateful monies spring as a gush of rivers from desert lands of oil riches. Family friend Osama sends greetings, and thanks to you once more to fly his family out of USA on 911.

PS-- Also, even more gratfulness from Osama. Bush and you make Iraq most success demonstrashon project in Islamic lands, ever. Without your help, Mr. ViceousPresident, we cannever do it