Report: U.S. troops' morale in Afghanistan down

U.S. Marine Gunner Vincent Pope (L) from Weapon Trainning and Employment Batallion Gunner briefs Marines from Combat Operation Patrol (COP) Bandini of 2nd Batallion 8 Marine (2/8) Weapons Company 81's Platoon before they shoot targets to zeroing their rifles' scopes at COP Wilson in Sistani, Helmand Province, on May 9, 2011. / BAY ISMOYO/AFP/Getty Images

WASHINGTON — American troops in Afghanistan are suffering the highest rates of mental health problems since 2005 and morale has deteriorated, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Military doctors said the findings were no surprise given the dramatic increase in fighting, which was at its most intense level during the survey period since officials began doing such battlefield mental health analyses in 2003. The grim statistics dramatized the psychological cost of a war campaign that U.S. commanders and officials say has reversed the momentum of the insurgency in the war-ravaged country.

"There are few stresses on the human psyche as extreme as the exposure to combat," Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker, the Army surgeon general, said at a Pentagon news conference.

Some 70 to 80 percent of troops surveyed for the report said they had seen a buddy killed; roughly half of soldiers and 56 percent of Marines said they'd killed an enemy fighter, and about two thirds of troops said that a roadside bomb — the No. 1 weapon of insurgents — had gone off within 55 yards of them.

Those incidents were higher than what troops experienced in the previous year in Afghanistan as well as during the 2007 surge of extra troops into Iraq, the report said.

But the rate of psychological problems may actually be small, considering the high level of combat that troops are seeing, said Col. Paul Bliese, who led the last three survey teams to the battlefield, in 2007, 2009 and 2010.

"We would have expected to see a much larger increase in the mental health symptoms and a much larger decrease in morale ... based on these incredibly high rates of exposure" to traumatic combat events, Bliese said.

Meanwhile, the military said that it has doubled the mental health staff in the country to help troops cope with their problems.

The new data comes from a mental health team that polled more than 900 soldiers, 335 Marines and 85 mental health workers on the Afghan battlefield during last July and August, as troops surged into the country under the Obama administration's new strategy for fighting the insurgency.

President Barack Obama sent an additional 30,000 troops there last year to build the force to the current 100,000. Commanders and administration officials say the push has weakened the Taliban, and a limited troop withdrawal is planned by this July.

The new mental health study also reaffirms the long-held view on the price paid for repeated tours of duty: mental health problems were greater for troops on their third or fourth deployment.

The military says it boosted the mental health staff in the country to one for every 646 soldiers last year compared, compared to one for every 1,123 in 2009.

Some of the highlights:

Only 46.5 percent of soldiers said their morale was medium, high or very high last year, compared to 65.7 percent in 2005. For Marines, it was only 58.6 percent last year compared to 70.4 percent when they were surveyed in 2006 in Iraq. (The report compares numbers of the Marine to their time in Iraq because they were not in Afghanistan in significant numbers before the surge)

Nearly 80 percent of Marines and soldiers said they'd seen a member of their unit killed or wounded, compared to roughly half who said that in the earlier years.

Nearly one in five soldiers and Marines reported psychological problems such as acute stress, depression or anxiety last year. The number for soldiers was one in 10 in 2005 and for Marines about one in eight in 2006.

The military says it boosted the mental health staff in the country to one for every 646 soldiers last year, compared to one for every 1,123 in 2009.

[commenter777]

Could it possibly have anything to do with the fact that we are wasting our time over there? 10's of thousands died in vietnam for exactly nothing, zero. Thousands died in iraq for 0. Same is now going on in afghanistan, zero. The next set of talking head politicians will say "time to come home now" and we will not have won and will not have done anything positive for them or us.

[zzacrat]

When you know that something is wrong, but since it has been going on before it is found out, you are wrong for pointing this action out. Go with the flow, accept what is happening, FYI, need to know!!!

[decotoguy]

I LOVE this WAR,this Suicide Mission called Afghanistan
It is disturbing to know that these MERCENARIES knew very well what they were getting themselves into when they signed their life away for the pleasure of adventure, action and moneys.
It is also amazing how the American Military simply allows these TALIBANS and Al Qaeda to continue their domination over a people that don't want them.

I, find this whole DEBACLE,KARMIC JUSTICE. One day I'll write a short script,and title it "Thy VIRTUE in WILLFULL DECEPTION of SUICIDE,AFGHNISTAN 2001."
or "TWENTY YEARS AFTER THE RUSSIANS CONSEQUENCE."

Don't get me wrong,I'am a PATRIOT, and I believe that every American man and woman must join the Military and be part of the multinational counterinsurgency mission, and SAVE America from Terrorism.
The PHOBIA of FEAR runs deep and does not come cheap.
Short list for GLOBAL CONTROL;

1) America must save the women and children of Afghanistan,
2) America must DE-NUCLEARIZE PAKISTAN
3) America must find and remove all Weapons of Mass Destruction in IRAQ.
(There are Weapons of Mass Destruction hidden under the sands of IRAQ
just as the Great WAR HERO George W. Bush said in a speech in 2003.)
4) America must DEMOCRATIZE IRAN.
5) America must continue the BUSH DOCTRINE.
"What is WAR? It is the result of planetary influences."

[justme2012]

Morale can be expected to be low. It looks like Obama is going to take us to war in Africa now. So even if these soldiers make it out of Afghanistan, they will simply be shipped to another battle.

We don't have enough troops to man four war zones and our military numbers are decreasing instead of increasing.

No, I am not suprised that morale is the lowest ever.

[ky7474]

Can't imagine why morale would be down? I guess when you realize your being used as a pawn in a game of greed controlled by corporate interests it's hard to justify feeling patriotic. The soldiers lives are worth far more than corporate profits and the polititians need to realize it.

[longtree-2009]

c'mon now, they all volunteered there is no draft. did anyone hold a gun to their head and force them to volunteer? difficult to have empathy for them since they volunteered and should have known what they were getting themselves into by volunteering. the limited war was started to get bin laden, nothing to do with fighting for america's freedom.

[kevjustice]

the afghan people call for "death to america and their afghan president puppet". the american public does NOT support this war either. corporates profiting are the supporters. time to get out. 10+ yrs????? are you kidding!!! this is crazy!!!!

[documemts]

I find it hard to imagine these guys going on third and fourth deployments. Use to know a guy w/ two tours in Vietnam and he had major PTSD over thirty years later. You can't see it at the time but years later it will show up.

[riptide213]

Time is now for a proactive mental health awareness renaissance.

Military population challenges offer perfect chance for government to excel at improving every aspect of mental health initially for those who stepped up to serve in our All Volunteer Force and then for rest of us who enjoy freedoms safeguarded by our troops.

Aspirations for robust and affordable national health care agendas for all citizens must better provide for competent mental health evaluation and support.

Shift lackluster attitudes to move this often overlooked health issue from shadows into the light with equal recognition, importance, and funding on par with more easily discerned physical health priorities.

DoD and Veterans Administration must step up to lead America's warriors safety through dangers of mental minefields caused by military service.

Quality, first class care and treatment advances developed for our troops can in turn be used as new US standard of excellence for laudable minimum standards for all civilian mental health care.

Elected leadership and appointees please do not settle for status quo on this important topic.