Yesterday morning, a Fort Hood soldier (22) shot and killed his commanding officer (a 24 year-old Lieutenant) and himself in front of dozens of witnesses and police officers. Â Both soldiers were assigned to 1st Cavalry Division, a division that had just finished a fifteen month tour in Iraq last December and is currently preparing for its next twelve month tour this winter.
The facts surrounding this case are unclear. Â Some neighbors said he had been AWOL when his sergeant and lieutenant came to see him but the public affairs office said that he was on transitional leave and the visit was pertaining to stolen equipment. Â According to one eyewitness, the police were called when a significant amount of ammunition was seen through the blinds of the soldier’s living room window. Â By the time the police got there, however, the soldier had stepped outside of his apartment to talk to his lieutenant. Â Once outside, he shot his lieutenant, exchanged fire with the police, and then shot himself. Â Autopsies are being performed on both soldiers.Â
I am extremely curious as to what kind of discharge this soldier was getting. I would be very surprised if he was not exhibiting “red flag” behavior prior to this visit; i.e., engaging in acts of misconduct or other self-destructive behavior signaling that he was a soldier in distress.
Ironically, last week the Army recognized National Suicide Prevention Week.  The Army also has a “battle buddy” program/policy  to combat suicide.  Soldiers are teamed up in pairs and they are supposed to keep an eye on each other. Â
Despite these efforts, the number of Army suicides in 2008 is expected to surpass the number of suicides in 2007, continuing its post 9/11 annual record-breaking trend (with each new year breaking the record of the one preceding it). For the first time since the Vietnam War, soldier suicides are expected to exceed the civilian suicide rate. That being said, one needs to look not just at active duty Army suicide rates in general, but at combat veteran suicide rates in particular. Only about half of our soldiers have been deployed to a combat zone. Once a soldier is an OIF/OEF (Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom) veteran (i.e., served in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan), the chances of committing suicide increase significantly. VA Secretary Peake testified before Congress in May. Young male OIF/OEF veterans (18 – 35) are twice as likely to commit suicide as their civilian counterparts and young female OIF/OEF veterans are three times as likely to commit suicide.
Suicides are not the problem, however, they are a symptom of the problem:  the Army does not put nearly as much emphasis on the mental health and well-being of its soldiers as it does on their physical health and well-being.  Yet after waging seven years of ground warfare in Afghanistan and five years of ground warfare in Iraq, one would think that the military would realize that service member psychological stability is ESSENTIAL to unit readiness and troop morale–not to mention public safety. Â
The Army says that it appreciates the importance of mental health but as an advocate I have seen unit after unit choose to punish a post-combat soldier for misconduct rather than help that soldier get evaluated and treated for PTSD (as well as traumatic brain injuries). Â This is a choice that Commanders make and it is a choice that completely undermines the Department of the Army’s own messaging on the importance of good mental health. Â Nonetheless, this is happening at Army bases all over the country.
If we are going to continue to engage in these prolonged military conflicts overseas, then mental health care has to be made a priority. Â It has to be generously funded by Congress and aggressively utilized by the Department of Defense. Â If we don’t, then this won’t be the last time you will read a headline like this. Â
Carissa Picard is an attorney, a blue star wife, and a soldier’s advocate. She is also the founder and President of Military Spouses for Change.
8 users commented in " Army Strong? Ft. Hood Soldier Kills Commanding Officer and Himself "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackAnd i wonder, WHA-aaa-aeY? i wonder!
Soldiers don’t seek mental health care because they MAY be flagged which MAY affect their ability to be promoted, as explained to me by my own soldier. It’s a sad, pathetic shame.
It is beyond belief that in this country a soldier who has given so much cannot and does not get the help they need WITHOUT STIGMA !!!!It is a national disgrace and we as a country should be ashamed . A war veteran should have any and every bit of help they need no matter what the cost !!! If we as a country cannot afford to help these soldiers we should not be involved in war !!! PS I am a new citizen of this country and I am ashamed!!!
Psychiatric care is well proven to CAUSE suicides.
The drug-based paradigm of care is rendering what few positives this unscientific profession could ever claim into historical footnotes.
I want to see stats. How many of these suicides follow the onset of drug “therapy?”
the suicide rate of soldiers is usually compared to the general population.
If you compare it to a similar cohort, i.e. young men, it is not much higher.
Combat fatigue has been around a long time. And the Army is aware of the problem, and doing a lot to help.
But it’s easier to write an “ain’t it awful” article than to bother to look up what is being done.
Dear Ms. Reyes, thank you for pointing out what I should have put in the article (and I just added):
“For the first time since the Vietnam War, soldier suicides are expected to exceed the civilian suicide rate. That being said, one needs to look not just at active duty Army suicide rates in general, but at combat veteran suicide rates in particular. Only about half of our soldiers have been deployed to a combat zone. Once a soldier is an OIF/OEF (Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom) veteran (i.e., served in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan), the chances of committing suicide increase significantly. VA Secretary Peake testified before Congress in May. Young male OIF/OEF veterans (18 – 35) are twice as likely to commit suicide as their civilian counterparts and young female OIF/OEF veterans are three times as likely to commit suicide.”
I am an active duty military spouse who helps soldiers at the largest military base in the world, Ft. Hood. I am intimately familiar with the programs that the Army has in place. The fact remains that the DoD IS doing the best it can with the funds that it has and in light of the demands being placed upon it by our executive and legislative branches (to maintain two fronts in the Middle East).
I have seen many examples of excellent care provided by the Army but I think the biggest problem it faces is demand outstripping supply re care, treatment, and services. That is why public awareness and Congressional funding is so important.
Our national institutions are working hard to help wounded warriors from past battlefields of WWII, Korea, Vietnam; and wounded warriors from current Global War on Terror conflicts in the Persian Gulf and around the world. In particular, the Armed Forces and the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as numerous civilian organizations; are working feverishly to help with the mental wounds of war.
The reality, however, is that the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense simply don’t have the capacity or the means to address the pervasiveness or the magnitude of this national challenge, particularly for the many National Guard, Reserve, and former troops and families who silently suffer in the “woodwork” of America.
The reality, also, is that the wounds of heart, soul, and spirit have a spiritual component — an incredibly relevant faith component — that is not being adequately addressed. Despite the valiant efforts of many organizations and commitment of billions of dollars to address these issues, there remains a serious gap – the faith gap.
So how do we address this faith gap? The initial premise must be that God is the true healer, and that Jesus Christ is the avenue to experience true recovery from the ravages of combat trauma, particularly those visited on the mind and emotions. For many of our veterans and returning warriors, this will be a long road; but there is hope.
In my own life, and in the lives of many wounded warriors; I have personally observed the peace, the calm, the healing that God can bring to war-ravaged souls. Whether for the Veteran who has lived in the lonely isolation of combat memories for decades, or young Warriors just returning from their first horrors of combat; the power of God, the power of God’s written word, and the community of God’s people around our nation can become powerful resources in this healing process. And this healing can certainly extend to military families and many others impacted by these mental, emotional, and spiritual wounds of war.
In a day where we are willing to try everything else — acupuncture, Eastern mysticism, drugs,yoga, etc — let us also have the moral courage to integrate the very powerful components of faith to fight the ravages of combat trauma, PTSD, suicide, and hoplessness which have become pervasive across our nation. See http://www.PTSDhealing.org for more information and resources.
What is wrong with these people?
They are not real men like those of the WW2 Greatest Generation. Everything is handed to them, they get a free ride on all things, and they are paid exhorbitantly.
?????
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