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After Sept. 11, 2001 it became easier, and especially since our troops are trained to obey orders and without questioning. Lastly, it is impossible to defend one's self against those at the top of any govt. once they become liars, if so.
The biggest torment is not killing, in war. It is the unexpected happening, it's the trauma of huge shocks that puts a hypnotical spell of a very negative kind on almost any human alive. That is what PTSD is and it existed many years before that label was coined. (For example, it was called shell-shock many years ago, among other things.)
I was remiss in not noting that Col. Monaco understands the desire for true anonymity with a condition like PTSD or a person with, or without it being suicidal. Therefore he has designed his 501c website ( www.patriotoutreach.org )to allow for free download right from the site, of The Coping Strategies which are a potential cure, even of such issues.
However, knowing that IP numbers are not truly anonymous to everyone, the colonel has been provided yet another website where any of us can listen and use the exercise for free, always and as many times as we wish, and not give names for snail-mailing or download a thing. It is found at Coping Strategies CD .
Each and every day I'm thankful for every service member who
has ensured our freedom and sadly, a Thank You will never
be enough for what you and they have endured not to mention
the families.
This was sent to me, and I sincerely hope that it's appropriate to post
TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.
I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.
I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.
NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.
WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.
FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.
THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.
THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.
WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?
I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.
SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWN-UPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.
THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.
I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.
THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.
THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
'SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;
I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD'S AND
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.'
THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.
I WEPT FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.
THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.'
ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
'MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,!
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'
This poem was written by a Marine.
The following is his request. I think it is reasonable.....
PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending
this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities.
Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we
owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and
dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. Please, do your
small part to plant this small seed!!
thank you for this...forwarded to many of my friends - sorry, dust in my eyes...
Well, you do live in America. The place where we send people to war for money, revenge, and misinformation. Do you really think people in Washington care about soldiers? I bet they would care more about their decisions if their own kids had to go.
"American soldier suicides continue to outnumber combat-related deaths in 2012, and the trajectory for soldier suicides continues to get worse.
Statistics released by the Department of the Army show that through November potentially 303 active-duty, Reserve and National Guard soldiers committed suicide. As of Dec. 7, Stars and Stripes reports that 212 soldiers have died in combat-related deaths in Afghanistan."
...."About 53 percent of those who died by suicide in the military in 2011, the most recent year for which data is available, had no history of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department. And nearly 85 percent of military members who took their lives had no direct combat history, meaning they may have been deployed but not seen action."
Location: In a Galaxy far, far away called Germany
4,300 posts, read 4,409,483 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jghorton
"American soldier suicides continue to outnumber combat-related deaths in 2012, and the trajectory for soldier suicides continues to get worse.
Statistics released by the Department of the Army show that through November potentially 303 active-duty, Reserve and National Guard soldiers committed suicide. As of Dec. 7, Stars and Stripes reports that 212 soldiers have died in combat-related deaths in Afghanistan."
...."About 53 percent of those who died by suicide in the military in 2011, the most recent year for which data is available, had no history of deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan, according to the Defense Department. And nearly 85 percent of military members who took their lives had no direct combat history, meaning they may have been deployed but not seen action."
I think what is going on is the same thing that has been going on in Japan and is also a growing problem in the USA in general. Suicide due to stress. The military social & heirarchal structure is very rigid and it is success oriented. The average person often feels inadequate and those who just don't have the drive either leave the military or fall to the wayside (career wise). Our culture (I am former military and now defense contractor) is one of high stress. I remember, when I was in tech school, a young man committing suicide because he kept getting washed back (failing his instructional blocks in his technical education for his job). He was a straight "A" student in High School and just couldn't face the fact that he wasn't getting those great grades in his military technical field. Either way, suicides in the military have always been there (even in WWII - just not reported and made known), but the culture/stress is getting greater.
I think it has much to do with an undefined/ bogus mission
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More suicides than combat deaths among soldiers
