And you cannot suport the troops and be against the war.

But I do think we attacked the wrong country[

its stupid and maes no sense whatsoever

I too, think it is disgusting how the U.S. treats their people once they are out of the military. During Vietnam they denied agent orange, In desert storm they denied something was dropped on our soldiers, yet they come back with all these delibating injuries and they claimed nothing was sprayed on them. Yet the children that are born after the gulf war have horrendous birth defects. But they weren't affected by anything dropped on them or exposed to them. We are all gung ho, when the soldier is over there. But once he is injured, sick, or discharged we don't want to fess up to their injuries. This war especially, the guys are going crackers from being over there too long. Do I support the troops. Hell yes, I started Soldiers Nightingales here in Ohio. We send care packages to the troops overseas. We also make blankets for the wounded here stateside,we also crochet and knit stump covers,trach covers,slippers for the wounded.

My son is in the British Army... about to do his third tour in Iraq...I dont know how the american government treat their troops but unfortunately over here in the UK they are treated worse than second class citizens...they are not allowed to wear their uniforms in public...in case they offend our "ethnic" citizens...they are spat at in streets by the scum who would rather beat up old ladies than fight for the country they live in..and as for housing ...apparently they havent even earnt the right to a roof over their head when they leave the forces...its absolutely disgusting!!!!!!!!! And as for Bush and Blair...I expect they can sleep well at night... none of their loved ones are putting their lives on line so they can sleep safe at night...ok so our boys and girls choose to join up...but that doesnt mean they deserve no respect from the rest of us. In this country if u are a sciver, or an immigrant...be it illigal or otherwise you are treated like royalty...but live here all your lives and work hard paying taxes or even be prepared to give up your life ..forget it ...So yes I do think we should support our troops...both UK and USA......its the politicians who should be spat on!!!!!!!

Dr. Steve Rathburn is the acting head of the biostatistics department at the University of Georgia. CBS News asked him to run a detailed analysis of the raw numbers that we obtained from state authorities for 2004 and 2005.

It found that veterans were more than twice as likely to commit suicide in 2005 than non-vets. (Veterans committed suicide at the rate of between 18.7 to 20.8 per 100,000, compared to other Americans, who did so at the rate of 8.9 per 100,000.)

One age group stood out. Veterans aged 20 through 24, those who have served during the war on terror. They had the highest suicide rate among all veterans, estimated between two and four times higher than civilians the same age. (The suicide rate for non-veterans is 8.3 per 100,000, while the rate for veterans was found to be between 22.9 and 31.9 per 100,000.)

"Wow! Those are devastating," said Paul Sullivan, a former VA analyst who is now an advocate for veterans rights from the group Veterans For Common Sense.

"Those numbers clearly show an epidemic of mental health problems," he said.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/111407O.shtml

November 6, 2007 (Washington, DC) — Estimates of the rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among veterans returning from Iraq range from 12% to 20%. With deployment topping 1.5 million this summer, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) having treated more than 52,000 persons, the greatest effect of those mental health issues has yet to be experienced. These problems and interventions were presented here at the American Public Health Association 135th Annual Meeting.

Evan Kanter, MD, PhD, staff psychiatrist in the PTSD Outpatient Clinic of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, said that estimates are for a minimum of 300,000 psychiatric casualties from service in Iraq, to this point, with an estimated lifetime cost of treatment of $660 billion. That is more than the actual cost of the war to date ($500 billion).

"A study of the first 100,000 [Iraq and Afghanistan] veterans seen at VA facilities showed that 25% of them received mental health diagnoses. Of these, 56% had 2 or more mental health diagnoses. The most common were PTSD, substance abuse, and depression," Dr. Kanter said. "The younger the veterans are, the more likely they are to have mental health conditions."

Evaluation immediately on return from deployment suggested that 5% of active duty and 6% of reserve personnel had a significant mental health problem. When reassessed 3 to 6 months later, 27% of active duty and 42% of reserve personnel received that evaluation.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/565407

May 2, 2007

Key US Army ranks begin to thin

The reenlistment rate for mid-grade enlisted soldiers dropped from 96 percent in 2005 to 84 percent in the first quarter of this year.

Washington - Thousands more mid-level enlisted soldiers are leaving the Army than in each of the past two years, forcing the service to increase its use of pay-to-stay programs and find other ways to keep GIs in the fold.

Four years into the fight in Iraq, the Army continues to be successful in retaining enough soldiers overall – "a miracle" to some observers, because the war has lasted so long. But that success masks a growing problem within the ranks: Fewer mid-grade sergeants are opting to stay in the Army as many face yet another deployment to Iraq – and, more important, Army officials say, less time at home.

While a reenlistment shortfall in any Army group is cause for concern, many consider the declining rate among mid-grade sergeants to be a sign of potential bigger reenlistment problems for the Army down the line. In addition, the fact that more mid-level soldiers are leaving could have a long-term impact on the Army's ability to grow future leaders.

The Army has seen the reenlistment rate of mid-grade enlisted soldiers drop 12 percentage points, from 96 percent during the first quarter of 2005 to a low of 84 percent for the first quarter of 2007, according to Pentagon data. As of March, the Army is as much as 10 percentage points behind where it was in retaining mid-grade soldiers at that time in 2005 and 2006. (The overall retention goal for mid-grade soldiers in fiscal year 2006 was about 25,000.)

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0502/p01s01-usmi.html

Armed services having trouble finding qualified recruits

By Otto Kreisher CongressDaily March 24, 2008

The armed services' struggle to attract the number of young men and women needed each year to maintain their required force levels is increasingly handicapped by a hard set of demographic facts that sharply reduces the pool of potential recruits and by emotional barriers that may block access to the best prospects.

"We should not lose sight of the fact that, although the youth population is large, a relatively small proportion of American youth is qualified to enlist," David Chu, undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, testified recently. "It is an unfortunate fact that many in the contemporary youth population are currently ineligible to serve."

Chu and service officials point out that only about three of every 10 Americans of military age -- generally considered 17 to 24 years old -- can meet the standards for military service.

In testimony to Congress, Chu cited the grim statistics: About 35 percent are medically disqualified, with obesity a large contributing factor; 18 percent are barred due to a record of abusing drugs or alcohol; 5 percent have serious conduct/criminal problems; 6 percent have too many dependents, and 9 percent scored in the lowest aptitude category on the enlistment test. Another 10 percent are qualified but considered unavailable because they are attending college.

That leaves fewer than 5 million potential recruits out of the total of about 31 million Americans of age to serve in the military. From that reduced field, the services need about 300,000 recruits a year for their active, reserve and National Guard forces.

The number of potential recruits is reduced by the Pentagon's requirement -- based on years of studies on what qualities indicate a high probability of being able to perform necessary tasks and completing a term of enlistment -- that 90 percent of recruits have a high school diploma, or a GED.

Nationally, 70 percent of young people graduate from high school, with the averages as low as 50 percent in some urban areas and among minorities. Military recruiting officials note that many young people with high school diplomas cannot pass the enlistment tests.

http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39592&dcn=todays_most_popular

February 2, 2008

Declining Army standards


THE U.S. Army met its enlistment goal of 66,000 new recruits in 2007, but that happened, in part, because the Pentagon lowered its educational standards.

At the same time, reports continue to circulate documenting increased gang activity in the military.

That's not to say that these troubling trends are interrelated, but they are occurring in tandem for the first time, which does not bode well for the discipline and readiness of America's voluntary forces.

A study from the National Priorities Project, a Massachusetts-based research group that has been outspoken in its opposition to the Iraq war, reports that the percentage of new recruits entering the Army with a high school diploma declined last year to just under 71 percent, its lowest level in 25 years. In 2005 the comparable figure was a little more than 83 percent.

In addition, the percentage of recruits designated as "high quality," those with both a high school diploma and a score in the top half on the Armed Forces Qualification Test, declined from 56 percent two years ago to 45 percent last year.

To make matters worse, the study found a secondary trend: A disproportionate number of recruits are coming from families earning less than $60,000 per year.

The Army's stated goal of 90 percent of its recruits having a high school diploma is based on research, including a 2004 Pentagon report, that suggested a high school diploma was a good predictor of a recruit's success in the military. But the Army admits it hasn't met that goal since 2004.

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=101733

March 08, 2008
A senior Defense official says U.S. military recruitment is declining despite studies suggesting the armed forces are more diverse and educated than ever, The Washington Times reported Friday.

David Chu, undersecretary of Defense for personnel and readiness, and other military and data analysts discussed the issue Thursday at the Heritage Foundation, the Times reported.

The longevity of the Iraq war, a negative view of military life and rising obesity rates nationwide were cited as principal reasons for the decline, the Times noted.

About a third of potential military recruits are rejected because of an inability to meet physical standards, according to Department of Defense material presented by Chu, the paper reported.

Lawrence Kapp, a specialist in military manpower policy for the Congressional Research Service, said it is difficult to convince high school graduates that the military is a viable and worthy endeavor. CRS studies reveal a large number of people with the "propensity to enlist," but 85 percent of them don't, according to the Times.

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,163553,00.html

Military Equipment Takes a Beating in Iraq

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are taking a toll not only on U.S. troops, but also on their equipment — the tanks and Humvees and helicopters. The Pentagon is asking Congress for more than $13 billion to repair and replace machinery.

"The extended use of the vehicles in theatre of course, just the desert itself causes more wear and tear on the vehicles," Wescott says. "As well as some of them have sustained battle damage and so forth. So they do the repairs here, and when it comes back, it's in like new condition."

Getting equipment back into new condition can be challenging. Many vehicles have severe body damage or are in need of complete engine overhauls. Out of a recent group of 38 Humvees that arrived here, only eight ran. Sgt. Ceferino Lopez — a mechanic from New York — says vehicles coming back from the Middle East often look ready for the junkyard.

"Some of them, they've been hit with who knows what over there, ran over who knows what over there, or just got smashed into," Lopez says. "You know, if you're taking fire from one side or the other, and people have a tendency to either hit the brake or hit the gas. And if someone hits the brake in front when you while you hit the gas behind them, they come back pretty messed up, some of them."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7662481

At least you have the option to vote there are people in Afghanistan and Iraq that have died and will continue to die for that very privilidge you take for granted.

WAR IS HELL! WAR KILLS ! WAR MIMES! WAR HARMS! WAR ISN'T PRETTY!

But guess what bud, war in the past, present, future will guarantee you're freedom too write this crap any time any place!

God Wooden Mike;
New world order, global police state, banker's, slaves, criminal politicians on both sides, white, black, brown people, SOCIALIST STATE WILL BECOME SOON, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, brother who do you love?

Ralphy8119