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Today's release of the Army's latest mental health survey provides very little to be happy about. In the past, I've talked repeatedly about mental injuries in war, so I won't rehash all of that again. But here are the highlights from today's report:

Despite all the talk about how wonderful things are in Iraq, the overwhelming majority of troops in Iraq continue to say that morale in their units and their own morale is low. Just 11 percent reported that their unit's morale was "high or very high." Only 20 percent said their own morale was "high or very high."

Afghanistan, which is quickly becoming the 'forgotten war' for Bush/McCain, is finding a worsening of the mental health among our troops there. Preliminary reports are that there has been a rise in the amount of troops in Afghanistan reporting depression. In Iraq, troops report the same level of depression as last year.

Combined, the findings are highly troubling. What it tells me, and any person with an elementary school education, is that for all the talk of success in Iraq, the troops aren't feeling that, at all. At the same time, we're crushing our troops in Afghanistan, who have done heroic work there with little help, but now are feeling increasingly overwhelmed.

The report is so bad, that apparently one of the conclusions is to consider sending more mental health workers to the war front. That's right. Rather than deal with the root cause -- repeated and extended tours -- we're going to send shrinks to the field. I'm not opposed to having counselors on the warfront, because that can only help. But we're joking ourselves if we think that will keep our troops from severe mental injuries.

At any rate, the press, which has treated Senator McCain with kid gloves so far, should bring these findings up with him. Let's see what kind of Commander-in-Chief he would be. When the troops are telling him for the second straight year that they don't see 'sunshine and lollipops' progress in Iraq like him, when more and more are showing signs of severe breakdown in Afghanistan, when they are clearly telling him they need a break, is he really OK telling them that we're going to stay the course?

Crossposted at VetVoice.com



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collapse mgloraine See Profile I'm a Fan of mgloraine

No one in the Cheney/Bush Conspiracy (which now includes McCain) has EVER listened to reports from troops in the field, because the actual war participants are likely to tell the truth about the war. BushCo has told the regular armed forces and the National Guard that they will keep going back to Iraq for 100 years even if they achieve the goals of the occupation, which were to seize control of Iraq's fossil fuel resources, to establish huge permanent military bases in Iraq, and to enrich BushCo and their crony corporations with massive handouts in the form of "no-bid" and "cost plus" contracts (i.e., war profiteering by design).

The only "troop" they "listen to" is their phony "General" David Petraeus, who gets paid big bucks to read whatever statements the BushCo White House has prepared for him, stuff like "the surge is working", or "Baghdad is as safe as Des Moines", or "the Sunni are on our side now", or "the Shia are on our side now", or "all those weapons we handed out will never be used against our own troops".

It must be hard for the REAL troops to maintain a positive outlook on life when their theater commander and "Commander In Chief" are clearly lying to Congress and the American people about the state of the conflict in order to keep sending them back into harm's way. It gets even more difficult to be cheerful when it becomes evident that the risk of death and dismemberment is being endured NOT for reasons of national security, but for reasons of big profits enjoyed exclusively by the Bush Crime Family and their closest friends.

BushCo is not inclined to reduce its profits by paying for the physical and/or mental health of otherwise inexpensive, disposable assets (ordinary citizen soldiers). What do you think this is, some kind of entitlement program? These deadbeats ought to be buying private health insurance from a good American company so that a capitalist (preferably a Republican) can make a huge profit on every aspirin, band-aid, and Prozac.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:27 AM on 03/07/2008
collapse Rog49Thomas See Profile I'm a Fan of Rog49Thomas

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised at the tone of this article.

I mean who do you want me to believe?

Our dear leader and Honest John who are struggling daily in Crawford and Sedona to keep our country free? And who have both American flag pins and yellow ribbons on the lapels of their expensive suits?

Or some inexperienced and clearly ungrateful kids who are enjoying an all expense paid vacation to the California of the Middle East? Where are their yellow ribbons? Don't they support our troops?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:10 AM on 03/07/2008
collapse FirstShirt See Profile I'm a Fan of FirstShirt

The military has studied combat stress since before World War I and the effects of post traumatic stress syndrome now and after Viet Nam. It isn't new news and is more a commentary on the effects of war in general than any strategy in particular. It is often not respected by the man and woman in the street and seen as a sign of weakness. Nothing could be further from the truth. The mind, like the body, can be worn down and broken. The next president needs to make this a priority.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:08 AM on 03/07/2008
collapse darker See Profile I'm a Fan of darker

McCain is too far-gone and OUT TO LUNCH to listen to anyone but his publicists who try to
sell him as A PRODUCT, as they did GWBush. WHAT A LEMON!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:24 AM on 03/07/2008
collapse darker See Profile I'm a Fan of darker

Enough of "sunshine & lollipops" on WAR from McCain. He's ready to continue
the Bush-Cheney WAR FRAUD and have middle-income Americans GO BANKRUPT
paying for it to republican PROFITEER WAR PROVIDERS cashing in on the
USTreasury money. War pays big. Middle-income Amercans lose!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:14 AM on 03/07/2008
collapse MichelleB See Profile I'm a Fan of MichelleB

Obama will bring the troops home

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:13 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse blastocyst See Profile I'm a Fan of blastocyst

In The Valley Of Elah

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:52 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse Berettasskeeter See Profile I'm a Fan of Berettasskeeter

Jon, as usual you confuse mental health with morale. The two are mutually exclusive. Morale is a multi-faceted, very subjective, view of a GI/unit ability to cope with the daily grind. Men and women can always be found who will gripe, its a GI's perogative. Morale is easily measurable by the willingness/ability of a unit to do their job well.
Your mental health statistics, as usual, do not bring a comparison of civilian mental health statistics. This goes right along with your poor attempt to paint GI's as suicide and murder-prone killers, while deliberately ignoring the facts that their problems are much smaller than they are here in the civilian world.
Semper fi

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:50 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse Berettasskeeter See Profile I'm a Fan of Berettasskeeter

I read the link. What's your point? Jon's assertions about suicide have already been debunked, by readers and by the press. Therefore, even though his post comes from a newswire report, and he offers no illuminating evidence on the morale story. As a retired Marine, I am intimately familiar with troop and unit morale. Jon shows no familiarity with it, nor does the newswire report.
Semper fi

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:35 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse Betsy See Profile I'm a Fan of Betsy

My husband served in Nam and was awarded the Purple Heart. He suffers from PTSD. We"ve been married for 34 years and the easiest way to explain PTSD to those of you who haven"t had to deal with the disorder is to simply say PTSD victims are out of step with the rest of society.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:45 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse dogman44 See Profile I'm a Fan of dogman44

And alot of us dropped out because society is out of step with reality. Every time I go out among
civilians I am amazed at how oblivious they are to their surroundings and what is going on around them. Stopped at a wal-mart today, people so enthralled with the glitter and the stuff that they could
buy they were walking into things with their carts.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:22 AM on 03/08/2008
collapse DC See Profile I'm a Fan of DC

for what it is worth. I email often with my nephew who is stationed (special forces in Afghanistan) and it it clear that is is under extreme stress and moments of real depression.

I sent him and his wing man a box of cigars (Cuban cigars!). I got a wonderful photo back of all of them enjoying the cigars on "the wall."

I hoped it helped.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:33 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse PioneerKing See Profile I'm a Fan of PioneerKing

Why should Sen. McCain be listening?
It was president Regan who signed the base closure act in the 80's and President G.H. Bush who began the implementation of the closure act. It was a republican congress and president G.W. Bush who enacted and signed a land grab deal to set in motion the closure of Walter Reed Hospital during a war.
It has been a republican congress and republican president who've sent our troops to war without proper armor and not enough armament. While Halliburton has profited greatly and a barrel of oil has gone form $18.00 per gallon to over $100.00 per gallon.
It is has been a republican controlled defense department president G.W. Bush who have fought soldiers on benefits and has not ensured that our troops have adequate medical support upon return. Where has Sen. McCain been through all of this? AWOL?
Just look at how many votes he has missed throughout his career in Washington, and how few committee meetings he has held. Just look at how he proposes to keep our troops in Iraq for a 100 years. Why would you ever think that Sen. McCain is listening?
Sen. McCain is out of touch with reality and his rhetoric does not match his actions.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:15 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse Zyzzygowski See Profile I'm a Fan of Zyzzygowski

Pres Bush's bumper sticker has always been 'Support the Troops.' Unfortunately, it is incomplete.

Pres Bush should have been saying, 'Support the Troops, Enlist.' The more Troops we have, the more we can use, the greater time they will have to spend at home, and the Troops will not be on their third and fourth rotations.

Is Sen McCain prepared to say, 'Support the Troops, Enlist. You are needed'?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 06:02 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse SamThornton See Profile I'm a Fan of SamThornton

What I'd like to see is a Mental Health Survey of our national politicians.

No need to name names in the results. Initials will be sufficient.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:21 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse gopindrag See Profile I'm a Fan of gopindrag

There are long stretches in a nations' history that require that nation to throw good lives after good lives. A running total of American lives lost is just a distraction to true believers, W, McCain, Hillary, etc.
It's not about winning, is it? It's about remaining committed, heroicly, to a lost cause. It has some of that Charge of the Light Brigade about it. It's not about how many died, or how they died; it's about a nation's wilingness to sacrifice a generation, a nation's willingness to bear witness to amputee's, double amputee's, to young people so broken they will spend much of the rest of their lives in VA hospitals. It's about a committment to borrow against the future of the generation being sacrificed, a willingness to borrow until China says otherwise. .......... It feels like a nation committing suicide.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:00 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse dogman44 See Profile I'm a Fan of dogman44

It's about an elite political class being unable to admit failure. Hopefully all of them will soon retire
to their bunkers/estates and drink the poison and shoot themselves.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:53 AM on 03/08/2008
collapse glitz See Profile I'm a Fan of glitz

Jon..Just the thought of sending "health care professionals" to the war zone is rediculous. If our soldiers need help, just being in the war zone creates and intensifies the problem!! What are they thinking? And if they send the level of "Professionals" that the VA has hired to work with the TBI patients, our soldiers will be facing a different kind of war. I'm afraid that if our active duty officers and soldiers have to hear every minute what it means to be "normal" from a shrink (also dealing with being in a war zone), the description of "insurgency" will change.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:50 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse rmajh5 See Profile I'm a Fan of rmajh5

So! Were you inspired or what at the scene of President Bush and John McCain hugging each other for the cameras yesterday? And is John McCain a big man, or what? A forgiving man, that is what McCain is. And why not. The sleaze thrown at him by the Bush team in 2000 was simply politics. Nothing personal.

Wow! I get shivers just thinking about the warmth of this relationship between two incredibly wonderful politicians. And if McCain wins in November? Why, I can go to sleep at night confident that the leadership which has brought us to this wonderful moment in our history will continue unabated. Tax breaks for the wealthy as a way of insuring that our trickle down economy stays on track; further inroads to a reduction of rights for women to insure that they remain home with the children and that they avoid doing harm to fetuses which make their way into the womb of a woman; a continuation of our national historical chapter titled "The spiritual and democratic leader of the world," better times for our health provider industry; a recognition by our uninsured citizens that there are worse things to face than to lack health care coverage; an understanding by the average citizen living outside of safe gated communities that there are worse things in life than being a victim of one of our thousands of annual killings ... and so much more.

Things are looking so good, I am feeling absolutely giddy. Ah yes, my meds are working, this is for sure.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:28 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse MikeDu See Profile I'm a Fan of MikeDu

I've noted that many 'damaged' Vietnam war vets can't let go of the war. They see our withdrawal as meaning the horrors they experienced had all been for nothing. McCain shows definite signs of this "We can't let it all be for nothing" syndrome. That's why he wants to stay in Iraq, because he just can't let it all have been for nothing. Its difficult getting them to explain HOW staying would make it 'for something'. Its like an addicted gambler - If you're losing you bet more and more and more in the hope a winning streak will make up your losses. WE all know how that turns out.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:57 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse NotMyPrez See Profile I'm a Fan of NotMyPrez

More war does not make up for previous bad ones.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:25 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse RadioResearch See Profile I'm a Fan of RadioResearch

Actually, MikeDu, there aren't that many "damaged" Vietnam vets who can't let go of the war. That is mostly myth.

Indeed, among the great angers found with Vietnam vets is their sense of betrayal by the people and the government over the fact that it really was for nothing and we were treated badly as a result. Most of us accepted that a long time ago. It is only the die-hard know-nothings who hang on to this idea. Unfortunately, McCain and his coterie are among them. I know very few VN vets who support this war and all you have to do is look at the support that VN vets gave to Ron Paul in his candidacy for president to see this. Most of the people I know who fit the category you mention are not "in country" vets but people who never served in combat.

McCain is not a typical VN vet as he was a POW and did not fight on the ground in the south where the "real" war was going on. Senator Chuck Hagel, an enlisted man and a grunt, did not support this war from the beginning. Nor has Senator Jim Webb, a former republican and a Marine grunt. Try not to throw us all into that small pot of people who cannot come to terms with reality.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:42 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse MikeDu See Profile I'm a Fan of MikeDu

A good place to tout the book "Achilles in Vietnam: combat trauma and the undoing of character" by Shay. The letters 'PTSD' are popping up all over the place in the news This book tell you what that term actually means. Everyone at all interested in what this war is doing to our soldiers should read this book.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 05:04 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse glitz See Profile I'm a Fan of glitz

So what is winning in Iraq? Does McCain want it as safe as any major city in America? Just what does he want to accomplish in order to call it a win?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:33 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse grisgris See Profile I'm a Fan of grisgris

John McCain would be an absolutely insane military President. John "there will be more wars" McCain comes from a long line of military service. I believe he was the 3rd consecutive generation in his family to serve in a war and now his son is in Iraq. When McCain was taken prisoner by the Viet Cong, his father was a general. After several years as a POW, McCain was told he was being released. McCain REFUSED to leave. He said he wouldn't go unless his fellow prisoners could go, too. Many people think this is noble. I DO NOT. For starters, the Uniform Code of Military Conduct states that a POW has a DUTY to escape. By allowing himself to remain in enemy hands, McCain allowed himself to remain a PAWN of the Viet Cong. If McCain thought so little of his own life and so little of the family he had waiting at home for him that he would VOLUNTARILY stay in a Viet Cong POW camp, how much do you think he is going to care about YOUR sons and daughters serving under him if he is their Commander in Chief?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:45 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse FirstShirt See Profile I'm a Fan of FirstShirt

Well, his father was CINCPAC [Commander in Chief of the Pacific] during the time McCain was shot down and imprisoned. That's a 4 star admiral post, not a general, but I wouldn't expect you to know the difference.

"He said he wouldn't go unless his fellow prisoners could go, too. Many people think this is noble. I DO NOT." Of course you don't.

"If McCain thought so little of his own life and so little of the family he had waiting at home for him that he would VOLUNTARILY stay in a Viet Cong POW camp, how much do you think he is going to care about YOUR sons and daughters serving under him if he is their Commander in Chief?"

So a man who sacrifices his freedom for his fellow servicemen shows he doesn't care while a hero like you would have run home to mommy. You must be a democrat.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:16 AM on 03/07/2008
collapse grisgris See Profile I'm a Fan of grisgris

Since you quoted me so extensively, I would think you would have also noticed THIS part of my comment: "...the Uniform Code of Military Conduct states that a POW has a DUTY to escape. By allowing himself to remain in enemy hands, McCain allowed himself to remain a PAWN of the Viet Cong." McCain SHOULD have left like he was SUPPOSED to do. Since you think so little of the RULES, you must be a Republican.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:02 PM on 03/07/2008
collapse JulieSA See Profile I'm a Fan of JulieSA

Wow. This is so wrong I really don't know where to begin. How about, his dad was an admiral, not a general?

"By allowing himself to remain in enemy hands, McCain allowed himself to remain a PAWN of the Viet Cong." No, the N Vietnamese offer to send him home out of order was an effort to use him as a pawn. Since he refused, he thwarted them and was tortured for it. Only a handful of pilots accepted early release, and they were used to propagandize that the NVs were humane to the POWs, which they were not.

"For starters, the Uniform Code of Military Conduct states that a POW has a DUTY to escape."
Escape is not the same as being released as a pawn.

You have a very distorted version of what's noble and what's not. With any luck, Hillary and Obama will use your tactic and guarantee a Republican victory.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:57 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse grisgris See Profile I'm a Fan of grisgris

And, assuming you're right about that repug victory, I'm SURE you will be enlisting or at least sending your children and/or grandchildren to fight in John "there will be more wars" McCain's "wars".

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:05 PM on 03/07/2008
collapse Berettasskeeter See Profile I'm a Fan of Berettasskeeter

You confuse the requirement that a POW not cooperate with his captors with another requirement that a POW not give his captors any sort of tool which they may use against other POW's. McCain did exactly the right thing by refusing early release. That release would have been used by the North Vietnamese as a wedge against McCain's fellow POW's.
Please don't mix up your terms. There is a Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and there is a Code of Conduct.
Your point is practically meaningless to anyone with any military training.
Semper fi

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:43 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse RadioResearch See Profile I'm a Fan of RadioResearch

Note that McCain also got himself shot down by a SAM because he ignored Navy protocol and did a stupid thing. He first missed his target, the power plant, and them went for a second run against combat protocol and good common sense. That power plant was so well defended that it was a Navy pilot's challenge to get in there and out. You would have to be stupid to go in for a second attempt with radar all over your butt.

The travesty is that he has been made a hero over an incident that had he been an enlisted man he would have been court-marshalled for "misadventure" - another word for incompetence and insubordination. Bravado does not equate to courage.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 04:49 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse FirstShirt See Profile I'm a Fan of FirstShirt

McCain, like most military, doesn't describe himself as a hero. Most military describe the dead as the real heroes.

McCain says he attacked a SAM missle with his plane [that's a joke].

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:19 AM on 03/07/2008
collapse JulieSA See Profile I'm a Fan of JulieSA

That's false. He dropped his bombs on the first run. He did know that the SAM was locked on to him, but he dropped the bombs anyway, because he didn't want to have to make another run.

Where did you get your inaccurate information?

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:31 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse grisgris See Profile I'm a Fan of grisgris

Unfortunately, the repugs will never know about these details or care. They hear "war hero" and "POW" and their brains shut down. Look at what they thought about Bush and his (LOL!) "military record". "AWOL", "deserter"? Details, my friend, details. They saw him in his little flight suit declaring "Mission Accomplished" and their brains shut down. That image is foreplay for repugs.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 07:04 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse JulieSA See Profile I'm a Fan of JulieSA

These details are inaccurate. Go ahead and spread false information, liar.

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 11:32 PM on 03/06/2008
collapse grisgris See Profile I'm a Fan of grisgris

"liar"? LOL! You've obviously mistaken me for a repug!

favoriteFavorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:06 PM on 03/07/2008