Extremely Sad but not Unexpected News

Record number of Army suicides in June

7/15/2010 Officials have been grappling with how to identify, treat soldiers at risk

The U.S. Army on Thursday reported a record number of suicides in a single month among active duty, Guard and Reserve troops, despite an aggressive program of counseling, training and education aimed at suicide prevention.

Suicides for the first half of the year are up 12 percent over 2009. In June, 32 soldiers are believed to have committed suicide, including 21 on active duty.

The June report came as the Army also released a 20-minute training video on suicide prevention titled, "Shoulder to Shoulder — I will never quit on life." Continued

What wasn't done when the republican congresses and the previous administration were beating the drums of wars of choice and their supporters, now called teabaggers mostly, were saying how unpatriotic it was to voice against failed policies is and has been going on the last couple of years in the congress, Hearings and Investigations, this is one from just this week:

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Examining the Progress of Suicide Prevention Outreach Efforts at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs July 14, 2010 10:00AM

Witness Testimonies

* Panel 1

* Warrant Officer Melvin Cintron, USA (Ret.), Woodbridge, VA, (Gulf War Veteran and OIF Veteran)

* Linda Bean, Milltown, NJ, (Mother of OIF Veteran)

* Panel 2

* Timothy S. Embree, Legislative Associate, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

* Jacob B. Gadd, Deputy Director, Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission, American Legion

* Thomas J. Berger, Ph.D., Executive Director, Veterans Health Council, Vietnam Veterans of America

* Panel 3

* Colonel Robert W. Saum, USA, Director, Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, U.S. Department of Defense

* Robert Jesse, M.D., Ph.D., Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

* Accompanied By:

* Janet Kemp, RN, Ph.D., National Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

* Panel 4

* Submissions for the Record

* Paula Clayton, M.D., Medical Director, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

* Penny Coleman, Rosendale, NY, Author, Flashback: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Suicide, and the Lessons of War Visit Site for Backlinks to Participants

Which have been followed by Actions both in government and in the military, but until we end these occupations and multiple tours that which we older veterans, 'Nam '70-'71 last of four year tour, were saying even before the first bombs were dropped will continue, suicides just being one very tragic result!

Ask yourself, when has the military or veterans issues been mentioned by the so called patriotic 'teabaggers' or their leaders, voiceboxes of meme's, been mentioned or Especially fought for in their own sacrifice and not just as quick short word phrases, their reps as well!

If this country goes back to a republican congress, even though that party no longer exists and hasn't for the past three decades or so, the country will be getting the same, Nothing, especially us veterans, but that isn't only because of reps the people don't want to pony up as well and it's much easier under failed political ideology called (R)!!