News Analysis: May 6, 2009
Did deployments to war spawn the dangerous self-destruction that plagues a number of our troops at Fort Carson, Colorado? A Pentagon review may hold the answer. “As the deployments grow, the challenges increase, and not just arithmetically [but] exponentially,” said Army Secretary Pete Geren, who said the Pentagon review is nearly complete. The deployments indeed do continue, including for our National Guard members who are sent off to Iraq and Afghanistan seemingly daily. The concerns of stress and trauma extend to our allies’ as well.
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for surviving spouses and orphans of military personnel could rise by 12 percent, with bipartisan legislation paving the way for the real increase for the first time in more than a decade.
“Each May, our nation pauses to pay tribute to our past, present and future military spouses. Nothing could be more right, or more honorable, than this. Without our families, those of us in uniform cannot serve. And truly, our spouses serve just as much as we do,” said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The issues facing our military families are many and heavy, “[f]rom dwell time, to family support, to spouse health, employment issues, and the challenges of child care,” said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Our military families must never be left to feel disconnected. They too often experience the pain of losing loved ones to war.
Traumatic brain injuries and brain inflammation — more to worry about for our deployed troops.
Pakistan’s president is assuring US officials that the Taliban marching through his country can be taken care of. Discouraging news is that the Pakistani police are underfunded and overwhelmed. Even so, the US is reaching out to another “ally” to help the situation in Pakistan: Saudi Arabia. And what’s next in Iraq? And Afghanistan? Karzai is being kept at arm’s length.
Seeking relief from the stress of war in the pages of antiquity. There is travel therapy, too.
Some problems for veterans who have already left their service when it comes to Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits…
Some problems for new Army helmets — 37,000 have been recalled for failing ballistics tests.