News Analysis: May 19, 2009

“The fallout from the psychic stress of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has been vast, but there was no reason for its destructive effects to have surprised anyone.“ The sergeant accused of opening fire and killing five of his fellow service members at a US base outside of Baghdad is now in Kuwait before being sent to either Germany or the US.

Stress from long and multiple deployments is considered at least a partial reason for the sergeant’s actions; he was on his third tour to Iraq. It’s not just the entire American public that needs to focus on the problem of stress in our ranks — the military also needs a new mindset to more effectively help our troops. Otherwise, our military will be battling suicide in the ranks long into the future. The military is still struggling to properly deal with mental health.

It’s not just our troops who suffer the stress of multiple-deployments with too little rest — their families do too. And the deployments continue, continue, continue…

Meditation can help, but won’t alone solve the stress facing our troops…

Vice President Joe Biden honors our troops and military families…

Two years to turn the tide in Afghanistan? That’s what Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. “It is going to be a very violent 2009 and 2010,” he said.

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