Have I mentioned lately...

...that I hate what they're doing to my Army? The social engineering in recruiting and force structure, the endless, pointless missions,the impossible standard set by asking every soldier to be a "hero," when soldiers know that most heroes are dead or disabled. Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Which is why it's no wonder that we see stories like this...

AP: The 154 suicides for active-duty troops in the first 155 days of the year far outdistance the U.S. forces killed in action in Afghanistan — about 50 percent more — according to Pentagon statistics obtained by The Associated Press.

From a far too slightly different angle, most of these suicides could be seen as institutional murders so predictable that they're essentially deliberate.

Have I mentioned lately…

…that I hate what they're doing to my Army...

For the second year in a row, more American soldiers—both enlisted men and women and veterans—committed suicide than were killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Excluding accidents and illness, 462 soldiers died in combat, while 468 committed suicide.

When the problem's getting worse, it's time to do something different.

Taking our troops out of combat zones until we find a mission worthy of their sacrifice might be a good start.

It's been awhile…

…since I've mentioned how much I hate what they're doing to my Army. NPR offers this painful reminder...

There were 197 Army suicides in 2008, according to the Army's numbers. The total includes active- and non-active-duty soldiers.

Last year, the number was 245. This year, through May, it's already 163.

As with Vietnam, deaths after return are beginning to rival deaths on the battlefield. This is predictable. I'm not sure if it's preventable.

I fear not.

Some of the things I hate…

…about what they're doing to my Army, culled from an important piece by William Astore.

Suicides have hit record highs in the Army.

Cases of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression, having reached an alarming 300,000 in 2008, continue to escalate.

Traumatic brain injuries from IEDs and other explosive shocks may already exceed 300,000.

Divorce rates among active duty troops continue to climb.

An epidemic of domestic violence and crime has been linked to returning veterans and to the difficulty of readjusting to "normal" life.

If that's not enough, Astore, a retired USAF Lieutenant Colonel, also looks at declining enlistment standards and the decimation of our corps of commissioned and non-commissioned officers.

They broke my Army, and all the magnetic ribbons in the world can't patch it up.

Have I mentioned lately…

…that I hate what they're doing to my Army?

Military divorces edge up again in 9th year of war

Army suicides set to hit new high in 2009

Colonel Lang raises a good point...

There are a lot of village and towns in Afghanistan, even if one only considers Pushtun villages. The active army is stretched pretty thin. The suicide and attempted suicide rate is becoming a serious matter. People with families can not be pushed emotionally beyond a certain level of alienation from home and hearth. Perhaps it was not such a good idea to build the force around middle class married soldiers.

Perhaps, in fact, it was a terrible idea.

Have I mentioned lately…

…how much I hate what they've done to my Army? Well, I hate it a lot...

WASHINGTON – Suicides among U.S. soldiers rose last year to the highest level in decades, the Army announced Thursday. At least 128 soldiers killed themselves in 2008. But the final count is likely to be considerably higher because 15 more suspicious deaths are still being investigated and could also turn out to be self-inflicted, the Army said.

Damn.

From the "Magnetic ribbons aren't 'support' " file…

…via CNN.

Every day, five U.S. soldiers try to kill themselves. Before the Iraq war began, that figure was less than one suicide attempt a day.

Damn.

I hate what they've done to my Army.