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Mutiple Deployments To Iraq Breaking Our Military

In my 1/18/07 diary entry I asked the rhetorical question Does Bush Support Our Troops.  Most of the diary concerned the rising rates of post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and their correlation to multiple deployments.

In 2004 12% of Iraqi veterans were reported to have PTSD.  In 2006 it was reported that up to one third of veterans now suffer from PTSD.  Now over one-third of our troops suffer from PTSD or brain injury.

A new study updates the percent of troops suffering from PTSD.  The study found that "38 percent of soldiers and 31 percent of Marines report psychological concerns such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from deployment."

The PTSD rate among National Guard is a shocking 49 percent.  

Keep in mind that the risk of PTSD rises in direct proportion to the number of fire fights that a soldier experiences.  Multiple deployments has caused both a rise in the numbers of soldiers suffering from PTSD and aggravates the severity of PTSD from those already suffering from it.  Unfortunately our military does not have the staff or the money for mental health care to meet the needs of these soldiers.  

In Iraq Bush is in a pickle.  He needs to use multiple deployments to have the manpower needed to fight his war.  Advocating a draft would be political suicide.  However, mulitple deployments is resulting in a spike in PTSD which is rapidly destroying our military.  Bush keeps going to the well by relying on multiple deployments but there will come a time when that well will dry up because too many troops will be suffering from PTSD.  Because of Bush a future President may not have the manpower to take military action even if it is justified and necessary.

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    6 months for PTSD symptoms to begin (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by john horse on Tue May 08, 2007 at 06:07:36 AM EST
    Tracy,
    Your statement that "It can take around 6 months for PTSD symptoms to begin to make their appearance" sent a chill down my spine.  While the first victim of PTSD are our soldiers, the second is their spouses and families.  Take care of your spouses but also take care of each other.

    Very glad that Jeralyn put this in the (none / 0) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Mon May 07, 2007 at 05:08:15 PM EST
    open thread.  I'm not used to looking for posted diaries and this is a good one.  The military post that we are at right now is being used as a resting post.  At a party of military couples I went to this weekend we all noted that we are getting in a lot of officers lately that have seen a lot of combat, they have great big resumes but they also have brittle bricklike facial expressions.  Getting a very large group in right now, wonder how decompression is going to go.  It can take around 6 months for PTSD symptoms to begin to make their appearance.

    Thanks Tracy (none / 0) (#2)
    by john horse on Mon May 07, 2007 at 07:06:36 PM EST
    I hope for the best for those returning back from Iraq.  The stress caused by this war isn't just experienced by our soldiers but, as you are probably well aware, by their spouses and families.  Take care.

    What Our Troops Have Been Through (none / 0) (#4)
    by john horse on Tue May 08, 2007 at 05:04:58 PM EST
    Deanie Mills at talkingpointsmemo has a good blog about the effects of multiple deployments that I would encourage people to read.

    Mills cites the following statistics from the March/April issue of Mother Jones:

    94% of soldiers & Marines in Iraq have been shot at

    86% know someone who was seriously injured or killed

    77% have shot at or directed fire at the enemy

    68% have seen dead or seriously injured Americans

    51% have handled or uncovered human remains

    48% said they were responsible for the death of an enemy combatant

    28% said they were responsible for the death of a noncombatant