Post by TW on Aug 16, 2012 14:50:18 GMT -5
This is horrible. The numbers of suicides is staggering. Why?
Well, for openers, the cuts in the military are putting ranking soldiers out of jobs. Men and women who went into the service with the promise it could be a career. Now, we're hearing our government say; "We were only kidding! We needed you to fight wars, now you don't matter. We're not going to renew your enlistment."
It doesn't take a Rhodes scholar to figure out that when you take away the livelihood of someone who has fought to protect your nation, they go through some real mental and emotional changes. Especially since you're just dumping them out there, without a chance to make a living. The idea that the military trains a person for a civilian job is so damned laughable that it isn't worth discussing.
My last reenlistment speech came from a Lieutenant who didn't even shave yet. He told me about all the great things the Air Force had done for me, and how they were training me for work in the civilian world, and how staying in would enhance that training.
I just laughed. I was a tail-gunner on B-52 bombers. "Yeah. As soon as I get out of this chicken-crap outfit I'm heading to TWA and see if they need a tail-gunner!" I answered.
He was pissed, and wanted me given an Article 15 for what I said. Our commanding officer told him to withdraw the charges. When he didn't, the Lieutenant got a trip to the Dew Line, at a radar base, for one year, so the charges went away automatically, because he wasn't there to present the case in person.
At least our commander understood the BS.
I've been stating for a long time how unfairly our government treats soldiers and ex-soldiers, but the only thing that seems to matter to people is their freaking pocket books. If this country falls, it's because of apathy on the part of people.
www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-08-09/army-suicides/57096238/1?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo
Well, for openers, the cuts in the military are putting ranking soldiers out of jobs. Men and women who went into the service with the promise it could be a career. Now, we're hearing our government say; "We were only kidding! We needed you to fight wars, now you don't matter. We're not going to renew your enlistment."
It doesn't take a Rhodes scholar to figure out that when you take away the livelihood of someone who has fought to protect your nation, they go through some real mental and emotional changes. Especially since you're just dumping them out there, without a chance to make a living. The idea that the military trains a person for a civilian job is so damned laughable that it isn't worth discussing.
My last reenlistment speech came from a Lieutenant who didn't even shave yet. He told me about all the great things the Air Force had done for me, and how they were training me for work in the civilian world, and how staying in would enhance that training.
I just laughed. I was a tail-gunner on B-52 bombers. "Yeah. As soon as I get out of this chicken-crap outfit I'm heading to TWA and see if they need a tail-gunner!" I answered.
He was pissed, and wanted me given an Article 15 for what I said. Our commanding officer told him to withdraw the charges. When he didn't, the Lieutenant got a trip to the Dew Line, at a radar base, for one year, so the charges went away automatically, because he wasn't there to present the case in person.
At least our commander understood the BS.
I've been stating for a long time how unfairly our government treats soldiers and ex-soldiers, but the only thing that seems to matter to people is their freaking pocket books. If this country falls, it's because of apathy on the part of people.
www.usatoday.com/news/military/story/2012-08-09/army-suicides/57096238/1?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo
