Army Officer Orders Troops Not To Commit Suicide

[kpete]

Army Officer Orders Troops Not To Commit Suicide

KRISTIN M. HALL | 04/24/10 12:14 PM | AP

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Thousands of soldiers, their bald eagle shoulder patches lined up row upon row across the grassy field, stood at rigid attention to hear a stern message from their commander.

Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend addressed the 101st Airborne Division with military brusqueness: Suicides at the post had spiked after soldiers started returning home from war, and this was unacceptable.

"It's bad for soldiers, it's bad for families, bad for your units, bad for this division and our Army and our country and it's got to stop now," he insisted. "Suicides on Fort Campbell have to stop now."

It sounded like a typical, military response to a complicated and tragic situation. Authorities believe that 21 soldiers from Fort Campbell killed themselves in 2009, the same year that the Army reported 160 potential suicides, the most since 1980, when it started recording those deaths.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/24/army-suicide-prevention-o_n_550831.html

[babylonsister]

1. He ordered? And it's bad for soldiers? Ya think?? nt

[LiberalLoner]

2. There's another thread on this with a long conversation, might want to include a link to it in

your post....n/t

[inna]

4. Your post is not helpful without a link. nt

[Obamanaut]

9. Here's the link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8212912&mesg_id=8212912

[inna]

13. Thank you for the link.

I rec'd both threads BTW, the other thread is at +27 and this one is in the negatives right now. :shrug:

[BlooInBloo]

3. I considered snarking on this yesterday, until I read all of it. You snipped relevant parts, ofc.

"But Townsend's martial response is not the only one. Behind the scenes, there has been a concerted effort at Fort Campbell over the past year to change the hard-charging military mindset to show no weakness, complete the mission.

There are Army doctors like Tangeneare Singh, reaching out to soldiers struggling silently from depression, trauma-related stress and other mental illnesses. There are staffers like Daina Cole, who tracks data collected from Fort Campbell's soldiers, looking for evidence of problems.

And there are platoon sergeants like Robert Groszmann, trained to listen carefully to the soldiers under his command to detect signs of trouble. He knows that the Army must deal with the deadly issues of some of its fighting men and women, though some disdain this "touchy-feely Army stuff."

"You have to get people to buy into this, because it really is a paradigm shift from the old Army that tells you to suck it up, rub some dirt on it and you'll be fine," Groszmann said."

[Duer 157099]

5. Or else? What? n/t

[PurityOfEssence]

6. No, no, no; you're 'sposed to kill OTHER people!

Dismissed.

[Obamanaut]

7. self delete

[bobbolink]

8. With sensitivity like this, its no wonder a lot of soldiers no longer want to live.

Sounds like some sensitivity training is badly in order here!

[pinboy3niner]

10. The rest of the article gives a fuller picture . . .

of efforts at Ft. Campbell to deal with PTSD, TBI and suicides.

[elocs]

11. Here, this morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8212912

[Oregone]

12. If they are so concerned, take away their guns

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. Riiiight. 'Cause no one commits suicide unless they shoot themselves.

Problem solved.

[Oregone]

15. Wow. Tough crowd tonight