Is our military suffering

[Topaz]

This is nothing new to the families who have someone the military and the military will say its part of being in war, but if these people were doing a job out of the military odds are the doctors would tell them to find another job, or learn to live with the stress, most likely under medication like most of the US military is on. The article said that 28% are suffering from the above, while 17% exhibited signs of high risk drinking and 5% signs of PTSD and 5% symptons of major depression that the military knows of. So what's the answer.... bring in a draft and have more people become mental ill, keep them on medication and hope they don't kill someone in "friendly fire", or have the Canadian military out of seek& kill programs and do the peackeeping? I know everyone in Canada respects these guys but don't we have to also respect them enough to know when the cost maybe too much even for them and their families.

[Wilber]

In US, male physicians have a 41% higher suicide rate than average and female physicians have a 2.7 times higher rate. Some jobs are more stressful than others.

[old_bold&cold]

Why would you find it surprising that soldiers that are under constant threat of atack by the enemy, and could lose their lives at any given time, are under stress. It would be very wrong if these people were not stressed. They will of course gravitate towards all the things that high stress jobs, usually do to relieve the stress. Many who also know these signs will yes take drugs that are prescribed for this and then better manage the stress without being reckless.

What you are not mentioning is the fact that the vast majority of these soldiers will say that they still think the mission is valid and they want to be allowed to continue the fight until the job is done. There are a small number who will not see it this way, but they are few and should be transfered to other positions where they can do support work from relative safety.

Now is our military suffering? This is a bad title for this, because if a military were to go into a war that they feel they will never suffer anything, then we will have a large problem. The whole premise of war is that each side tries to make the other side suffer enough to the point where they will pull out and surrender. That is what many activists, want for Canada, but thank god it is not what the majority of people want for Canada. Threads like this are done to create as much dissidence to get people worked up in favour of the points, that they would never actually do otherwise. It is all just so much stirring the pot.

[Topaz]

Why would you find it surprising that soldiers that are under constant threat of atack by the enemy, and could lose their lives at any given time, are under stress. It would be very wrong if these people were not stressed. They will of course gravitate towards all the things that high stress jobs, usually do to relieve the stress. Many who also know these signs will yes take drugs that are prescribed for this and then better manage the stress without being reckless.

What you are not mentioning is the fact that the vast majority of these soldiers will say that they still think the mission is valid and they want to be allowed to continue the fight until the job is done. There are a small number who will not see it this way, but they are few and should be transfered to other positions where they can do support work from relative safety.

Now is our military suffering? This is a bad title for this, because if a military were to go into a war that they feel they will never suffer anything, then we will have a large problem. The whole premise of war is that each side tries to make the other side suffer enough to the point where they will pull out and surrender. That is what many activists, want for Canada, but thank god it is not what the majority of people want for Canada. Threads like this are done to create as much dissidence to get people worked up in favour of the points, that they would never actually do otherwise. It is all just so much stirring the pot.

First of all, none of these guys would have to suffer for what another 3 years if Harper hadn't extended the mission. Has Harper ever been in the military, how about the boy scouts? There is a time to stand up for Canada but this war is not one of them. The US start all this **** and the Libs put them there for one year only! I've seen on the TV how it effect the family life , especially the kids, so I'm just pointing out the suffering they are feeling! Tell me, outside of the people of Afghanistan what are the interests there for Canada?? Sometimes you have to stir the pot to see what really is at the bottom!!

[AngusThermopyle]

This is nothing new to the families who have someone the military and the military will say its part of being in war, but if these people were doing a job out of the military odds are the doctors would tell them to find another job, or learn to live with the stress, most likely under medication like most of the US military is on. The article said that 28% are suffering from the above, while 17% exhibited signs of high risk drinking and 5% signs of PTSD and 5% symptons of major depression that the military knows of. So what's the answer.... bring in a draft and have more people become mental ill, keep them on medication and hope they don't kill someone in "friendly fire", or have the Canadian military out of seek& kill programs and do the peackeeping? I know everyone in Canada respects these guys but don't we have to also respect them enough to know when the cost maybe too much even for them and their families.

Nothing new here. Being in the military has always been a stressfull choice. Every time you deploy you're stressed, your familly undergoes hardship, you miss your home and all the values of the society you come from. What is new however is the opportunity to use this stress as a political tool designed to further an agenda.

Next, to address your point about "Peacekeeping". No such thing rationally exists. If peace exists it does not have to be "kept", if it does not exist then it has to be made. "Peacekeeping" is a fallacy foisted upon the Canadian people in order to make the work of the Armed Forces more palatable to the average citizen. In a word our work for the most part is dirty. We go places and enforce our will on the people, thats not to say our will is one that is harmfull to these people. Just that they may not realize such at the time. We don't just show up and everything is sunshine and lollipops.

Here's a news flash, even on "Peacekeeping missions we have had to fire our weapons in anger, for reference I would mention the battle of Medac Pocket. In Somalia we had to fire upon numerous occasions, we fitted Sea Kings with C9's using Bungie cords to suspend them in order to escort convoys and return fire at the Technicals that invariably showed up.

Looking at it rationally the Military is a stressfull occupation, it always will be no matter what the deployment or circumstances.

[shavluk]

I take offence to that statement and find it disgusting actually.

What Regiment did you serve in?

What will be interesting is the suicide rate of the Afghan national police force that they are training to do the heavy lifting.

[Army Guy]

Yes lets all bow and pray or give thanks to our past liberal leadership...hail "what was his name again", you know the little french guy....only for a year you say...got a link or quote...because that is funney....It was the liberals that sent us to AFGAN, and it was the liberals that sent us down south...period..grow up and take owership of those decisions it is what good leadership does...

I'm sure most Canadians would sleep better at nite knowing our troops were doing nothing more than peacekeeping duties....but thats only because they hav'nt a clue in exactly what that means or entails....and it's not that they are stupid, they just never really gave a shit what there military was doing as long as it was re-worded, buffed down to a shine to sound like handing out teddy bears and candies...

And well that may of sounded better to the Civilians back home "peacekeeping", it produced actually worse situtations for our military personal than the ones currently in Afgan. More sucides, drug abuse, were recorded during "peacekeeping ops" than in Afgan or combat conditions...something to think about...

Don't paint us as if we are all just one naked ball of screaming drug addicts with severe emotional problems...We are the ones that have been standing the line for years, protecting , patroling, this nation , most of the time nobody even cared if anyone was on the wall...we have seen war and it's terrible side effects, and we lived with that every day, mostly at night but it comes with the job...one that we think we do pretty damned good at.

[White Doors]

The article said that 28% are suffering from the above, while 17% exhibited signs of high risk drinking and 5% signs of PTSD and 5% symptons of major depression that the military knows of.

I wonder how this compares to the general population? Probably not far off. Shoddy 'science'. They have to compare it to the poulation as a whole. By itself it doesn't mean anything.

Also, high risk drinking? WTF is that? That is a national past time in Canada.

People need to question what they hear on the radio and TV.

The ability of some people to take what they hear/read/see from the media and not to ask one damned question about it baffles me. This nation is made up of lemmings sometimes.

[shavluk]

There are approximately 800 service people missing arms or legs because of service to Afghanistan.

We have what 2500 people there now?

That's a third that must be pretty depressed , where I come from.

I know lots will come home very effected and I know why.

I get a kick out of those who try to glamorize war.

[Hydraboss]

I'm sure that Army Guy can confirm this.

SERVING IN AFGANISTAN IS VOLUNTARY.

If you don't want to go, no one is going to make you. This is Afganistan, people, not Vietnam. If you volunteer for a mission and then have negative side effects, sorry. You signed up for it. These soldiers (bless 'em) are not prisoners over there, they signed up because they believe in it.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

If you can't stand behind our soldiers, please feel free to stand in front of them.

[capricorn]

SERVING IN AFGANISTAN IS VOLUNTARY.

If you can't stand behind our soldiers, please feel free to stand in front of them.

That's correct, as Army Guy has posted elsewhere on this board. Also, many soldiers request a second or third term of duty. God bless them.

Remembrance Day is fast approaching. Everyone, please get your poppies. The funds raised help all our veterans, including our soldiers returning from Afghanistan. Lest we forget.

[Army Guy]

There are approximately 800 service people missing arms or legs because of service to Afghanistan.

We have what 2500 people there now?

Do you really pull these numbers out of your ass, did you think someone might not aleast check up on them...My question is how can 800 servive members be missing anything, if only approx 300 have been wounded in threater.

And thats with well over 15,000 of our troops that have rotated in and out of there. I know you have a bur up your bum inregards to our military, but either your on the bus or off the bus...you can't be both....

One minute your making comments like this one...

take offence to that statement and find it disgusting actually.

What Regiment did you serve in?

Then your pulling info out your ass to make some kind of statement.

Visit My Website

I get a kick out of those who try to glamorize war.

I don't think anyone here is trying to Glamorize war in any form, but then again we've already established your opinion has no more wieght than any other person here.

[Army Guy]

Hydraboss/capricorn:

Thats correct the entire Afgan threater is one based on volunteers, with a high percentage of those on thier aleast thier 3 tour and there are some on thier 4th or 5 th tour...it does speak volumes but not everyone is listening unfortunately.

[shavluk]

Yes you were correct.

I was wrong.

It is over 300.

I do make mistakes and can admit that.

Its still 300+ and I don't care that its voluntary as the peer pressure would stop a lot from saying they were not going.

http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.c...s=M1ARTM0013043

Read this.

[weaponeer]

Yes you were correct.

I was wrong.

It is over 300.

I do make mistakes and can admit that.

Its still 300+ and I don't care that its voluntary as the peer pressure would stop a lot from saying they were not going.

http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.c...s=M1ARTM0013043

Read this.

No,

Soliders with honour, intergrety and a sense of duty would not leave their comrades behind. You never figured that out, thats why you quit!! You took a paycheck, took the taxpayers $$, but retreated at the first site of danger.....

[Army Guy]

shavluk:

Yes you were correct.

I was wrong.

It is over 300

Your still wrong, that number of 300 represents the number of wounded Canadain soldiers, less than half that number represents those that required to be airlifted back to Germany for serious medical treatment...In case you have forgotton IED's more often than not cause major trama cases that require serious medical care, and most of those do not involve loss of limbs...

I won't bullshit you or mislead you, there have been soldiers that have lost limbs, but not nearly as much as you lead us to believe...not even close...

As far as peer pressure goes might work once, but 3 or more times...your not giving those soldiers the credit they deserve.