• Minnesotan National Guard leads the nation in suicides
    18 replies, posted
[quote=KARE 11]MINNEAPOLIS - The war in Iraq may have officially ended, but for so many veterans coming home, the battle within is just beginning. "It just makes sick to my stomach and anxious," said Greg Roberts, an Iraq War veteran. Talking about his time in Iraq is difficult for Roberts. The 34-year old, who also served in Bosnia, was in Iraq for more than a year with the National Guard's 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry. He and his fellow soldiers were responsible for driving through uncharted roadways, clearing any roadside bombs for other military units. "(We're) driving, hoping you're not going to have something come through your door and take your legs off," he said. The constant danger took its toll. He admits to drinking too much and suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder when he arrived home, something many combat veterans go through. "And all of sudden I'm realizing I'm a very angry person. And I don't know why. I'm completely different, everyone else is the same, but I'm completely different," he said. With the help of his wife and family, he's been able to move forward. But not everyone in his unit was so lucky. Two years ago, his good friend and fellow soldier, Jesse Davis, killed himself. "He was very, very closed off about everything," he said. "It surprised everyone." And he hasn't been the only one took their own life. The Minnesota National Guard leads the country in the number of soldiers who have committed suicide. Roberts says one problem he faced was how fast he was thrust back into his old life. "We landed in Wisconsin and a week later I was in my living room," he said. He believes gradually mixing military and civilian life would have been better. "I believe there are enough resources for our service members," said Melanie Nelson, a 2nd Lieutenant with the Minnesota National Guard. She says the Guard has made improvements, sighting guard officials regularly meet with soldiers and their families, and have reached out to the general public. "We started a couple years ago really training the communities and the civilian employers how to take care of our service members," said Nelson. But as the Iraq War comes to a close, both she and Roberts remind people the help for the men and women who served there is far from over. "They might have extra problems and just be conscientious of that," said Roberts. (Copyright 2011 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)[/quote] [url]http://www.kare11.com/news/article/951762/391/Minn-lawmakers-to-address-military-suicides?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cbc%7Clarge[/url]
people weren't meant to be soldiers
Minnesota Pride. Seriously, we work our national guard like slaves. They do so much for us so this makes me a bit sad when they are not getting what they need to get back to normal civilian life.
I'd kill myself if I lived on a base there too.
I'm from Minnesota D:
Well the National Guard and Military are always advertising that they train people to be leaders. I guess it worked.
I thought that the national guard was conducting mass suicide amongst the general populace.
In the British Army they realised after the Falklands War some of the importance of gradually winding down the soldiers. Those who travelled back on the Aircraft carriers and other ships over a long period of time suffered a much lower proportion of of PTSD and suicides than those flown home, as it gave them a gradual transition between combat, military life and civilian life. That's why British troops have a while on a base in Cyprus as the post-tour wind down, I'm surprised the Americans don't do something similar.
[QUOTE=Lachz0r;33791208]people weren't meant to be soldiers[/QUOTE] Then we evolved and learned how to hate.
[QUOTE=Falchion;33795165]Then we realized we always knew how to hate.[/QUOTE] Fix't. Hatred is as natural as breathing, and if we didn't have it, we'd probably have died out somewhere along the line.
[QUOTE=Cone;33795204]Fix't. Hatred is as natural as breathing, and if we didn't have it, we'd probably have died out somewhere along the line.[/QUOTE] We only hate each other because other people similar to us tell us which other groups we're supposed to hate.
[QUOTE=Cone;33795204]Fix't. Hatred is as natural as breathing, and if we didn't have it, we'd probably have died out somewhere along the line.[/QUOTE] Animals don't hate.
[QUOTE=Falchion;33796547]Animals don't hate.[/QUOTE] Nor do they post on the internet, drive cars, have societies, build megastructures, etc. etc. What's your point.
[QUOTE=Lachz0r;33791208]people weren't meant to be soldiers[/QUOTE] this is so true
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;33796580]Nor do they post on the internet, drive cars, have societies, build megastructures, etc. etc. What's your point.[/QUOTE] His point is that by being the best we've become the worst
I'd like some facts here. Could be just a case of 49 states has so many suicides (say 50) per year and they just have 51. There's always a leader but it doesn't mean jack without context.
[QUOTE=Cone;33795204]Fix't. Hatred is as natural as breathing, and if we didn't have it, we'd probably have died out somewhere along the line.[/QUOTE] mm I don't think so.
[QUOTE=Falchion;33796547]Animals don't hate.[/QUOTE] Intelligent ones do.
[QUOTE=yawmwen;33799917]Intelligent ones do.[/QUOTE] That's not to say that hating and not hating aren't learned, just that they're learned in, say, chimps as well as humans.
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