Sadness at Camp Liberty

In September of 1970 my big brother and his 1st Sgt were shot to death in Vietnam by another member of their unit. Nearly 38 years later Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson and Sgt. Wesley R. Durbin were killed by a member of their unit in Iraq. Now there are 5 more families left to not only grieve but to forever what went so horribly wrong. I empathise with these families and I find myself reliving the devastation my brother's murder visited on my family. I was forever changed in ways that I cannot begin to explain. We must do more to assist our troops. We must remember and apply what we learned from Vietnam.

I've been a soldier for over 20 years and the problem as I see it is that the current "kinder, gentler" military is babying it's new soldiers. Basic training is supposed to break a civilian down and build them back up as a soldier. We can't break them down anymore. They're given stress cards in AIT. If a soldier can't handle the stress of his MOS training, how can he handle combat? It's frowned upon to yell at, curse them or drop them for physical corrective training. All of those were things that were regularly done to soldiers of my generation. I'm still here and I've done 3 tours in Iraq. The newer soldiers may have more technical skills, but the older generations are mentally tougher. We were toughened up by doing things the old school way. That's what we need to get back to.

This is so sad. The Army needs to treat the soldiers properly. My husband has been deployed 2 times. This last one was the hardest on him. He has changed in some ways. He has been told that he has combat stress and may have PTSD, but has anyone contacted him in the medical field No. If soldiers show any symptoms they need to take them serious no matter how small they are. We are loosing soldiers from the fight we need to do what we can to help them more. We do not need to loose them, family members or other soldiers to their own hands as well.

I've been in the army and I know how soldiers can be treatted! this war has a terrible stress factor about it with the soldiers that are not raised by their parent's to "KILL" another human being! the military has very high tech equipment, why not use the equipment and the specially trained navy seals, special forces to take out target's? matter of fact why don't we let them fight their own wars there and we should fight our wars here! this might prevent soldiers from trying to find a way out by killing their own!

After Grenada and Beruit in 1983, I begged the Marine Corps to let me seek counselling. I was bluntly told, if I went to counselling, I would loose both my flight and security status . . . I've talked with a number of men that have returned from "other" war zones, including my son. To this day, the military still limits these men in being able to seek help and stygmitizes them when they do.

For a young man, it's not easy to choose between the the life / work you love and seeking help when needed . . . I decided to continue without help. In the end, it cost me my family, hurt life long friendships, and lead to spending several years hospitalized. I tell these young men who return from combat, find the help you need.

i work at a local subway sandwich shop. On April 6, a man came in and shot 2 employees killing one of them, left the store and killed another innocent person before police finally arrested him. HIs defense...ptsd!!!!! He just got back from his 3rd tour.

The stigma of needing any sort of mental health counseling is not just a stigma...it's a fact. If the military finds out that a soldier is receiving any sort of counseling, he is NOT allowed to carry a weapon. If he is not allowed to carry a weapon, he is not fit for duty and there goes his career. The military does pays a lot of lip service about helping the soldier and his family, but the reality is: the mission comes first and that is the bottom line. Unfortunately, soldiers and their families must suffer in silence or get counseling under cover and pay out of pocket for it so the military doesn't find out and jeapordize the soldier's career.

It's never good to hear about blue on blue. What's worse is knowing someone was crying out for help so loud that it fell on deaf ears resulting in such a horrific event. As a combat vet who has served in both theatres I can attest to the fact there is no training out there that can prepare for what you will face. The best it can do is help train your body to react in times of high stress in a muscle memory fashion. That training alone helps save lives. You don't ever come back the same person. You hope to at least return loved and not forgotten, those simple actions help stablize a troubled mind and treats the memories suppressed in turn allowing some healing to take place.

Troops are just wore out! Try having to know that your husband is deploying wth a Soldier that is "mentaly unstable", "a harm to him self and to others" and depolying with your husband. Not only am I worried about him deploying but worried about Soldier on Soldier killings!

PAX Anderson my own experiences as a female Marine including the murder of one of my fellow female Marines almost 8 years to the days after the murder of my brother give me some understanding of your situation. The Corps basically wrote my friend off and told the rest of us to "Suck it up and d al with it". I learned to fear my brothers and carried a tremendous amount of guilt for many years after my discharge. It was 22 years before I told anyone about her murder and the other things that happened to me.

As a 23yr (RET) Army Viet Nam vet., my heart goes out to these soldiers & their families. All of our soldiers are magnificent & have much better equipment than I had. However, all of the comments here are valid. While working at Ft. Benning, I met and knew many young soldiers. Sadly I watched them come & go on multiple tours of combat. When they would return it was obvious to me & others that they were messed up & needed help. It brought back memories of my tours in Viet Nam. War is a ugly business. Some can deal with it better than others, but we are all human, and multiple tours of combat WILL dehumanize & change you forever. These brave & dedicated soldiers will have problems for the rest of their lives and need the best care we can provide.

Hello Robin,

My out take on the problem with multiple tours in war! I being an ex-military man! I feel that every soldier should have counseling and only allowed two tours! Thank you

There is only one entity to hold responsible for this and that is NIMH. The way mental health professionals treat patients’ trickles down from the National Institute of Mental Health. In a recent conversation with an NIMH official in regard to depression as the primary symptom for suicide he stated "It is not what we would call a strong risk factor." If depression is “Not a strong risk factor” for suicide will somebody please tell what is?

The fundamental issue is NIMH is not asking the questions that will lead to a fix for this problem. If we can agree that someone who is contemplating killing themselves or someone else is emotionally out of control then shouldn’t the first question be “What brings about an emotional state?” Let me make addressing this question perfectly clear. What brings an emotional state about from the inside out not from the outside in?

NIMH and every mental health professional needs to stop miring themselves down in ancient Freudian theoretical external observation and get to the core of the problem which is how each human being processes information from the beginning at the very core of the subconscious.

I do not often rant but this is a systemic problem that absolutely must and can be fixed if we start holding our mental health officials accountable and start demanding answers to questions that simply are not being posed in order to fix the problem.

I think this is the problem not only soldiers returning from war zones. They are accustomed to hear from their bosses that they are supermen and everything is under their own control. Having accomplished their mission troopers returned to the families, home. And what do they find here? Nonstable economic, crisis, growing

Support to your soldiers well conditions of life and opportunities to earn their living when back home. They need stability and they want to be sure for piece for their children in future. If the soldier fought he has to get the result.

Reality check! A soldier is considered so stressed out that he has his gun taken away in a war zone. His chain of command feels he need help so bad he is sent to the stress clinic. While waiting for help, his stress causes him to get into an arguement with someone. So, instead of getting pushed to the head of the line for help, they kick him out just before he can get some help. Is ANYBODY going to ask where the logic was in that move?

So Sad about that Soldier maybe we should not make them go for a 3rd tour. Its too much for them.

Did you graduate from Buchser (Santa Clara) High School. I watch you every morning because You look so familiar and remind me of someone I went to High School with.

Thomas Gilmore– Buchser High 1981

Hello Robin,
Too bad about our soldiers, I don't know what to say : (.

Robin, did you see that Craigslist is shutting down sex adds, and updating measures for posting.

I like your show

have a nice day.

Isabel

It is the military, i have gone through it for the past 18 years, it will not change. I have problems of my own, but i seek help outside of the military, i dont trust that they will help me in any way.

Its past time the military spent as much money and resources for the people fighting these wars for us as they do for the equipment!

Someone needs to look at the "unidentified officer" that allegedly harrassed the soldier that committed the shooting.

About 25 years ago, my husband was serving his first tour aboard a ship in Long Beach, Ca. There was a Senior Enlisted person that harrassed my husband and other crew members to no end. Talk about bringing your job home!

My husband eventually got the nerve to get help by going to the Command's morale officer and after meeting with the crew, the issue was resolved, the Senior Enlisted person was counseled for stress and removed from the ship. This person was suffering from PTSD and other personal issues.

My son is currently deployed in Iraq for his first tour there. I am concerned for him because he, too, is experiencing verbal & non-verbal harrassment from a Senior Enlisted person.

I truly believe there needs to be an overhaul of how the services identify and deal with personnel that display dsyfunctional behaviors. And our servicemembers should not hesitate nor fear reporting any and all dsyfunctional behaviors. And lastly, intervention needs to be put into place to prevent furture tragedies.

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I am very sorry to hear of this going on, but I feel compelled to add that this is not just a military problem. There is a sweeping epidemic in this country now with people losing their jobs and their homes of murder suicide at an alarming rate. Just in one week here in Oregon we have had a woman throw her two children ages 4 and 7 off a bridge in Portland, the 4 year old sadly did not survive, and just yesterday a man killed his 2 children and himself in a park. I cannot turn on the news and not hear of stories like this daily from across the country. My husband and I have a daughter born on Christmas eve and he has been out of work and looking since Oct. 08. No unemployment, we have lived off of his IRA for the last 10 months and now are down to about 60 dollars and don't know how we are going to make our rent. I know that we will make it somehow, even if we have to live on the streets in our car, I have been on the street before and will do it again if must be, but most can't handle that thought and are taking unthinkable actions against their children and themselves. I think it is time for Mr. Obama to see this problem and do whatever it takes to put people back to work so that they can take care of their families instead of killing them.

i would like to thank the media for taking on Lebron James poor sportsmanship after the loss. I am a High School and College sports official in Texas and I see and deal with alot of sportsmanship issues on the field. Todays kids more than idolize these atheletes, they think they are them. When they see these stars get away with acting like spoiled babies then they think they can do it too without consequence. Professional atheletes need to remember their actions "DO" have a direct impact on the playing fields of todays kids around the globe. Grow up, be a man, and except your loss, show those that admire and look up to you that you have to always exhibit good character and sportmanship no matter the outcome of your game.