Obviously, a pre-existing condition
Many soldiers get boot for ‘pre-existing’ mental illness
Thousands of U.S. soldiers in Iraq — as many as 10 a day — are being discharged by the military for mental health reasons. But the Pentagon isn’t blaming the war. It says the soldiers had “pre-existing” conditions that disqualify them for treatment by the government.
Many soldiers and Marines being discharged on this basis actually suffer from combat-related problems, experts say. But by classifying them as having a condition unrelated to the war, the Defense Department is able to quickly get rid of troops having trouble doing their work while also saving the expense of caring for them.
The result appears to be that many actually suffering from combat-related problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries don’t get the help they need.
If such widespread mental problems really existed before people joined the military and saw combat, they would have been uncovered when the recruits were enlisting, Soltz said.
Billions for bomb, but bupkis for our boys. Conservatives should be happy about this. Anything to limit government spending is good, right?
This is what you get for being a gung-ho patriot. Here is a clue … don’t sign up unless they are attacking us over here not over there.
Hoo-yah! Support our troops. Way to go, Pentagon.
and
>>Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Todd Vician declined Friday to
>>discuss the matter because it was related to current legislation.
wtf?? Since when has something being “related to current legislation” ever stopped politicians and armchair warriors from discussing a matter?? Unless they know they’ve been *BUSTED*, and are just trying to weasel out.
With the kind of “support” the administration is giving our troops, you’d have to be mentally imbalanced to go into the armed forces. Maybe that’s their rationale for classifying these cases of combat-related disorders as “pre-existing”.
Now that the Pentagon is recruiting Dumb and Dumber, there will be a thrilling expansion in the range of undiagnosed preconditions.
Yet another fine example of how this administration ‘supports our troops’. See, me wanting them to come home before they get injured or killed could get me shipped off to Guantanamo…but denying them healthcare, putting them in rundown and rat infested medical facilities, extending their tours of duty and restricting their leave, hiding their casualties from the American people, knocking down all sorts of efforts to improve pay and benefits…THAT is REAL ‘support’.
#4 –
I could not agree more. It’s not so much that the Bush administration deliberately wants to screw over the troops, but the policies are not sustainable and lead to cost cutting measures like denying soldiers their much deserved medical treatment. The soldiers are just tools to the president for furthering his greedy, imperialistic, and severely destabilizing policies.
That’s why we dissenters did and do support the troops and deserve an apology from the sheep who call themselves “true” patriots for unconditionally supporting leaders regardless of what they do while their kids are deployed. I’m really sorry if dissenting hurts the morale of our troops, but what the president is doing is causing infinitely more damage to their morale (not to mention their physical and mental health) than anything us dissenters could do. And only dissenters are going to cause the troops to come home. The president certainly isn’t going to.
If the gov. doesn’t start supporting the troops they will lose their base.Maybe thats a good thing.
What ‘supporting our troops’ really means;
• keeping them fighting in a civil war against all strategic precedent.
• providing them with inadequate supplies for the mission.
• destroying their minds and bodies, then abandoning them.
But don’t we dare remove support for the troops through the power of the purse; that would be unpatriotic.
The lesson of this? If the President ever starts talking about ‘supporting the American people,’ best run for the hills with all the supplies you can carry.
>>the sheep who call themselves “true” patriots for unconditionally
>>supporting leaders regardless of what they do while their kids
>>are deployed.
Ah, see that’s one of the joys of being a chickenhawk (or “true patriot”, and they nonsensically call themselves).
THEIR kids are not being deployed, just like they themselves weren’t deployed when it was their time to serve. It’s OTHER PEOPLE’S kids who are fighting and dying. Just like it was OTHER PEOPLE who were fighting and dying when it was their turn.
That’s why they don’t give a shit what happens to them, no matter how many $0.99 “Support our Troops” magnets they affix to their SUVs.
I suppose younger people might not notice but I’m older and all of this sounds very familiar to me.
The last time the U.S. government put troops into a situation in which there was no way to win, they also blamed the troops and then abandoned them.
The United States government has long history of deserting the very people who risked their lives to protect the nation, read youi history books!
Civil war veterans got shafted, World War I veterans were actually fired on when they demanded the benefits they were promised, Korea, Vietnam, promises to veterans are almost never kept once the war is over (notable exception: wwii gis)
It’s America’s dirty little secret that this should come as no surprise — it’s actually tradition.
#9
Indeed, as I assume you are talking about Vietnam. But those troops were drafted, which makes it even worse. In the current situation, we are dealing with a volunteer military.
Is anyone surprised that those who chose to enter the military have a high propensity for mental illness??
Anyone?
So where’s George C. Scott and his glove when we need him?
Guns or butter. Personally I’d rather the dough went to better personal armor for those who remain.
But I hear not a whiff of recognition for pre-existing mental illness. Sounds like pre-existing politics to me.
RBG
>>So where’s George C. Scott and his glove when we need him?
Where’s Arlo Guthrie when you need him? Anybody with a “pre-existing” mental condition should be on the bench with the mother-rapers and the father-rapers and the guys who get ticketed for littering.
Oh, I forgot. No draft. Thank goodness. Otherwise, the chickenhawk politicians would have to send their sons and daughters off to fight.
#12 Personally I’d rather the dough went to better personal armor for those who remain.
RIGHT, because once a soldier’s done fighting for you, you no longer support him/her. thanks for reiterating my point.
#12 But I hear not a whiff of recognition for pre-existing mental illness. Sounds like pre-existing politics to me.
just like i said, people like you gladly accept any excuse to withdraw support for a soldier who was shot at on your behalf.
lovely.
ironically though, you seem perfectly willing to accept the word of the president even though untold millions of your tax dollars have simply vanished into rat holes of waste and fraud
“Dissenters” = ChickenShit Anarchists & WhoreCommunists who hide behind phony “progressive politics” and are willing to lay down MY life for their Peace. Love and Understanding for Islamurderers.
#16 By your post i can tell a lot about you:
i am going to guess that you
1.) are not and never have been a combat soldier, and
2.) have never been shot at.
3.) you live in a some city/town that no terrorist would even have heard of
4.) your paranoia about terrorism is really just an expression of an inner fantasy in which you use your smith & wesson to kill somebody in a way that makes you a hero instead of a felon.
perhaps you should enlist and join the fight.
>>and are willing to lay down MY life for their Peace.
That fits Dumbya’s platform to a tee.
#16 – I try not to do personality readings, but this one begs for it:
I can tell from your posting:
1) you’re an asshole.
2) you drive daddy’s car.
3) you never held a job.
4) Scratch #2 – your not old enough to drive.
5) you’re an asshole, in fact such an asshole I have to say it twice.
You’re correct about one thing – I would gladly either sacrifice your life or if possible take it myself for a twinkie and a bag of chips.
BTW – Sinn Fein was a terrorist org that finally went on to rob and kill their own people when the Orange Men finally started to fight back and became more difficult targets.
#19 Thank you for pointing the irony that poster #16 Sinn Fein is making clear by his moniker that he himself is a a supporter of terrorism in the name of religion.
if only Halliburton ran mental health clinics, the Bush Administration would be throwing bales of money at it …
I could have sworn that the Democrats now controlled the Senate and the House, which controls the purse strings and makes the law’s that tell the Generals how to run the military.
But, I must have been mistaken………..surely all those Liberals and Moderates wouldn’t allow this to happen to our troops. And as soon as they get the balls to withdraw our troops from Iraq, I just know they will take care of this problem…right?? Hello!!!!! Hello!!!!!!
Ok, Here goes…
1. recently we had a article about Soldiers SHIPPEd to the front drugged for problems diagnosed by the military…
Once they GOT THERE, the drugs stopped and ill-fitted mentality was on a field being SHOT AT.
2. CUTS to Vets admin..
3. Cuts to Vets hospital.
4. A raise is given to the HEAD of the vets admin and the Vets hospitals..
anything else I leave out??
MORE..
Cuts in Field hospitals.. Stand in line mentality, unless you are HIT by a bullet.
Cuts at beginning of war over Military supplies…Bullet proof vests, ARNT bullet proof.
3-4-5 (more??)times the MONEY going to PRIVATE contractors then to PAY for the military…And WHAT is the job of THESE FOLKS??? besides BUGGER KING and McD’s…Why do they need all those trucks??
MAYBE a special tax on GAS, to pay for the war??
#22 right, and if you would please consult your grade school text and look up the word “VETO” which is what george bush uses when ever liberals pass a bill that spends money on ordinary americans instead of his well connected buddies
oh and check in with reality — the democrats don’t have the votes to override a veto,
so your point is ill-informed, incorrect, and makes you look stupid
please think before you talk, thank you
This makes me extremely sad. Although I was lucky to get out w/o any serious injuries, a few of my buddies weren’t as lucky. Some recieved the care they deserved w/o any trouble, other’s had to “prove” they needed care, and then there’s the unlucky few. One day they’ll stop sending them to the meat grinder, i hope…
Keep the chin up there Richard ! It makes me sad and sick to my stomach as well. I think you just keep going and trying to get it right one day to the next.
Blessings and continued good health to you, sir !
Denny