Mood Swings

I wonder if the primary reason for the suicides and degree of mental disorders among the troops in Iraq is a function of the environmental ambiguity. In World War II, soldiers knew exactly who the enemy was. If he was in France, he knew the local population was friendly. If he was in Germany, everyone was rightfully suspect.

However in Iraq, service personnel have been tasked with the inconguous, divergent missions of both fighting a war and nation building. Moreover, the general Iraqi population is contemptuous of the American presence. That kind of cognitive dissonance in which the people you are trying to help still hate you fundamentally and will even try to kill you if given the opportunity must be extremely challenging to a soldier's psychology.

If any fingers are pointed, they should be pointed at the people that put those military personnel in that situation in the first place.

The poem "Success" was actually written by one Bessie Anderson Stanley. It was in a book of Poems in which an Emerson was printed in close proximity to hers, and this is believed to be why the misattribution occurred.

Hope this helps.

I was in the first Gulf "conflict". It is depressing as a young person, who at an early age of 18-25, has not a direction, as no person of that age really possesses. To find oneself attempting to do "good" for family, country, people, in lieu of some lesser choice of a career, one can find the military compelling. When you actually begin your tour, all of your beliefs begin to be replaced with the harsh reality your country, it's ideal, are almost all totally false and all you are being told to do things of a low character, things are nothing as they seemed, you have been duped into thinking you are the best of the best, when you are actually nothing but a tool. It also can feel there is no way out. So many comrades leaning on the side of crazy adolescents, (regardless of age or rank) There is nothing to do with all that anger and despair, sometimes suicide seems like the only/best option. Bootcamp does not prepare you mentally for the betrayal you were set up for. A person of high character will have a terrible time with his/her conscience.

Fist of all none of you have any idea what you were talking about all you filthy sum bags seem to be able to relate to is politics i was a soldier and deployed on two year long deployments and what you are describing have nothing to do with the problems. What is causing people to kill themselves very very simple
1. the INHERIT STOIC NATURE of the military it is deeply engrained in service men to not complain, not show emotion to bottle up all your feelings inside and control them, in fact that is pretty much sums up everything that makes military the the military, self-control. Their is a high stigma that attaches to any body who seeks help as weak.
2. VERY HIGH STRESS, that defines deployments that should not require any further explanation other then people are expected to preform with a high level of perfection no matter what and you always answer when you screw up you take responsibility NO EXCUSES DRILL SERGENT s the fist thing you learn to say in basic training and it applies from Private to Fucking GENERAL
3. YEAR LONG DEPLOYMENTS the army conduct year long deployments with most soldiers conducting multiple deployments i did two before i got out but i know guys who are on their fourth and even fifth deployments. I don't think i should have to explain this further.
4. HEAT it gets fucking hot in Iraq when its 127 FUCKING DEGREES when you are getting chewed out by your platoon sergeant because one of your soldiers lost a head-space and timing gauge your wife is divorcing you because your gone all the time on your years long deployments that never end you tell me if you wouldn't consider putting your M-4 under your chin and pulling the trigger?
fuck all you filthy rat-bastard scumbag mother-fuckering liberal shitbags
i may hate bush but i really hate all these fucking liberals who
pretend to support the military don't bother to learn the fist thing about it I REALLY HATE YOU FOR TRYING TO USE OUR PAIN FOR YOUR POLITICAL GAIN MAY YOU ALL BURN IN HELL