Honor and Country

Is there still a war in Iraq and Afghanistan? Unless we have family or friends serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of us are carrying on with our lives as if all is normal. We continue to shop, go to work, and supervene our popular sports teams.

Meanwhile, over in Afghanistan and Iraq, American soldiers are suffering from depression and committing suicide.

News From Afghanistan

Military statistics claim 16 soldiers died in Afghanistan and Iraq in January 2009. What's most disturbing is the suicide rate for troops personnel in the same month. There were at least 24 confirmed suicides, according to Pentagon statistics released earlier this year.

Military personnel are alarmed that more soldiers died from their own hands than from enemy gunfire.

In 2008, the Army confirmed at least 128 soldiers committed suicide with an further 15 suspected of committing suicide.

In an effort to preclude suicide and depression, the troops has added training that will teach its leaders to be more active in recognizing suicidal tendencies and depression.

Unfortunately, this training will only serve troops during their troops stints. What happens after these troops are discharged? Will they receive lifetime counseling and therapy for handling depression and the loss of their comrades? Will counseling be ready for the soldiers who come home to find out their wives have been playing house with other men?

From personal experience, I can recite to the hardships facing a discharged war veteran. My father is a Vietnam combat veteran. He was drafted and sent to Southeast Asia for unknown reasons. Since advent back home from Vietnam, his life has never been the same.

For him, arriving home was worse than dealing with any VietCong snipers. He didn't get the same hero rehabilitation my grandfather received after serving in World War Ii. My father never received whatever after surviving his combat tour. Instead of a parade or a few free drinks, fellow Americans spit in his face and called him a baby killer.

To this day he has put Vietnam behind him, but he has never forgotten how he was treated by other Americans.

He is no longer a carefree college learner from the 60s. He is a previous killer who still can't justify why he was made to take the life of a yellow skinned stranger in the name of honor and country.

For veterans advent home from Afghanistan and Iraq, they may sense similar hardships as my father and other combat veterans. Many returning veterans will be bitter while others arrive home missing the arms and legs they had at birth.

Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan will learn that the real war starts after they get home as they try to adapt back into a life they used to live.

Honor and Country

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