The suicide statistics of the 101st at Fort Campbell are more disgusting than frightening, with 115 in 2007, 133 in 2008 and 64 at the time of this stand down. Ft Campbell has the highest suicide rate with the Army or Marines, why?
(MOLALLA, Ore.) - I have written before about Army and Veteran suicides which is a national disgrace. When I heard about Fort Campbell, the home of the 101st Screaming Eagle Paratroopers, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
I decided I’d better push this up on my computer and there it was. BRIGADIER GENERAL STEPHEN TOWNSEND WAS BERATING HIS TROOPS WITH “ITS GOT TO STOP NOW” AND “SCREAMING EAGLES DON’T QUIT”, WHICH WAS THE MAIN PART OF HIS SUICIDE PREVENTION PROGRAM.
As a Combat Infantry Veteran I have the greatest respect for the paratroopers. Whether they have the most severe training of any of the services I’m not sure but it is still much more severe than the “round peg in a square hole” for average Infantry which I survived. They were definitely better soldiers than the rest of us “straight leg Infantry Dogfaces”.
Watching the movies “Band of Brothers” and reading the book made me cringe, and seeing what the Army did to these elite soldiers really made me shake. If one is GOOD in the Army you get the dirtiest, most dangerous missions. Been there, done that, seen that.
The reader email comments about this STAND DOWN were very disgustingly informative. These flying doggies home after Iraq rotations were going through simulated battlefield problems on a routine basis. Sometimes these are worse than battle itself to make the soldiers TOUGH.
The suicide statistics of the 101st at Fort Campbell are more disgusting than frightening, with 115 in 2007, 133 in 2008 and 64 at the time of this stand down. Ft Campbell has the highest suicide rate with the Army (OR MARINES. WHY?!?).
These high value troops volunteered in. Maybe they should be given the option of volunteering out.
I suspect the typical Army “chicken spit” – foolish enforcement of questionable orders or commands has a lot to do with it. Furthermore I suspect the battalion and company officers are throwing their over-esteemed rank around and too much and too often. That made me sick. I just pitied the poor dumb officer bastards because the orders from above were going in one ear and out the other without slowing down through the brain. A lot of that was/is going on now.
I have written before about the Fragging of Officers. I hate to say it but it was a reality for surviving for the privates.
SUICIDE IS ALSO NOT THE ANSWER!!
INVESTIGATE THE OFFICERS!!
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Army Chicken Spit ~ Army Suicides: Who's Running that Show?Salem-News.com