I just read an article about the large number of brain injuries among our troops:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24183188&GT1=43001

What do you think about this?

interesting

Being a soldier i know the stats. The unreal stat saying that 1 in 5 soldiers suffer from these is wrong. This is just another propaganda tool used my the media it stray from the good work that my battle buddies are doing over seas. THIS FACT IS A LIE. Dont get me wrong there are soliders that are effected by this but now the number that they are giving.

Bless your heart dude and thank you inside view.


And thank you.........

its simaliar to working in an animal shelter killing something or someone isnt easy, making the choice to do can wear on you alot after awhile you will except it or you will break down

everyone has limits

If the media is just making it up, I wonder what the actual figures are?

I found 17% suffer from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) the figures as far as brain injuries as far as I know has not been calculated to an exact number or percentage.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/nov2004/sold-n20.shtml

This also has 1 in 6 veterans from the war suffer from trauma disorder at the bottom, do note a trauma disorder can be any number of multiple things (gunshot, blastback, burns, etc).

There are three types of lies.

Lies
Damn Lies
Statistics


Have to go with Armyguy there - OP article is a bit much. There are quite a few getting home though, that need to 'decompress' and have no idea how to do that on their own. Even if you are support, there is quite a bit of stress in just uprooting your life, trashing your finances (in some cases) for a year. Then be expected to just change clothes and change mental states and go back to work (if your job still exists) just isn't terribly realistic for most.

FearandLoathing,

Thanks for the additional statistics.

Since they were from 2004 I can only assume that number is now higher in 2008.

I read that Hiker. The studies findings match those released by the Army.
They are not BS. It even states that in the article.

The numbers are roughly in line with previous studies. A February assessment by the U.S. Army that showed 17.9 percent of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from acute stress, depression or anxiety in 2007, down from 19.1 percent in 2006. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080417/hl_nm/iraq_usa_health_dc

It also goes on to say that only half seek help, and that a stigma of being judged as weak is the reason behind that!

What Unit are you in?

You know better Fanta.........And hope he knows better than to post that info.

anyone who has been in combat has been changed by the expierence. this isnt an illness, its human nature.

Why?
The units currently in Iraq are readily available!
They have made no attempt at hiding their insignia, and it makes a difference, whether you wish to admit it or not, if a soldier is in the Regular Army or NG! Whether they are Combat or support (rear echelon) troops. Their duties in no way are comparable.
NG and support Mos's cannot imagine in their widest dreams what life is like for a grunt from a line company in say the 3rd Infantry.

I'm just worried that our men and women are going to come back in bad shape and aren't going to get the help they deserve...

While true to all what you say, you don't post unit information out like that. If someone wants to make guesses, that is perfectly fine. But you (being a deployed solder) don't post it out. You were 11 Bush, you know this. (not talking down to you, just a gentle chide)

No, don't care if someone is reg Army, USAR or NG, they are all "Army" to me.

Eh,
Your wrong, Im right, they are not a manuvering force with the need for secrecy. They are an occupying force, of which the locals probably know as much about their routine as they do.
Definately more than the average American.

As far as Army being Army,
Spoken like a non-grunt.
Its a world of difference, and unless youve been there you'll never understand.

The entire active duty military population is around 1.4 million uniformed military personnel meaning that less than 5% are actually infantrymen.

The Army is two worlds in one.

There are less than 49,000 active duty infantrymen in the United States Army today.
How many do you think are in Iraq?

God bless all the troops but we are the Infantry, the Queen of battle, and the backbone of the force!
Physical fitness requirements are more stringent and life in a combat Zone is alot different and much more dangerous!