Broken and Scarred

my brother and sister both served 4 years in the army.  my brother was 82nd airborne division ( paratrooper ). because he was infantry – he was in the middle of combat – he was prepared to die. he did a tour in iraq and one in afghanistan. my sister served in a supply unit – she wasnt in combat – but still in danger – she was  injured in a convoy accident while serving in iraq.

i believe our military serve to protect our country and to fight for our freedom – from terrorists. they are ready and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice. and i have found that this is not the only sacrifice our military make. most who survive the war – will likely endure extreme emotional damage.

i heard a report that – in a recent month – that more soldiers died from suicide – then combat!

my heart aches for these broken soldiers ( and their families ) who are uneducated/ unprepared for the depression/ post traumatic stress disorder they will likely endure after the realities of war.

it seems the military does not want to take responsibility – so they dont discuss or inform soldiers/ veterans enough. i watched my siblings and many other friends go through the often unavoidable result – self medicating ( drug/ alcohol abuse ).  i am completely astounded at just how unhelpful the military is to these struggling souls. it is very frustrating – that they are required to jump through hoops just to receive the help they so desperately need.

soldiers are trained to be strong – and to put emotions aside. i believe many feel they should be strong enough to handle this mentally on their own. but when left untreated – results can be deadly. if only they knew that there was treatment. AND that they are not ALONE..

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here are some staggering statistics:

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Every day, five U.S. soldiers try to kill themselves. Before the Iraq war began, that figure was less than one suicide attempt a day.

“The really tough area here is stigma. We know that soldiers don’t want to go seek care. They’re tough, they’re strong, they don’t want to go see a behavioral health-care provider. Post-traumatic stress disorder also may be a factor in suicide attempts because it can result in broken relationships and often leads to drug and alcohol abuse.

The “typical” soldier who commits suicide is a member of an infantry unit who uses a firearm to carry out the act, according to the Army.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/01/military.suicides/index.html

Attempted suicides and self-injuries have quadrupled over the past six years.

The V.A. says the suicide rate among male veterans it serves under the age of 29 hit an all-time high. Those in that age group are more than twice as likely to commit suicide as people in the general population.

PAUL SULLIVAN, Veterans for Common Sense: The number-one reason why the service members and veterans coming back from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are completing suicides is because of their involvement in the war, because of the horrors that they have seen in the war, and because of the lack of access to prompt and high-quality mental health care when they return home.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec08/suicides_11-10.html

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i cant help but to see this as another opportunity for LOVE and community to bring hope to a dying people – our soldiers – to whom we owe our very lives!!  even if you disagree with the wars being fought – please consider that – our soldiers have no choice in the matter. i believe we need to step up and do what we can to show our support and appreciation to our military. there are simple things we can do – like send letters and care packages. thank a soldier waiting at the airport. help a soldiers family while he/she is away ( cook a meal/ babysit/ fix a vehicle / mow a lawn.) keep them in CONSTANT PRAYER.

i spoke with a friend who opened up to me about his pain and darkest days – returning to civilian life.

the shock is best explained in his words:  ” living is a lot harder than killing or dying ….”

i pray those words resonate through you – like they did me.