A Place to Talk About War

I would like to hear from soldiers who have been in combat situations, from their families, or from others interested in this conversation. I am a graduate student interested in war rhetoric. I have no preset agenda: I simply want to listen, to learn, and to be supportive.

About Me

Name:
Location: Texas, United States

Married, two kids. Worked in the defense industry for 20 years before taking a different path. I'll be starting my dissertation on the rhetoric of war in a few months. This semester I am teaching Freshman Composition. I DON'T CARE ABOUT BLOGGERS' SPELLING, PUNCTUATION, OR ANY OTHER GRAMMAR MATTERS--I JUST WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

"Invisible Wounds"

An article in yesterday's Dallas Morning News reported on armed service members who take their own lives, usually attributed to PTSD.

The numbers from Iraq so far: 45 suicides in Iraq, 24 after returning home. Experts predict more, citing the length of time that PTSD can linger.

What can we do to better support returning soldiers? Are some gentle souls simply unable to experience combat and remain whole?

Your thoughts welcome.

In response to Bruce's well-made comments, I've added two links: one is to the article I referenced above, and the other is to an AP article from January, 2004, "Army's suicide rate in Iraq higher than usual, official says." If you have to register to see the second link and don't wish to do so, let me know and I'll post the article.

posted by English Professor | 8:53 PM