One in four soldiers suffer from..

per a WaPo writeup..signs of anxiety, depression or acute stress, according to an official Army survey. Of course these are soldiers that are sent to Iraq for the third or fourth time..which is the bulk of them. As I noted in another post on the topic this weekend on troop strength, Bushie has promised to shorten deployment times from 15 to 12 months.

Somehow, I do not see that doing a lot to help the soldiers cope with the PTSD..does anyone else with two fucking brain cells to rub together? From the WaPo writeup:

Among the 513,000 active-duty soldiers who have served in Iraq since the invasion of 2003, more than 197,000 have deployed more than once, and more than 53,000 have deployed three or more times, according to a separate set of statistics provided this week by Army personnel officers. The percentage of troops sent back to Iraq for repeat deployments would have to increase in the months ahead.

The Army study of mental health showed that 27 percent of noncommissioned officers - a critically important group - on their third or fourth tour exhibited symptoms commonly referred to as post-traumatic stress disorders. That figure is far higher than the roughly 12 percent who exhibit those symptoms after one tour and the 18.5 percent who develop the disorders after a second deployment, according to the study, which was conducted by the Army surgeon general’s Mental Health Advisory Team.

Such bullshit. The Chickenhawk’s in charge will cause irreparable damage to our soldiers one way or another. Either their bodies or their minds..and in many situations..both.

Artwork by the highly-talented Worried Shrimp