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Army's life-or-death drama: To combat suicides, service introduces interactiv...
Alarmed by a record rate of suicide in its ranks, the Army yesterday unveiled a unique prevention tool -- an interactive video to be mandatory viewing Army-wide -- in which soldiers will play the role of an anguished infantryman and make virtual choices that lead the character to get help or, in the worst case, shoot himself in the head.
"This is you: Specialist Kyle Norton," a male narrator begins, putting soldiers in the boots of a 19-year-old Midwesterner after a bomb-clearing mission in Iraq.
The video, titled "Beyond the Front," leads the viewer through a detailed drama in which Norton is hit by relationship troubles, financial problems and scrapes with the law -- what Army research shows are major events that precipitate suicide. Norton is blindsided by an e-mail from his fiancee, who has become pregnant by another man. He is devastated further when one of his best friends is killed in an ambush.
Questions pop onto the screen at key moments, prompting the viewer to decide whether to get help -- by opening up with buddies, Norton's sergeant or a chaplain. Depending on the choices, Norton edges toward recovery or sinks deeper into suicidal thoughts. The goal is to immerse the viewer into Norton's life in a way that makes preventive lessons stick, say Army officials and the video's creators.
The video is one of several initiatives launched by the Army to try to stem the suicide rate among active-duty soldiers. That rate increased from 12.4 per 100,000 in 2003, when the Iraq war started, to 18.1 per 100,000 last year.
This year, 93 active-duty soldiers killed themselves through the end of August, the latest data show. A third of those cases are under investigation by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner's Office. In all of 2007, 115 soldiers committed suicide. Suicide attempts by soldiers have also increased since 2003.
If the trend continues, the death rate this year is likely to exceed that of a demographically similar segment of the U.S. population -- 19.5 per 100,000, Stephens said -- which has not happened since the Vietnam War Alarmed by a record rate of suicide in its ranks, the Army yesterday unveiled a unique prevention tool -- an interactive video to be m... more -
Afghanistan - Lost in translation
When the US 173rd Airborne's Charlie Company try to speak to a Pashtun elder, the gulf is so great even the interpreters have given up interpreting. When the US 173rd Airborne's Charlie Company try to speak to a Pashtun elder, the gulf is so great even the interpreters have giv... more
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Iraqis condemn American demands to maintain 60 military bases indefinitely
High-level negotiations over the future role of the U.S. military in Iraq have turned into an increasingly acrimonious public debate, with Iraqi politicians denouncing what they say are U.S. demands to maintain nearly 60 bases in their country indefinitely.
Top Iraqi officials are calling for a radical reduction of the U.S. military's role here after the U.N. mandate authorizing its presence expires at the end of this year. Encouraged by recent Iraqi military successes, government officials have said that the United States should agree to confine American troops to military bases unless the Iraqis ask for their assistance, with some saying Iraq might be better off without them.
"The Americans are making demands that would lead to the colonization of Iraq," said Sami al-Askari, a senior Shiite politician on parliament's foreign relations committee who is close to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "If we can't reach a fair agreement, many people think we should say, 'Goodbye, U.S. troops. We don't need you here anymore.' "
Failing to reach agreements this year authorizing the future presence of American forces in Iraq would be a strategic setback for the Bush administration, which says that such a presence is essential to promoting stability. Absent the agreements or the extension of the U.N. mandate, U.S. troops would have no legal basis to remain in Iraq. High-level negotiations over the future role of the U.S. military in Iraq have turned into an increasingly acrimonious public debate, ... more -
US generals see hope for troop reductions in Iraq
The American military commanders in Iraq offered a cautiously optimistic picture of the situation there on Thursday, seeing the possibility of troop reductions this fall and no need for the United States to take extra security steps for provincial elections a half-year from now.
“I do believe that there will be certain assets that, as we are already looking at the picture right now, we’ll be able to recommend can be either redeployed or not deployed to the theater in the fall,” Gen. David H. Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
And Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who will soon succeed General Petraeus as commander in Iraq, said he did not foresee a need for extra troops to guard against violence around the time of the Iraqi elections.
But the generals’ favorable predictions were tempered by General Petraeus’s acknowledgment that Iraqi security forces will probably not be able to take the lead role in all provinces of the country this year, as the Pentagon had predicted earlier. He also said that the provincial elections may be held in November rather than October because of the recent violence in Basra. The American military commanders in Iraq offered a cautiously optimistic picture of the situation there on Thursday, seeing the possib... more -
Afghan clash leads to 8 people dead
At least eight policemen were killed Thursday during an operation by U.S.-led coalition troops in central Afghanistan, an Afghan official said.
The officers died in the village of Ghariban in Ghazni province during an operation that included U.S. ground forces and airstrikes, said the deputy head of Ghazni's provincial council, Habeb-ul Rahman. It was unclear whether Afghan troops also took part in the raid.
Two other villagers, including a woman, were killed in the clash, Rahman said. At least eight policemen were killed Thursday during an operation by U.S.-led coalition troops in central Afghanistan, an Afghan offic... more -
Bush May Halt Troop Cutbacks
Bush said on Saturday he is open to slowing, and cutting back on troop withdrawal from Iraq. (Really? Is that really news?) Further, he says that Iraq occupancy will outlast his presidency.
Maybe with the right presidential candidate winning, it won't last too much longer after the rear end of Bush's tenure. Bush said on Saturday he is open to slowing, and cutting back on troop withdrawal from Iraq. (Really? Is that really news?) Further,... more -
Bush makes holiday calls to troops
Bush made Christmas Eve calls to 10 U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world. He called thanking them for their sacrifice and wishing them happy holidays.
Only 10? Bush made Christmas Eve calls to 10 U.S. troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other places around the world. He called thanking them for t... more -
War dog has family for the holidays
Lex attended the funeral of his best friend in March, playing with the 20-year-old Marine's younger brother away from the crowd. He was beside Cpl. Dustin Lee when Lee was killed in a mortar attack in Falluja. Lex attended the funeral of his best friend in March, playing with the 20-year-old Marine's younger brother away from the crowd. ... more
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US Troops on the Radio
Not something brand new, but still fascinating all the same...
Not on radio as we know it, but on Radio-Frequency - It can store important information in a way that is both simple to save and access and can be easily concealed. It already looks like a great help to the Armed Forces, providing up to date information on medical history and treatments as well as personal details .Click the the picture to see how it works... Not something brand new, but still fascinating all the same... ... more -
Army desertion rate highest since 1980
There has been an 80% increase in the desertion rate since Iraq was invaded in 2003 (wow has it been that long).
The total amount of deserters are still far below that of the Vietnam war. The rate of desertion, however, steadily increases, 42% jump since last year.
Desertion is defined as: "someone who has been absent without leave for longer than 30 days."
Really, I don't blame them for leaving, do you? There has been an 80% increase in the desertion rate since Iraq was invaded in 2003 (wow has it been that long). ... more -
Sunni groups mistaken for Al-Qaeda by US troops
The Sunni tribal group Taji Awakening Council have hit out at US troops for killing 45 of their fighters who were allied in helping the American forces in Iraq. The Sunni allies were attacked by a US airstrike in the Taji area after mistaking the armed troops for Al-Qaeda insurgents.
Sunni councillor Mansour Abid Salim had been repeatedly contacting their US colleagues since Tuesday evening to alert them that they were killing his men who had been manning road blocks.
This is just another indictment of the botched War on Terror. The Sunni tribal group Taji Awakening Council have hit out at US troops for killing 45 of their fighters who were allied in helping th... more -
Soldier Survives 9" Knife in Skull
An Iraqi teenager had inched up behind Powers on a Baghdad street and plunged a 9-inch knife deep into his skull, penetrating his brain, and he was not only still alive, but didnt realize what had happened and continued to function as if it were a minor wound. Dont forget to check out the 'more pictures' option. None are really graffic in nature. An Iraqi teenager had inched up behind Powers on a Baghdad street and plunged a 9-inch knife deep into his skull, penetrating his brai... more
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