Is Fort Carson more dangerous for troops than Iraq?

When non-combat deaths exceeded combat deaths in theater, people finally discovered we have a problem. What they should have known before this is stunning. The fact is, non-combat deaths far exceeded combat deaths a long time ago, but they were easy to hide. Why? Because the deaths came when they were back on our soil, back at their bases and back at their homes. These deaths were no less associated with combat than the deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan because they were directly related to being deployed into both theaters.



Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Fort Carson:"I am under a lot of pressure to not diagnose PTSD"

The report from Salon on the fact that Sgt. "X" went to see psychologist Douglas McNinch and taped what he had to say about misdiagnosing his PTSD, all the reports about Maj. Gen. Mark Graham and Fort Carson began to blend together. While Sgt. X taped his session last year, it made me wonder about the recent report of Graham taking it "personally" which came out only a few days before this report from Salon.
Was this released a week before the Salon report on purpose? I wouldn't doubt it.

Monday, March 30, 2009

A General's Personal Battle

This report on how Graham has taken it personally, came out just two days after this.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Authorities fear war experience could make standoffs more numerous, dangerous
Authorities fear war experience could make standoffs more numerous, dangerous
March 28, 2009 - 12:00 PM
CARLYN RAY MITCHELLTHE GAZETTE
Army Spc. Larry Applegate was firing rifles inside his Widefield home for nearly an hour before he turned a gun on himself, gasping his last breath into the phone, an El Paso County Sheriff's deputy on the other end.Nearly certain Applegate, 27, had killed himself as he had threatened, the deputies surrounding his house that January day waited for any movement inside. There was only stillness.

But this was not the first report on situations like this. Salon, yet again, had done a great job reporting on what is really going on. This came from Salon.com.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Coming home: The conclusion
...............Over the past week, Salon has published a dozen stories and sidebars about the healthcare problems at just one Army post among the many Army installations worldwide, Fort Carson, Colo. Salon dug up 25 cases of suicide, prescription drug overdoses or murder involving Fort Carson-based soldiers since 2004. In-depth study of 10 of those cases exposed a string of preventable deaths. In most cases, deaths seemed avoidable if the Army better identified and then appropriately treated soldiers' combat stress or brain injuries from explosions. In others, the Army, under pressure to deploy more troops in Iraq, brought into the ranks mentally damaged soldiers and then sent them to war. After combat had exacerbated their preexisting problems, the Army set them loose on the streets with deadly consequences.

You can go here to read more posts on Fort Carson
http://woundedtimes.blogspot.com/search?q=fort+carson

Is all the talk about the military and the VA taking PTSD and suicides really about a serious effort or is it more about covering up what they are really going thru? I can only piece together what is being reported, what is being said but more, what the results are. The results of this kind of "leadership" makes coming home more dangerous for the troops than being deployed into Iraq and Afghanistan. It's easy for them to hide this type of non-combat death because no one is keeping track. Is this a matter of them getting away with it or is it a matter of they just don't give a damn? Is anyone in congress holding hearings on what is going on at Fort Carson or any other base? Are any higher ranking generals doing anything about finding out what is really behind all of these reports coming out about Fort Carson? Not that it's a problem with just Fort Carson, but it seems to have the most troubling reports.