Fort Bliss sending wrong message on "mental toughness" training

If they had to come up with a program to help them "learn to be mentally tough" then they are telling PTSD veterans they were weak. When will they understand this is a huge part of the problem?

It is not just the Army. A couple of years ago, I held a young Marine in my arms, in public at the VA because he was crying. Why was he crying? Because he had PTSD topped off with the message he got from the Marines that he was supposed to be "tough" making him believe it was all his fault. He apologized for crying because Marines are not supposed to cry. I asked him if anyone told him he was not supposed to still be human.

These so called "programs" may have a lot of good points and intentions but the numbers show they are not working. The military has yet to understand what causes PTSD in the first place so they keep messing up on helping these soldiers recover when PTSD is mild. Telling them they can get "mentally tough" is killing them. They already were or they couldn't have endured their deployments or combat. Common sense has been forgotten about and the human factor has been removed.

Soldiers Learn To Be "Mentally Tough"
Comprehensive Soldier Training Program On Fort Bliss

U.S. Govt. Helping Soldiers
Posted: 4:06 pm MDT July 10, 2011
Updated: 9:25 pm MDT July 10, 2011

EL PASO, Texas -- Local soldiers are learning how to be "mentally tough" through a comprehensive soldier training program on Fort Bliss.

Sgt. First Class David Parish of Fort Bliss said soldiers learn how to be more optimistic, how to be more self aware, how to build mental toughness.

This comes just two years after a Fort Bliss soldier, possibly suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, shot an 18-year-old Chapin High School senior to death.

Throughout his terms in office, President Barack Obama has vowed to raise awareness regarding soldiers and mental health issues.

According to an Army report last year, annual suicide rates in the Marine Corps and the Army -- the two branches most involved in combat operations in Iraq and Afganistan -- increased steadily between 2004 and 2009, to more than 20 per 100,000 people. During that time the rate for those two branches surpassed the age-adjusted, national civilian average, whereas suicide rates for the Air Force and Navy stayed below the national average.
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Comprehensive Soldier Training Program On Fort Bliss

How tough do you have to be to be able to still do your duty in combat, enduring all of it, pushing past the emotional pain until the rest of your unit is out of danger? How tough do you have to be to worry more about your brothers than yourself? This is what they do everyday. Then the military comes along and tells them if they are hurting they can train to become mentally tough. Are they out of their minds? When will they see they do more harm than good?