Military Suicide Conversation Between Dick and Frank

UPDATE

Plan for Military Oath Against Suicide Could Backfire, Experts Say

Love saying I told you so, but hate the results when people with the power to change the outcome didn't do anything about it.

Military Suicide Conversation Between Dick and Frank

Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
July 25, 2017



Oath of Exit has to be one of the stupidest things I've heard in a long time, and trust me, I've heard a lot of them. The thing that keeps getting missed is that it isn't as if any of this is new. After all, warnings came out back in 2009, but some just wouldn't think of the reasons behind it.

JUL 14 2017 Mast’s Bill to Combat Veteran Suicide Passes House
Oath of Exit Included in National Defense Authorization Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Brian Mast’s (FL-18) “Oath of Exit” passed the U.S. House of Representatives today as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill creates a voluntary separation oath for members of the Armed Forces aimed at reducing veteran suicide. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, an average of 20 veterans commit suicide every day and a veteran’s risk of suicide is 21% higher compared to an adult who has not served in the Armed Forces.
“The idea for this bill came from friends of mine who have struggled with suicidal thoughts since leaving the military and great organizations like Spartan Pledge that are working to fight the veteran suicide epidemic. Throughout our lives, the most important commitments we make are spoken—whether its an oath upon joining the military, vows at a wedding or saying the pledge of allegiance,” Rep. Mast said. “Integrity is more than just a word to service members, so I know if we say we’ll look out for each other and ourselves, we’ll do it. This Oath of Exit is a strong step forward in doing anything and everything we can to prevent even one more veteran from harming themselves.”
The text of the Oath is below:
“I, ________, recognizing that my oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, has involved me and my fellow members in experiences that few persons, other than our peers, can understand, do solemnly swear (or affirm) to continue to be the keeper of my brothers- and sisters-in-arms and protector of the United States and the Constitution; to preserve the values I have learned; to maintain my body and my mind; and to not bring harm to myself without speaking to my fellow veterans first. I take this oath freely and without purpose of evasion, so help me God.”

How about Officers and Politicians take a new oath of obligation? You know, the one they take when they become officers and politicians and promise to care for all they are put in charge of. Oh wait, that's right, they really don't have one. 

Maybe they think they have that covered by the assumption they would live up to the other stuff that comes with their jobs?

Here is the type of conversation that is being played out all across the country. It is between leaders having enough thought for their troops to actually want to do something that will save lives, and those willing to do the same thing or pull stunts like doing pushups. 

DICK

Well, pushups are attention getters and the videos are shared all over the internet.

FRANK 

But we use pushups for exercise and punishment. How is that supposed to help keep them alive?

DICK

It lets them know they are committing suicide. 

FRANK

They already know that. They already know how to die but they don't know how to find hope to stay alive long enough to heal.

DICK

Well if they don't know that now after over a decade of training them to stop killing themselves, it isn't our fault they still do it. Plus most of the troops killing themselves never deployed.

FRANK

Over a decade of training but not good enough to prevent non-deployed from killing themselves but we push it and then expect it to work on troops deployed 4, 5, 6, 7 or more times?

DICK

Well the numbers have been holding steady, so I'm good with that.

FRANK

But did we spend billions to hold the numbers steady, especially when the number of enlisted went down? Why bother if this is acceptable?

DICK

It isn't our fault if they don't get the message. Besides, more of them are committing suicide after they leave the military too. Is that supposed to be our fault too?

FRANK

So you really expect that 10 days of training for something that was never even proven to work was worthy of you putting the lives of your troops in their hands?

DICK

Well it was good enough all this time. 

What is CSF? WHAT IS COMPREHENSIVE SOLDIER FITNESS? The program, based on 30-plus years of scientific study and results, uses individual assessments, tailored virtual training, classroom training and embedded resilience experts to provide the critical skills our Soldiers, Family members and Army Civilians need. 

FRANK 

Good enough for who? It sure wasn't the ones we let down. But, what about this from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine?
"Since the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. military has implemented several population-based initiatives to enhance psychological resilience and prevent psychological morbidity in troops. The largest of these initiatives is the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) program, which has been disseminated to more than 1 million soldiers. However, to date, CSF has not been independently and objectively reviewed, and the degree to which it successfully promotes adaptive outcomes and prevents the development of deployment-related mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is uncertain. This paper critically evaluates the theoretic foundation for and evidence supporting the use of CSF."

DICK

Hey, that's above my pay grade. If they don't train right, it isn't my fault.

FRANK

Then who will stand up and take responsibility for the lives we lost with all we said we did for them instead of what we actually did to them?

So isn't it time you stopped being a Dick and started to be more like, well, Frank?