Military Suicides went Up...so DOD wants to cut mental health providers?

When does the DOD get a clue that what they are doing failed and they have not even thought of why it did? We figured it out back in 2009~

Military Mulls Medical Personnel Cuts Even as Suicide Rates Rise

Military.com
By Gina Harkins
February 11, 2019

The Defense Department is weighing the option of cutting thousands of uniformed medical personnel, including psychologists and other mental-health professionals, even as military leaders grapple with rising suicide rates among troops.

With the National Defense Strategy pushing for a more lethal force, Pentagon leaders are considering slashing as many as 17,000 uniformed medical corps billets across all the services.

The move, which could go into effect in October 2020, would open more slots for troops in combat-arms specialties or other warfighting jobs.

Thousands of those uniformed personnel serve as psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists, counselors and nurses. And, as the number of active-duty troops taking their own lives reaches a six-year high, military advocates say now is not the time to consider cuts to those fields.

"Suicide and mental health are our top priority at [Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America] because of the serious impact these issues are having on our community," said Jeremy Butler, the new chief executive officer for the organization, which represents and advocates for post-9/11 vets. "I am concerned about any cut in resources signaling that DoD is not making these matters as high a priority as we do."
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