McPhearson Report

The horror of war is felt on and of the battlefield. Sometimes through people you do not know. 

While researching the Department Of Defense ordered nationwide halt to military recruitment, I found a Houston Chronicle article describing the suicide of SGT Nils Aron Andersson. He was the last of 4 Army Recruiters in the same Recruitment Battalion to commit suicide in a three year period. Andersson was a 2 tour Iraq veteran. On March 5, 2007, after around 3 months of dating he married Cassy Walton. The next day March 6, 2007 he killed himself with a gunshot to his temple. Cassy found his body and tried to give him CPR. Diagnosed as having a bipolar disorder; Cassy killed herself the next day March 7, 2007.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5788103.html

The story is as sad as they come. Unfortunately the events that led to this tragedy are not uncommon in the lives of far too many military families. I want to mention 3 items from his story.

First: Andersson’s father describing fears and moments of dread thinking about the safety of his son in Iraq. I know it well. Now he faces his son’s death here at home. His words; “Because the only thing I’m sure of in this world is the father’s supposed to die before the children.” are true for all parents. It is one of my few fears. 

Second: The Officers and Senior NCOs in his Battalion sucked. No, much stronger words are needed. They are FUCKED UP!!! 

From article:
If recruiters failed to sign up enough prospects, their commanders told them they were failures, Rodriguez said. “They tell you, ‘That’s why your buddy in Iraq doesn’t have a full battalion, because you’re letting him down,’ “he said.

The stress took its toll. Back in Iraq, Rodriguez had nightmares about his time recruiting in Houston.

“The pressure recruiting puts on you wears you down so badly,” he said. “We often said that we’d rather be in Iraq than recruiting. It’s true.”

Having nightmares while in Iraq about recruiting in Houston is fucked up. Of course a Command like that does not care about troops. Thus, even though Andersson’s superiors were notified of his PTSD, he was not properly monitored nor Command motivated to continue with treatment. 

FYI: The Army Times article I reference below reports that the investigating office has recommended disciplinary action against Battalion and Brigade level leaders. What kind of action is yet to be seen. I think at least the punishment for manslaughter is in order.

Third: this happened nearly 2 years ago and the DOD is just now taking this stand down action.

Army Times

Army Secretary Pete Geren has ordered a stand-down of the Army’s entire recruiting force and a review of almost every aspect of the job is underway in the wake of a wide-ranging investigation of four suicides in the Houston Recruiting Battalion.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/01/army_recruiting_suicides_012709

Notice it says wake of a wide ranging investigation and not in the wake of the four suicides. Is it a coincidence that the stand down comes at the same time the Army is scrambling to deal with an epidemic of 24 suicides in the month of January? Now they are trying to cover their ass all over the place. I am really hurt right now and mad.

They had to see this coming.

From NBC’s Courtney Kube
Just one week after the Army announced that more U.S. soldiers killed themselves in 2008 than in any other year on record, the U.S. Army announced today that they had 24 possible suicides during the month of January

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/02/05/1782403.aspx

NYTimes
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ

Published: January 29, 2009
Suicides among soldiers in 2008 rose for the fourth year in a row, reaching the highest level in nearly three decades, Army officials said Thursday

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/30/us/30suicide.html

Army Suicides in January Outnumbered Combat Deaths

By Bruce E. Levine, AlterNet. Posted February 11, 2009.

The U.S. Army recently reported that for the month of January in 2009, the number of soldiers who committed suicide surpassed the number of soldiers who were killed in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. While there were 16 U.S. combat deaths, the Army believes that there were 24 suicides (the Army has confirmed seven suicides, and it believes that investigators will confirm an additional 17 other deaths as suicides). The number of suicides in January 2009 is more than five times as many as the total in January 2008.
http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/126114/army_suicides_in_january_outnumbered_combat_deaths

And what about Cassy? It was known that she was bipolar and suicidal. She should not have been left alone for a prolonged length of time. She easily bough the hand gun she used to take her life. Does anyone care for anyone?

So much pain.

President Obama called on long time White House correspondent Helen Thomas saying to laughter, “All right, Helen. This is my inaugural moment here. I’m really excited.”

Little did he know that the veteran newswoman was about to hit him with the hardest question of the night.

“Mr. President, do you think that Pakistan are maintaining the safe havens in Afghanistan for these so-called terrorists? And also, do you know of any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weapons?”

I jumped out of my seat, ‘Damn, let’s see how he answers this question!”

Answer Question 1. (easy)

“Well, I think that Pakistan — there is no doubt that in the FATA region of Pakistan, in the mountainous regions along the border of Afghanistan, that there are safe havens where terrorists are operating. And one of the goals of Ambassador Holbrooke, as he is traveling throughout the region, is to deliver a message to Pakistan that they are endangered as much as we are by the continuation of those operations. And that we’ve got to work in a regional fashion to root out those safe havens. It’s not acceptable for Pakistan or for us to have folks who, with impunity, will kill innocent men, women and children. I believe that the new government of Pakistan and Mr. Zardari cares deeply about getting control of this situation. We want to be effective partners with them on that issue.”

Inaudible question

“Well, Mr. Holbrooke is there, and that’s exactly why he is being sent there, because I think that we have to make sure that Pakistan is a stalwart ally with us in battling this terrorist threat.”

Answer to questions 2. (hard)

With respect to nuclear weapons, you know, I don’t want to speculate. What I know is this: that if we see a nuclear arms race in a region as volatile as the Middle East, everybody will be in danger. And one of my goals is to prevent nuclear proliferation generally. I think that it’s important for the United States, in concert with Russia, to lead the way on this. And, you know, I’ve mentioned this in conversations with the Russian President, Mr. Medvedev, to let him know that it is important for us to restart the conversations about how we can start reducing our nuclear arsenals in an effective way so that — so that we then have the standing to go to other countries and start stitching back together the nonproliferation treaties that, frankly, have been weakened over the last several years.

“Why do we have to speculate –”

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, all right.

“on who (inaudible)?”

He then moves on to the next question.

I think he did the best he could do with that question and perhaps gave us some insight into his think on the point of Ms. Thomas question. I am sure most people totally missed this question. The little news coverage I’ve heard or seen did not comment on it.

So who does have nuclear weapons in the Middle East? Some people may say Pakistan and India, but that would not be correct because they are not in the region traditionally called the Middle East. And more to the point, it is widely known that both of those countries have nuclear weapons. Ms. Thomas was asking a real political question not a trivia question.

Caren Bohan of Reuters earlier asked a question about Iran. In his response the President reprimanded Iran for, “their development of a nuclear weapon, or their pursuit of a nuclear weapon…” Notice that the President distinguished between development and pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Ms. Thomas question was pointed directly at Israel. President Obama did not want to and did not answer the question. Unfortunately for him the little he did say confirms that the U.S. either does not know if Israel has nukes and has decided not to do something about it or our government has confirmed they have nukes and has decided to do nothing about it. To raise this point Ms. Thomas attempted to ask why do he need to speculate? Either there is a country with nukes in the Middle East or there is not. If you are not sure shouldn’t we be talking why you are not sure and what countries might have them? Iran has already been ruled out. So tell me again where is the speculation?

Why is this important? The U.S. claims that our biggest problem with Iran among others is their pursuit of nukes. It is widely know that Israel might have nukes. Their official policy is one of nuclear ambiguity also known as nuclear opacity. They have neither confirmed nor denied their possession of the weapons. Why should Iranians take serious the prospect that it is OK for Israel to have nukes or be ambiguous about it and not OK for Iran to have nukes? Or whatever kind of nuclear program they want to have perhaps short of nukes? These are real question and impinge on other aspects of credibility when dealing with nations in the region who are in conflict with Israel. Nuclear opacity turns out to be the game Saddam Hussein was playing and was invaded by the U.S. as an result. We seem ready to invade or pressure all nations who play that game but Israel. Not a good place to start when calling for strengthening the Nuclear Proliferation  Treaty. Notice that Obama’s answer spoke directly to the treaty and his intention to gain more credibility by working with Russia to diminish the U.S. ad Russia stockpiles. It may also give him more room to approach Israel behind the scences and as well as Iran.

I think Obama was caught off guard a bit by the question. I speculate that it was the first time as President he found that if he tried to answer a question directly he would need to lie and he was not prepared to do that. All Presidents lie. It comes with the job. He will have to get use to it.

Press conference transcript.
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/02/obamas_first_white_house_press.html