Contrary to popular perception, there is no "epidemic" of military-related suicides -- even though

11C1P said:

Luckily when I was in the operations resulted in fairly low in KIA's like Just Cause, Desert Shield/Storm, Restore Hope, Gothic Serpent, others. There was no one I knew real well that got killed in them, a few I was acquainted with, but not close, but some of my closer friends in my platoon lost friends they were close to from their previous units. I actually was closer to more people who died from car/motorcycle accidents, training accidents, murder and suicide than combat. Dying in battle isn't any better than the others, you're still dead. Of course we glorify and celebrate those that are KIA, not saying that's wrong either, just saying that a lot of people die while serving and not all happen to be engaged in battle, or in a recognized theater when it happens. I tend to not talk a lot about stuff like this but when someone says that 22 suicides a day is ok, and that we should start a war so that the KIA #'s are higher than the suicides is disgusting , and I just can't bite my tongue. Many of those suicides are still battlefield casualties, and the numbers are too high. I am reminded of this quote right now.

"A 'Veteran,' whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve is 'someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America,' for an amount of 'up to and including his life.' That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today who no longer understand that fact."

Sometimes coming back alive from somewhere is one of the hardest things to deal with for many soldiers. Once the battles are over some of the hardest fighting start in the head, but make no mistake they can and do take a physical toll. Barry might be using soldiers as props for an agenda, but that doesn't the props should be disregarded. No troops should be sent into harms way to balance some numbers. The U.S. should only engage in combat when it involves the security and safety of her citizens, soil, & likewise her close allies.

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