How Can We Prevent Another Ft. Hood?
Shock was felt all over the nation after the news of a tragic mass shooting in Ft. Hood, Texas earlier this week by a troubled soldier hit the news.
One important aspect of this horrible loss of innocent lives and injuries to others re- emphasizes the need for America to care for its Veterans and Soldiers.
Many of our Veterans and Soldiers who have served or are currently serving in the Military in a time of war, deployment to a foreign country to defend us here at home suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other mental ailments after returning home.
Why is this happening? The stress level for Soldiers in a war situation is very stressful, uncertain and dangerous.
Imagine trying to sleep with one eye open, trying to listen for anything unusual. Would you be able to sleep? With a loss of sleep on a regular basis your body begins to suffer, to wear down, making you more susceptible to illnesses, even delusional thinking can happen after a significant amount of sleep has been lost.
Imagine walking through a field with every step you take being a potential minefield, an explosion that could kill you or disable you for life.
Imagine seeing people killed, blown up, stabbed, etc. Imagine spending days in a hot dessert.
Hard to do isn’t it? That is unless you have actually done it which most of us have not.
What went wrong on the way to the Ft. Hood incident? At this point we can only speculate.
PSTD could have played a part in this incident or at least have had an effect on the soldier’s state of mind.
As Americans who are fortunate to have a military who will serve and fight for our country, we need to offer our gratitude and our support to those who have served.
We need to make sure to pay attention to those who have served and to help them as they return to life in the United States. We need to thank them more than just once but we need to often remind them of how we appreciate them.
Statistics indicate that there is a high suicide rate among soldiers returning from war. One report indicates that 1 active soldier a day and 22 non active soldiers a day will commit suicide.
More soldiers took their own lives than actually died in combat in 2012.
Our brave men and women who have served in the wars need to have access to free mental health care.
There is no shame in suffering depression, PSTD, etc. This is not a sign of weakness, rather usually is a result of exposure to trauma often repeatedly.
Let each of us pay attention to those we know who may be suffering. Lend a listening ear and encourage them to seek help if you can.
ABT wants to take this opportunity to thank our soldiers for serving our country. Thank you for the risks you took, the interruption in your personal life, the sacrifice you families made while you served, the inconveniences you suffered. THANK YOU.
ABT supports our soldiers.
