Relief for Lt. Whiteside?

It appears as though the Army may not prosecute Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside, who, although having severe mental problems, faced court-martial charges.. The hearing officer recommended against any further action against her. His words were "One of the Army values is integrity, which is defined as doing what is right, legally and morally. The moral thing to do is dismiss these charges, to allow 1LT Whiteside to end her military service and receive the benefits that she will desperately need for the remainder of her life."

That's one for the good guys, if the hearing officer's recommendation is accepted by the higher-ups.

Can't they learn?

The Washington Post reports the experiences of Lt. Elizabeth Whiteside, a veteran of Iraq who shot herself while a patient at Walter Reed. All the doctors (including the guy who is now Army Surgeon General) who treated her say she has severe mental problems. Yet, the Army seems to consider this an excuse and is considering a court martial on criminal charges.

Apparently, mental illness is not considered a real illness by the Army. The Army provides housing and other assistance for families who have a member in Walter Reed, provided that member is suffering from a physical injury. If it's a mental illness, forget about any help.

Is this the kind of country we want?

Taking care of our military

Historically, the number of soldiers committing suicide is less when they are at war than when they are at peace. But that seems to be changing. In 2002 350 of our soldiers attempted suicide attempted suicide, in 2007 that number was 2100. Some, including Lt. Whiteside, have tried more than once to end their lives.

And the number who succeed in killing themselves is at the highest level since the Army began keeping track. In 2007 121 did, 20% more than in 2006.

The truly sad part is that the military really has not yet found an effective way to treat these victims of war.