Maybe Americans don't want to enlist for back to back deployments to strange and exotic places, where they are nothing more then moving targets!

Maybe Americans aren't enlisting because they've seen how veterans are constantly used as pawns and not provided for!


Maybe the army is in the process of recruiting cannon fodder...so Bone Spur Donnie can have his glorious war with North Korea!


These are other reasons that may be the cause of this necessity, not just being overweight and undereducated!!!

The world doesn't need or WANT us to be the police anymore.

Since we have a mentally deficient "leader" in the WH, why not??

stress and lack of sleep are tremendous triggers for me. I can't think the military is the kind of calm, gentle, supportive environment where I best thrive.

You're very brave to share that. All the Best always!

I hear you clearly.

the army must be terribly desperate if it now wants to lift the last ban:
"The Army issued the ban on waivers in 2009 amid an epidemic of suicides among troops."

so..again...no learning curve.

I can see their problem, tho, because the military essentially has happily chewed up the very large pool of baby boomers.
( including my family members)
Boomers who did not produce as many kids as their parents did, partly due to Birth control being available.

and, for same reason, Bush had to force National guard into battle.

If they dumped everyone who had some sort of mental issue, there wouldn't be anyone left.

Certainly no one worth a shit...

I've known a few guys who were straight nuts on a day to day basis but when it came to a firefight they were just glorious.

“Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn't even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.”

Every "one" I've ever known was crazy on some level.

To me I think all of his supporters have some degree of mental illness for falling for his bull$hit. Why not send them to fight those wars twitler is going to start.

Or immediately put on duty at the Parallel.

What could go wrong!

who had been a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam war, said once that combat was the worst experience a human being could have. It explains a lot. Both in terms of people's deaths during, but also in terms of people's lives afterwards.

We give more leeway to soldiers in civilian situations, that I don't see how this is going to end well.

My parents had divorced the year before, and I was acting out in outbursts of anger. (I wonder why?)

I was required to undergo an independent mental health evaluation by a psychiatrist of the Army's choosing.

He okayed me, and I signed up.

A mental health condition doesn't automatically mean one is going to become a Federal building bomber...

I have a bipolar diagnosis. I come from a Military family on my Father's side, and would have gone Army Airborne/AROTC in College but for the diagnosis.

I do not appreciate mad people being called "one of the mentals". Would you say that a Person of Color is "one of the blacks", or an LGBT person is "one of the gays"?

Anyway, that said, I once had a hospitalization early during the start of the Iraq War, and I met a kid who was in the hospital for depression. Turns out he was in Special Forces, could take apart a rifle blindfolded and reassemble it. His Recruiting Officer showed up in the Hospital to help get him out and back in service.

So, as society gets to understand mental health better, do not be surprised if the Army starts recruiting more and offering waivers to some who have had psychological issues. The Army definitely wanted the Special Forces guy back despite his bout with depression. People who have experienced mental health challenges are human too, and if they want to serve, and are able, then they should have the opportunity. I am in favor of a waiver program.

That's why the suicide rate went up for soldiers who signed on after 2006. I have knowledge--first hand knowledge-- of several soldiers who had bbeen for mental health and substance inpatient treatment before enlisting.

Yes, there are Steven Greens who got a waiver but should've never been let it, but WTF is this "mentals" shit?

Screen everyone better, let them in with waivers like they used to. This is not a new thing, but restarting the program with better information overall. To deny because of a childhood cutting incident, or treated alcoholism, or prior depression is wrong. Look at the past, reasons for the history, how they've been treated, who they are now.

But please stop the "mentals" crap. It is seriously offensive to a lot of people.

Solidarity on this. People need to learn more about Civil Rights for Mad Folks. A long hidden minority, we are your Family, your Friends, your Co-workers. We are Human Beings like anyone else.

as i recall in Vietnam soldiers had one deployment, or possibly 2. now they send them 10, 12 times. they ruin them, then they spit them out. now they must be running out of recruits and will take already fragile humans and destroy them, probably even faster. and there will be victims beyond the soldiers themselves, without a doubt.

our country is not sane. it's sick. our society is sick.

30 yrs ago a parent died while I was going through a nasty divorce and I took SSRI for depression. I am not "fragile". Neither are people I know who've gone successfully through rehab. Or cut themselves as teenagers.

To write us all off as "mentals" is insulting, "fragile" is patronizing.

Yes, there are some who should never be in the military, but beware of broadbrushing the many who have had a mental health issue ever.

(hadn't noticed that word in the OP, bad on me). I do not mean anyone with an episode of depression or what have you. My thoughts have to do with people dealing with serious or severe mental illness every day, and most particularly untreated illness.

Depression is a manageable condition and they've probably got tends and thousands of hidden depressives in the ranks as it is.

The OTHER condition, especially cutting and bipolar disorder, are a lot MORE problematic.

and it struck me that there was an issue with the fact that a soldier is generally issued some sort of knife as part of her, their, or his gear.

But this may simply mean I need to be educated...are you saying that a propensity for self-mutilation should not be a concern?

Cutting was a way to not be numb but to feel again. Now all of the 3 I know of for sure are in healthcare.

None went on to suicide attempts or harming others in any way.

n/t.

It took hard listening to them to understand.

Try recruiting Young College Republicans - plenty of patriots there.
.

Soon, Trump lets Texas church killer reenlist.

for assaults his wife and child severely.

And I say this as a sufferer of OCD.

I am also bipolar. If they had let me stay in the army, it would not have been good.