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You are here: Home / Foreign Affairs / Military / Morale Low, But Improving

Morale Low, But Improving

by John Cole|  July 21, 20058:29 am| 29 Comments

This post is in: Military, War on Terror aka GSAVE®

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The big problems appear to be with Guard and Reserve components:

A majority of U.S. soldiers in Iraq say morale is low, according to an Army report that finds psychological stress is weighing particularly heavily on National Guard and Reserve troops.

Still, soldiers’ mental health has improved from the early months of the insurgency, and suicides have declined sharply, the report said. Also, substantially fewer soldiers had to be evacuated from Iraq for mental health problems last year.

The Army sent a team of mental health specialists to Iraq and Kuwait late last summer to assess conditions and measure progress in implementing programs designed to fix mental health problems discovered during a similar survey of troops a year earlier. Its report, dated Jan. 30, 2005, was released Wednesday.

The initial inquiry was triggered in part by an unusual surge in suicides among soldiers in Iraq in July 2003. Wednesday’s report said the number of suicides in Iraq and Kuwait declined from 24 in 2003 to nine last year.

A suicide prevention program was begun for soldiers in Iraq at the recommendation of the 2003 assessment team.

The overall assessment said 13 percent of soldiers in the most recent study screened positive for a mental health problem, compared with 18 percent a year earlier. Symptoms of acute or post-traumatic stress remained the top mental health problem, affecting at least 10 percent of all soldiers checked in the latest survey.

If someone has the time, it might be interesting to try to gain a historical comparison of morale, if such reports are available from past conflicts.

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Reader Interactions

29Comments

  1. 1.

    John S.

    July 21, 2005 at 8:58 am

    The morale should continue to improve as the troops get further away from the memory of what got them in Iraq to begin with:

    But there’s a bigger picture here, and this is what’s fundamental — the case for war against Iraq was based on the threat that Saddam Hussein posed because of his possession of weapons of mass destruction, chemical and biological, and his efforts to reconstitute a nuclear program. In 1991, everybody in the world underestimated how close he was to getting a nuclear weapon. The case for going to war against Saddam is as just today as it was the day the President gave that speech.

    Ari Fleischer

    Nobody likes being used, but by now the troops have to realize that they are useful, and have a long road ahead of them. And just like any good soldier, the prospect of that will carry them forward, so long as they continue to have faith in their cause – regardless of how that cause was billed.

  2. 2.

    Sojourner

    July 21, 2005 at 9:51 am

    The reality is Iraq is on the verge of a civil war and the Bushies are trying to figure out how to get the troops out. How anybody can come away from that mess feeling it was useful is beyond me.

  3. 3.

    TomB

    July 21, 2005 at 11:06 am

    The reality is Iraq is on the verge of a civil war and the Bushies are trying to figure out how to get the troops out. How anybody can come away from that mess feeling it was useful is beyond me.

    Intersting how the men and woment who are actually THERE to know if a “civil war” is imminent are reenlisting in record numbers.

    Yep, looks like a quagmire to me.

  4. 4.

    John S.

    July 21, 2005 at 11:14 am

    Tom-

    You conveniently leave out what the Army attributes the strong re-enlistment figures to in that article:

    Army officials attribute the strong re-enlistment rates to unprecedented cash bonuses

    Your snarky comment seems to imply that you think they are re-enlisting because it is safe to do so. I think the article shows that the soldiers are being bought for a very high price, and faced with returning home to debts and unemployment or staying in a grim – but profitable – situation, it is no surprise the choice many of them (with families counting on them for support) are making.

  5. 5.

    SomeCallMeTim

    July 21, 2005 at 11:36 am

    I thought the government’s claim (which the newspapers’ reports supported) was that morale was and always has been pretty good.

  6. 6.

    TomB

    July 21, 2005 at 1:02 pm

    John, speaking of “conveniently leaving out”, I couldn’t help notice that you didn’t bother to post the whole sentence:

    Army officials attribute the strong re-enlistment rates to unprecedented cash bonuses and a renewed sense of purpose in fighting terrorism.

    Is it a requirement that liberal lie? Or do you just do it automatically?

    In an

  7. 7.

    Sojourner

    July 21, 2005 at 1:14 pm

    Army officials attribute the strong re-enlistment rates to unprecedented cash bonuses and a renewed sense of purpose in fighting terrorism.

    Do you think the “unprecedented” cash bonuses would be necessary if there were a significant “renewed sense of purpose in fighting terrorism”?

    Is it a requirement for Bush supporters to be delusional? Apparently so.

  8. 8.

    TomB

    July 21, 2005 at 1:31 pm

    Do you think the “unprecedented” cash bonuses would be necessary if there were a significant “renewed sense of purpose in fighting terrorism”?

    Yet you conveniently left it out of the quote in the first place.

    Typical.

    What makes you think that service men and women are so sutpid that they would risk their lives for a reenistment bonus? Especially given the pay they receive. Face it, with the economy humming along as it is, it wouldn’t be hard for them to come back to the US and make more money than they already are?

    Is it a requirement for Bush supporters to be delusional? Apparently so.

    Delusional about what? The situation in Iraq? Every firsthand account that I’ve read, NOT from the MSM, says that things are drastically improving in Iraq. But of course, if all you see are reports about the bombings, it’s no wonder you think a civil war is likely.

  9. 9.

    JG

    July 21, 2005 at 1:53 pm

    Typical. Ignore the MSM because you were trained to do so, believe everything that was written by your chosen media and come away with only half the story but feeling well armed enough to attack those who disagree.

    The economy is humming? Tell that to the employees at HP or the other companies facing layoffs. I guess there’s always a shelf stocking position at the new Wal Mart.

  10. 10.

    pmm

    July 21, 2005 at 2:15 pm

    I was deployed to Iraq in 2003, and participated in both the initial invasion as well as the subsequent occupation. The “low morale” story was covered back then–at least in the Stars and Stripes. My personal anecdotal evidence suggests that low morale in 2003 was due in part to the fact that a lot of reserve/NG units had an old, pre-9-11 culture that minimized deployments and risk and emphasized the citizen part of citizen-soldier. In recent years, those soldiers who were unhappy have been able to leave as their contracts expired. As a result, our culture in the reserves/National Guard has changed for the better.
    As an aside, I’ve been in the Reserves for 10 years and have served as my unit’s DARN. For the reserves, bonuses are well and good, and might tip a soldier to signing for 6-years versus 3, but very few soldiers are doing it for that mad money. Most soldiers who decline to reenlist do so for reasons unrelated to the money–for example they want to focus on their families, their civilian careers, their education, or because they don’t want to redeploy or have had enough of the military. I’ve never seen anybody reenlist despite their concerns about family, career, and the army just because of the bonus.

  11. 11.

    Sojourner

    July 21, 2005 at 2:21 pm

    Yet you conveniently left it out of the quote in the first place.

    So?

    Face it, with the economy humming along as it is, it wouldn’t be hard for them to come back to the US and make more money than they already are?

    Huh? You are delusional. Many of these soldiers come from small towns in Ohio and West Virginia that are still struggling. The economy may be great for companies but a lot of people are still struggling.

    I heard on the news that reenlistment bonuses are as high as $100k. That’s a whole lot of incentive. Given how cheap this administration is when it comes to military benefits, there’s a real reason they’re doing it.

  12. 12.

    pmm

    July 21, 2005 at 2:23 pm

    Also, during OIF 1 there was a lot of uncertainty regarding the length of a given deployment–whether it would be 6 months, 9, 12, or more (orders were for a maximum of 2-years). That uncertainty also tended to reduce morale.

  13. 13.

    TomB

    July 21, 2005 at 2:34 pm

    JG:

    Typical. Ignore the MSM because you were trained to do so, believe everything that was written by your chosen media and come away with only half the story but feeling well armed enough to attack those who disagree.

    And listening to the MSM gives you both sides? Heh.

    The economy is humming? Tell that to the employees at HP or the other companies facing layoffs. I guess there’s always a shelf stocking position at the new Wal Mart.

    So, if there is ANY company laying people off, it proves we are in a bad economy? Do you really believe that? Face it, by just about any measurement, this is a good economy.

    Sojourner :

    Huh? You are delusional. Many of these soldiers come from small towns in Ohio and West Virginia that are still struggling. The economy may be great for companies but a lot of people are still struggling.

    Many from Ohio and West Virginia? Huh? How many exactly?

    Do you have to speak in caricatures? To you the servicepeople in Iraq are all semi-literate hicks and hayseeds who can’t find any other job. That post alone demonstrates the typical contempt the left has for the military and shows how out of touch you people really are.

    The dangers of listening to the MSM…..

  14. 14.

    Sojourner

    July 21, 2005 at 3:03 pm

    Do you have to speak in caricatures? To you the servicepeople in Iraq are all semi-literate hicks and hayseeds who can’t find any other job. That post alone demonstrates the typical contempt the left has for the military and shows how out of touch you people really are.

    Funny how the lefties are accused of having contempt for the military while those on the right are anxious to send them off without proper armor so they can get shot up during a war that was based on lies. I sure would hate to have you guys on my side. I’d rather have the lefties working to keep me alive.

    Sure, some of the folks in the military want military careers. The ones I know went into the military to help pay for college. They didn’t come from families with lots of money and they knew they didn’t have much of a future without a college education.

    At no time did I refer to them as semi-literate hicks and hayseeds. And I picked those two states because I happen to live near them and the pictures of the dead soldiers I see tend to be from my state and these neighboring states. So cut the arrogant shit about elitism.

    Exactly why you have a burr up your ass when I point out the obvious isn’t clear to me.

    Asshole.

  15. 15.

    John S.

    July 21, 2005 at 3:13 pm

    Tom-

    You have brought a smile to my face. I am always glad to be reminded that people like you still exist in the world, lest I forget.

    All you know are caricatures…the left is always wrong, the right is always right, the White House and the Pentagon always tell the truth and the MSM is hopelessly liberal.

    What a carefree existence it must be to think like that.

  16. 16.

    pmm

    July 21, 2005 at 4:06 pm

    If most of the patrons of this site didn’t deal in caricatures, 90% of these comments wouldn’t exist.

  17. 17.

    JG

    July 21, 2005 at 4:22 pm

    And listening to the MSM gives you both sides? Heh.

    I never said that the MSM gives you both sides yet you seem to think you’ve one the argument based on that point. Weird.

    I’m detecting a pattern:

    Step 1. Assume you’re talking to a liberal since Rove’s Law states that those who disagree with the ‘word’ are always liberals.

    Step 2. Take the persons point, infer that the exact opposite must also be true then make the person defend your misunderstanding.

  18. 18.

    p.lukasiak

    July 21, 2005 at 4:51 pm

    What makes you think that service men and women are so sutpid that they would risk their lives for a reenistment bonus?

    perhaps the fact that if they don’t re-enlist, they will be subjected to stop-loss orders which force them to serve without the big, fat, bonus check?

  19. 19.

    TomB

    July 21, 2005 at 4:53 pm

    Sojourner:

    Funny how the lefties are accused of having contempt for the military while those on the right are anxious to send them off without proper armor so they can get shot up during a war that was based on lies

    Nice try. One more cliche and you’d have had a record for a single sentence.

    The ones I know went into the military to help pay for college. They didn’t come from families with lots of money and they knew they didn’t have much of a future without a college education.

    Now THAT is a caricature. The poor kid who doesn’t know any better being roped into military service. And now he’s being bribed into needlessly risking his life by the eeeeeevil government. And he’s too stupid or greedy to realize what’s happening.

    At no time did I refer to them as semi-literate hicks and hayseeds.

    You imply it, though. They’re poor. They’re from West Virginia and Ohio. They’re too stupid to know they’re being used. They can’t possibly believe in the mission.

    No, what you are saying is worse.

    So cut the arrogant shit about elitism.

    Why? Hitting a little too close to home?

    Exactly why you have a burr up your ass when I point out the obvious isn’t clear to me

    Because it isn’t obvious. And it is interesting that you completely ignored pmm’s post, which is a point of view from someone who was there, and it complete refutes your points. It is also strange that I don’t see your “obvious” points repeated by most milbloggers. I wonder why?

    John S.:

    You have brought a smile to my face. I am always glad to be reminded that people like you still exist in the world, lest I forget.

    Glad to be of assistance. Anytime I can make the smug and self-righteous even more so, I’ve served humanity.

    All you know are caricatures…the left is always wrong, the right is always right, the White House and the Pentagon always tell the truth and the MSM is hopelessly liberal

    I’d be interested in seeing exactly where I wrote those things. Could you point them out to me?

    What a carefree existence it must be to think like that.

    I guess it would. But since I don’t “think like that”, I couldn’t say for sure.

  20. 20.

    BrianOfAtlanta

    July 21, 2005 at 4:58 pm

    pmm,

    Thanks for the info. It seems the reasons for reuping (or not) are about the same as 15 years ago when I was in.

  21. 21.

    TomB

    July 21, 2005 at 4:58 pm

    pmm, aren’t you glad you have so many people who care enough about the military to tell you how stupid/exploited/miserable you are?

  22. 22.

    TomB

    July 21, 2005 at 5:01 pm

    perhaps the fact that if they don’t re-enlist, they will be subjected to stop-loss orders which force them to serve without the big, fat, bonus check?

    So why even bother with increasing reelistment bonuses if “stop-loss” solves their problem?

  23. 23.

    jg

    July 21, 2005 at 5:39 pm

    So why even bother with increasing reelistment bonuses if “stop-loss” solves their problem?

    Because soldiers reenlisting sounds better than soldiers being caught in stop loss. Are you knew to the politics game?

  24. 24.

    Sojourner

    July 21, 2005 at 5:44 pm

    TomB:

    What the hell is wrong with you?

  25. 25.

    Bob

    July 21, 2005 at 5:46 pm

    After I got out of the service, I worked in a VA hospital for four years, at the end of the Vietnam War. This is what you can expect from returning vets: increased drug abuse, probably heroin recently arrived from Afghanistan, increased alcohol abuse, increased mental illness, to include alienation from loved ones, delusions, violent acts. It’s not natural to spend a few years of your life in a state of constant fear for your life. It’s not natural to kill another human without it affecting you, either creating self-loathing or, worse, a devaluation of human life.

    Low morale fighting an unwinnable war based on lies is a recipe for social problems for years to come.

    Of course, this is not to say that everyone is going to come back as a basket case. Most won’t, but a lot will. I am amazed about how some people survived the most extreme conditions, like Holocaust survivors, and function quite well, while others can’t handle the simplest stress. My point here is that there is a whole range of human reaction to being put in a position of a combat soldier, and when you put a couple hundred thousand of your citizens in this kind of situation, it had better be worth it.

  26. 26.

    Vlad

    July 21, 2005 at 6:07 pm

    When my uncle joined the navy, it was primarily for the college bonus. He was definitely “low-income”, if not really a hick or hayseed.

  27. 27.

    jg

    July 21, 2005 at 6:20 pm

    Maybe the low morale has something to do with them wanting to fight a war that matters. I bet they signed up full of anger at Bin Laden and are now sitting in the Green Zone in Baghdad. Maybe being told by the Commander in Chief that they are in Iraq to drawn terrorist attacks is taking a toll on morale. Imagine sitting in that desert sun wearing all that gear thinking the reason you are there is to be bait.

  28. 28.

    John S.

    July 21, 2005 at 8:24 pm

    Glad to be of assistance. Anytime I can make the smug and self-righteous even more so, I’ve served humanity.

    Hello pot. The kettle will consider itself called black by you.

    [Regarding caricatures] I’d be interested in seeing exactly where I wrote those things. Could you point them out to me?

    Here’s one:

    Is it a requirement that liberal lie?

    And another:

    To you the servicepeople in Iraq are all semi-literate hicks and hayseeds who can’t find any other job.

    And another:

    Aren’t you glad you have so many people who care enough about the military to tell you how stupid/exploited/miserable you are?

    Feel free to keep posting so I can have more examples to cite for you.

  29. 29.

    James H

    March 26, 2006 at 12:06 am

    I am a soldier in the National Guard. I have first hand knolledge of this topic, unlike any of you.
    I joined for the money. The decline of our econamy when this administration took over, left me little choice if I was ever to get to colledge. I know first hand that some have sined up recently to “help there country” Many more are joining for the money, and the free edjucation. The line about enlistments in record numbers is an all out lie. Don’t beleve everything you see in the paper. As far as feeling safe in daployment, IT’S A WAR. There is no safe. Statisticaly this is the least leathal war in history for our side, but anyone going to a war zone, and expecting not to be in danger is just plane stupid.
    All of you are speaking in half truths and some in all out lies. You seem to be takeing one sound bite you hear on the news, or wread in the paper, and running with it as far as you can. If you want to know the truth ask someone that is knows. Ask someone that was there. We’ll be glad to tell you. And please stop being so self righchous about something that doesn’t even effect you. It’s verry annoying.

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