R.I.P. Specialist Doug Barber

"It is with great sadness that IVAW announces the death of one of our own. Specialist Doug Barber, a member of IVAW, recently took his own life after returning from Iraq. A main contributor to his death was the PTSD he dealth with; the same PTSD that originated from the time Doug spent in the war in Iraq. Another contributing factor was the failure of the VA to provide adequate mental care services to heal the wounds of war."

"This is not the first time that a soldier has taken his life after returning from the battlefield. Even today, the list of the tens of thousands of Vietnam Veterans who have committed suicide continues to grow. Aiding Iraq Veterans continues to be one of the main goals of IVAW. With your continued support, we will keep up the fight to make sure that returning vets receive the benefits and help they need and deserve."

This is from the website of Iraq Veterans Against the War, that morns a fallen member. He ended his own life earlier this month, as a direct result of fighting in Iraq. His name has been mentioned on numorous other blogs, and now mine. I present it as a slap in the face for the President whose lies and deceit sent him to fight in a war the President knew from the start, never had anything to do with "terrorists", or in any way endangered our "freedoms". The President who has cut, and will probably cut even more funds for veteran care, should be ashamed, but he's not.

I strongly recommend following the links at the bottom of that page, especially "Iraq took away our innocence", which was an interview Doug gave. In it he gave details about his service in Iraq, that you don't hear reported, or acknowledged by our leaders. He tells a story that active duty personnel and commanders are not allowed to speak.

There's also another page at the IVAW site I'd like you to read. It describes Dougs' death, as best as could be determind by the author at the time. That one is titled "Returning Home Alive", and this is how it begins......

"On January 16th, after having talked quite normally on the phone with at least two other people that same day, Douglas Barber, a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) living in Lee County, Alabama, changed the answer-message on his telephone. "If you're looking for Doug," it said in his Alabama drawl, "I'm checking out of this world. I'll see you on the other side." He then called the police, collected his shotgun, and went out onto his porch to meet them."

"From the sketchy reports we have now, it seems the police wouldn't oblige him with a "suicide by cop" and tried to talk him down. When it became apparent he wasn't able to commit cop-suicide, 27-year-old Douglas Barber did an about-face, rotated the shotgun and killed himself. There is a hell of a lot that we just don't know about how this happened. I talked to Doug on the phone earlier this month, and he described how excited he was to have joined IVAW, how he looked forward to taking up the pen and speaking out. Others had spoken with him only days and hours before he permanently quieted the chaos in his head. None of the "classic" signs of suicidal thinking were manifest. He was gregarious and upbeat, playful."

His death, after returning from Iraq, is but one of many that need not have happened had the problems they've experienced, been properly addressed. Like many veterans, he learned the hard way that the government that instills a high degree of patriotism and love of country, to get them to serve and possibly die for their country, cares nothing for them once they leave the battlefield. This happens with every single war we have. We spend billions in arms to fight, but spend next to nothing when it comes to rewarding them with whatever treatment they require, should they not return "whole". We hear so much about "Support The Troops", but the only ones doing the supporting are the citizens they're fighting for. The leaders who send them, don't give a damn.

In case you missed it, I suggest reading the article I bogged in this earlier post, which also lists a few other blogged articles at the bottom, that point out how negligent our government is with "Supporting The Troops" :
Walking Wounded
This one too:
Government appeal delays back pay for reservists
This one's unbelievable:
Amputees have star roles in war games
This is shameful:
Letter From a Military Mom

And then there's this......

Army Forces 50,000 Soldiers Into Extended Duty

"The U.S. Army has forced about 50,000 soldiers to continue serving after their voluntary stints ended under a policy called "stop-loss," but while some dispute its fairness, court challenges have fallen flat."

"The policy applies to soldiers in units due to deploy for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Army said stop-loss is vital to maintain units that are cohesive and ready to fight. But some experts said it shows how badly the Army is stretched and could further complicate efforts to attract new recruits."

"As the war in Iraq drags on, the Army is accumulating a collection of problems that cumulatively could call into question the viability of an all-volunteer force," said defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute think tank."

Hard to believe he still thinks we can take on Iran, Syria, and who knows who else.

He's destroying our economy, destroying our Democracy, destroying our standing in the world, and destroying our military, and still, so many people believe in him.