Those familiar with the shortcomings of the U.S. Army’s strategy to address troop mental health were not surprised when Sgt. John M. Russell, 44, opened fire on his fellow soldiers at Camp “Liberty”, in Iraq, before turning the gun on himself last week. CAMMMO linked our members to a report in our February 2009 Newsletter showing that the U.S. Army relied heavily on unlicensed psychologists until 2006 to treat troops wrestling with a host of complicated mental problems from PTSD to suicidal tendencies. But that story fell from the national headlines as quickly as so many before, as most Americans showed that supporting the troops really means nothing beyond a magnetic ribbon on the bumper of their car. Will the deaths of 5 more service members inside a plywood walled treatment center in Iraq have a more lasting impact on our blindly patriotic country or just prove to be another ripple between headlines of more death and soldier abandonment? Help us make it stick by supporting www.CAMMMO.org

Another very real betrayal, of those who have chosen to serve, received heightened media coverage on May 9th; as Iraq War veterans rallied outside the gates of Fort Lewis near Seattle, WA, to protest the ongoing Stop Loss Policy that keeps troops in harm’s way long after their ETS (End of Term of Service). The Pentagon has used the Stop Loss Policy to prevent a drop in troop levels during unpopular military campaigns as a sort of back door draft, forcing those who have already fulfilled their commitment to continue service. The veterans gathering at Fort Lewis protested the deployment of 3 infantry brigades back to Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom should be finished with their time at war. Help us help these soldiers fight back against the Pentagon at www.CAMMMO.org

When Specialist Alyssa Peterson, a 27 year old Flagstaff, AZ native died in Iraq, the U.S. military listed the cause of death as a “non-hostile weapons discharge”. At the time, most Americans did not know that this was military code for self inflicted gunshot wound, or suicide. Peterson’s colleagues have since testified that “The reactions to the suicide were that she was having a difficult time separating her personal feelings from her professional duties. That was the consistent point in the testimonies, that she objected to the interrogation techniques, without describing what those techniques were.” We now know those techniques were and are torture. And our failure to prevent our government from forcing our soldiers to carry out such heinous acts, in a very real way caused the death of this true hero. Help us reverse the trends by inviting your friends to join www.CAMMMO.org