Sunday, April 06, 2008

NYT continues to ignore Col Charles Hoge's testimony

The New York Times files no article from Iraq and in the news section. Thom Shanker does file from DC, "Army Is Worried By Rising Stress Of Returns Tours." The thrust is that multiple miltary deployments is leading to increased problems ("anxiety, depression or actue stress"). Shanker notes that Gen David Petraeus. From the article:

The Army study of mental health showed that 27 percent of noncomissioned officers -- a critically important group -- on their third or fourth tour exhibited symptoms commonly referred to as post-traumatic stress disorders. That figure is far higher than the roughly 12 percent who exhibit those symptoms after one tour and the 18.5 percent who develop the disorders after a second deployment, according to the study, which was conducted by the Army surgeon general's Mental Health Advisory Team.

Well into the article, seventh paragraph, Shanker writes:

"Our readiness is being consumed as fast as we build it," Gen. Richard A. Cody, the Army vice chief of staff, said in start comments delivered to Congress last week. "Lengthy and repeated deployments with insufficient recovery time have placed incredible stress on our soldiers and our families, testing the resolve of our all-volunteer force like never before."

While it's nice that the paper of record can finally note that, it's a shame that US Army Director, Divisions of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research's Col Charles W. Hoge's statement in the Tuesday hearing, it's a real shame they can't get honest about what was said, especially considering the scope of today's story:

"One of the issues with multiple deployments and the dwell time for soldiers when they've come back, we've learned from the research that we've done, [is] that 12 months is not enough time for soldiers to reset and go back for another deployment."

That's important news and pertinent to the article Shanker's writing so it should have been included.

New content at The Third Estate Sunday Review:

Truest statement of the week
Truest statement of the week II
A note to our readers
Editorial: Iraq, beware the snow job
TV: Pulled Punches
Randi Rhodes & other Hitler Youth for Bambi
Ralph Nader tells the truth on 'independent' media...
Pockmarks of the Soul
The McKinny and Nader campaigns for president
Don't Put It On Your Resume
CODEPINK?
Highlights

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