Older Recruits Grapple With Army Life

1 in 9 medical discharges attributed to PTSD, related ailments

(NEWSER) - News that the Pentagon is making it easier for soldiers to qualify for disability payments because of post-traumatic stress disorder comes at a good time: The number of cases is rising steadily, reports USA Today . Army stats show that the number of soldiers who left the service solely because of a mental disorder such as PTSD increased 64% from 2005 to 2009. Last year, 1,224 soldiers did so, accounting for 1 in 9 medical discharges. More»

One in six soldiers suffers from a psychological disorder

(NEWSER) - Morale is down and psychological problems rampant among troops in Afghanistan, who face a shortage of mental health professionals to help them deal with the stress of war. Only 5.7% of soldiers described their unit's moral as high or very high, down from 10.2% in 2007 and 10.5% in 2005, according to an assessment released today. More»

Bleak employment, bonuses boost numbers to highest level since draft ended

(NEWSER) - The recession has helped boost the US military to its best recruitment year since the post-Vietnam switch to an all-volunteer force. Recruiters hit or exceeded all their targets for the first time since 1973, surprising even Pentagon officials. In addition to rising unemployment, recruiting was helped by bonuses, a recruiting budget that averages $10,000 per new recruit, and the drop in violence in Iraq, according to military officials. More»

Ashamed private later shot himself in portable toilet

(NEWSER) - Four US Army soldiers in Iraq have been charged with cruelty and maltreatment for hazing a private who later killed himself, MSNBC reports. The NCOs allegedly hazed 19-year-old Keiffer P. Wilhelm with excessive physical exercise while showering him with verbal abuse. Wilhelm, self-conscious about his weight, shot himself in a portable toilet about 2 weeks ago. The soldiers face between 8 and 25 years in prison. More»

(NEWSER) - The Taliban says it will execute a captured American soldier if the US does not withdraw from two districts in southeastern Afghanistan, the Voice of America reports. A Taliban rep said today the soldier is healthy but will be killed if operations in Paktika and Ghazni continue. The fate of the soldier, whom the military has classified as "believed captured," will be decided by Taliban leader Mullah Omar, the AP adds. More»