As Congress struggles to understand the shocking report of a massive increase in suicides in the Army, they might want to study the case of Army Pvt. Adam Lieberman to see how some officers treat soldiers in mental distress. Lieberman was experiencing severe mental problems after a year in Iraq qith the Ist Battalion, 67 Armored Regiment — known as “the Death Dealers.” When he tried to kill himself, he wrote his suicide note on the wall in his room. The Army reportedly responded to the suicide attempt by charging him criminally and cut a deal with this mom. If she re-painted the wall, his charges would not include defacing of government property. After she painted the wall with the help of her handicapped sister, they charged him anyway with the crime.
When he attempted to end his life with pills, Lieberman painted the following words on the wall: “I FACED THE ENEMY AND LIVED! IT WAS THE DEATH DEALERS THAT TOOK MY LIFE!” They never told the mother, who finally reached her son in the hospital days later. She says that his battalion commander, Lt. Col. Lance Kohler, at Fort Carson, Kansas, told her that she would only be notified for sure if he had succeeded in the attempt. When she asked why he was not put into a mental health treatment area of the hospital, Kohler allegedly said that he was given legal assistance instead because they wanted to criminally charge him. She said that she was told that he faced a charge of petty larceny for breaking a candy machine, going AWOL to say goodbye to a friend, and defacing government property.
The mother then went to her son’s commander, Capt. Phelps. She says that Phelps told her that if she didn’t want her son charged on the defacing count, she could get paint and equipment from supply and re-paint the wall. She did the job, but says that they charged her son anyway with the offense.
Under this logic, if a soldier jumps from a window and splatters over a bench or crushes a car’s roof, they would be guilty of the same offense if they survive.
The military continues to enjoy immunity from tort lawsuits under the infamous Feres Doctrine. In the case of a private employers ignoring the signs of mental illness and self-medication that the mother has described, there would be a serious threat of liability. Ultimately, most suicide attempts are not treated as a matter for liability for an employer. However, Feres has been blamed for decades in producing a lack of response or concern in many cases.
For the Salon article, click here.
I never did thank BIL or Mas for their kind words.
http://jonathanturley.org/2009/02/06/terrifying-report-more-soldiers-dying-from-suicide-than-combat/#more-7844
These guys are really phenomenal. They write with intelligence and compassion.
Chris the armed services are doing a massive job. The issue is politically a military that is subservient to a Democratic government is always a slave to policy makers. I don’t think Iraq was a threat to our way of life before the war. You consider Iran and North Korea a threat right now. So all efforts at diplomatic policy must be exhausted before violence becomes our policy. If we want national security then we need world security. For world security lets make sure everyone is fed first.
I read about the first chapter. I got out of the military, because I think the young men and women who serve could be treated a lot better. But on this I really think that, at least in the Marine Corps, there is a good suicide prevention program. The amount of suicides are rising, but are still lower than than men and women of the same demographics on the civilian side. So considering what we ask of our armed services, I would say they are doing a decent job.
Chris
A volunteer soldier from the day he enlists is told to unconditionally obey and respect his superiors. I get it. You won’t say the military is negligent in their training of suicide prevention.
Senate Armed Services Committee has refused to investigate these cases as they’ve escalated over the years.
Did you get to finish the PDF book by Bob Altemeyer, “Authoritarians”?
Vietnam is on of the worst tragedies ever bestowed upon our armed men and women as far as the way they were treated post war. That is why there is a much more proactive approach to suicide awareness. While I will concede that it isn’t perfect, i wont say that the military is negligent in their training of suicide prevention. I would also challenge that the number 50 percent does not apply to Iraq war veterans.
First hand knowledge,
“Nothing new here”
I am a Vietnam Era veteran with PTSD. The military has never adequately dealt with the damage done to people serving in wartime, and the results are always the same. Roughly 50% of those who serve on the frontlines end up dead (suicide, overdoses, self-destructive behavior, or victims of violence), or in prison (drug charges, drug related crimes, or violence directly related to symptoms of PTSD). This is well documented, yet you will still find military personell in positions of power who think it is a joke; and many of them are behaving badly because they, too, are suffering from untreated PTSD. Lives are ruined, and families are destroyed unnecessarily, because help is available, but just like me, most are not diagnosed or treated until years later, if they are fortunate enough to survive until that happens. Another great American tragedy.
Posted in response to the solon
article.http://letters.salon.com/news/special/coming_home/2009/02/09/coming_home_intro/view/index2.html?show=all
Although I wont agree that this is ambivalence on the part of the military as a whole. These very few cases represent negligence on the part of a few defective officers, but I think as a whole the military has a very proactive suicide awareness program.
I agree
C.L.,
I think it is worse than a negligent infliction of emotional distress. I think it borders on criminal abuse to put a mother of a soldier who was obviously having emotional troubles that pushed him to the brink of suicide. This officer at least should be relieved of his duty. That is just one father’s opinion.
Is it negligent infliction of emotional distress that they asked the mother to paint over his suicide note or the boy would be criminally charged?
These suicides must be prevented. For a parent to know that their son or daughter survived the shooting and the IED’s in Iraq or Afghanistan, only to take their own life due to ambivalence by the armed forces, could lead the parents over the emotional cliff. PTSD is a real injury that must be dealt with quickly and properly by the armed forces and the VA.
These deaths are preventable, like drunk driving fatalities.
There is a pattern here:
http://www.salon.com/news/special/coming_home/2009/02/09/coming_home_intro/?source=newsletter
Eric Shinseki is assigned a monstrous task.
I will have to agree with the sentiments that this is an exceptional case.
chris:
I tend to agree with chris here on this being aberrational conduct. His reports that the Marines do have a substantive suicide awareness policy was confirmed by a retired Marine Captain I know. I am more concerned that the Army literally couldn’t see the handwriting on the wall in this case,and prevent this tragedy for all concerned. I don’t think it would have taken one of Belshazzar’s royal magicians or even Daniel himself to be able to read the truth in this omen, just someone with compassion and common sense.
This is not the norm in the military. This is negligence by a few very irresponsible and negligent leaders who should be help responsible. In the marine corps we are trained and briefed at least monthly on suicide awareness so I know that at least in the corps these situations are few and far between.
Suicides have been rising during the five-year-old war in Iraq and nearly seven years of war in Afghanistan.
The 115 deaths last year and 102 in 2006 followed 85 in 2005 and 67 in 2004. The only Army records immediately available go back to 1990, and show no year with a higher number of suicides than 2007. The figure in 1990 was 102.
from Chicago Tribune
After reading this, i wonder why ANYONE would want{trust} to be in the military.The Army is just like life. The higher up you are , the more you can be arrogant, with an ego to match. While the front line grunts have to take all the crap–or pay the price. The ads on TV are a scam.Think long and hard about going into the military. jsa
In light of last weeks report on the increasing number of Iraq related military suicides this seems a grisly joke. Cutting all ethical, moral and legal considerations out of the argument, it shows a clear stupidity by the base commander in a PR sense. However, you can’t of course cut ethics, morality and legality out of the picture and what you get is typical military SNAFU, by a Captain who should never have graduated from “The Point” or OCS.
rafflaw,
I agree, this is dereliction of duty. Officers are trained to spot signs of mental distress. This is an active part of their training at this time. Nevertheless, there are still multiple instances of soldiers being punished for exhibiting PTSD, instead of being given the help they need. I hope the public outcry over this cruel, completely unprofessional and derelict behavior will cause punishment for the officers and be a stong incentive for the army to clean up its act.
“Then they should make him paint, by hand, the Pentagon.”
With a toothbrush.
Prof. Turley,
I agree that this is a glaring example of a total disregard for the health of a soldier and veteran that served our country in war. This commanding officer should be put on trial for dereliction of duty because it is his job to watch out for his men and women in uniform. Then they should make him paint, by hand, the Pentagon.