Attack may point to war zone stress
MilitaryAmerican reportedly kills five fellow soldiers
Published: May 12, 2009
BAGHDAD — An American shot and killed five fellow soldiers at a counseling center on a military base Monday in an attack that drew attention to the issues of combat stress and morale among soldiers serving multiple combat tours over six years of war.
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PRESIDENT’S reaction
President Barack Obama said in a statement that he was "shocked and deeply saddened” by the attack, adding that "my heart goes out to the families and friends” of all those involved.
Shooter was a patient
A senior military official in Washington said the shooter was a patient at the clinic. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the incident was under investigation, did not know what relationship the shooter had to those he killed. It was unclear whether the victims were there for counseling.
At the Pentagon, Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the shooting occurred "in a place where individuals were seeking help.”
"It does speak to me about the need for us to redouble our efforts in terms of dealing with the stress,” Mullen said.
The U.S. military is coping with a growing number of stress cases among soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan — many of whom are on their third or fourth combat tours.
Rep. Harry Mitchell said the Camp Liberty shooting underscores the "critical need” to reach out to soldiers "suffering from the effects of combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder.”
The death toll from the shooting at the counseling center was the highest for U.S. personnel in a single attack since April 10, when a suicide truck driver killed five American soldiers with a blast near a police headquarters in Mosul.
Related Topics:
Health and Fitness, Political Policy, Politics, War and Conflict, U.S. Armed Forces Activities, Armed Forces, Shootings, Military and Defense Policy, Mental Health, U.S. Army Activities, Anxiety and Panic Disorders, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
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