More waivers?

Saw this article and just curious on others' thoughts. I'm kind of mixed on it and can see both sides; just not sure how well this will work out.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news...ilation-other-mental-health-issues/853131001/
I can see both sides, as well. The suicide rate of our military is already so high. I truly worry about those who may already have a history of mental health issues, having an even higher rate.

That is one of my biggest concerns as well. In the past couple of years at the AF Base where I work, at least once every couple of months we receive an email beginning...the xxx base family has lost one of its members...

Almost every one of these have been suicides. The majority are young airmen, many in the security forces. However, more recently, we lost a MSgt not far from retirement to suicide. We never hear the back stories and therefore cannot understand what drove them to this final decision.

Not only do their family and friends suffer, but their unit team members do as well.
If this new decision leads to an even higher rate of suicide, it impacts the readiness of the whole force.
 
I worked for the 7th Fleet Commander and he used to talk about the “strategic corporal”...a junior ranked enlisted service member who makes a bad, criminal decision and acts on it with strategic implications....like raping an Okinawan teenager or walking away from your post in Afghanistan and being traded for 5 high level Taliban commanders. Bergdahl most likely had some prior mental illness which was ignored by the recruiter and he should have never been allowed to enlist. Military manpower decisions and policy are about managing risk, especially when forward deployed to a combat zone...this is a poor choice to manage risk.
 
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