A Tale of Two Soldiers: Hasan and Hoh

The opposition to the eight year war in Afghanistan is beyond critical mass, and only because blood was recently shed on American soil, is the one reason why the Fort Hood tragedy will not fade into the back pages as some friendly fire casualty. Nearly 68,000 US troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan, with mounting casualties reported weekly, it is likely President Obama will opt to dispatch anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 more soldiers and push through with the counter insurgency. But what exactly is the agenda? Soldiers are tired, morale is down and post traumatic stress disorder is way up.

It has recently been reported that the suicide rate amongst soldiers for 2009 will top that of previous years. 140 active duty soldiers are believed to have died of self-inflicted wounds. That number reflects the total amount confirmed for all of 2008.

Army Vice Chief of Staff General Peter Chiarelli said that as of Monday, "We are almost certainly going to end the year higher than last year - this is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way," the AP reported.

2009 marks the fifth straight year suicide rate figures have increased as troops continue to deal with the stress of two overseas wars with no end in sight. Some soldiers no longer know how to respond. They are questioning the sacrifices they are making and in some cases, even turning to religion. But in the US Army, it better be the right religion.

In as little as two months, two soldiers made very bold statements about the Afghanistan war. One was portrayed in the media as a hero and the other a terrorist. Matthew Hoh, a former Marine captain and Foreign Service officer in Afghanistan, wrote a four page letter of resignation to the department's head of personnel in protest over the Afghanistan war.

Hoh wrote about his lost "understanding of and confidence in the strategic purpose of the United States' presence in Afghanistan. I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end. The United States is asking its troops to die in Afghanistan for what is essentially a far-off civil war."

Nidal Malik Hasan, an army psychiatrist with six years experience at Walter Reed Army Medical Center counseled soldiers suffering from stress as they returned from war at Fort Hood army base. Hasan was considered a quiet man who protested the war and took solace in his Muslim religion. On Nov. 5 Hasan opened fire at the military base killing 13 people and wounding over 60 before being seriously wounded himself. He was charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder making him eligible for the death penalty.

In 2007, Hoh returned home after active duty in Iraq with citations for "uncommon bravery," a recommendation for promotion and post-traumatic stress disorder. Like many Marines, Hoh had seen his friends die right before him in a helicopter crash and struggled with his visions. He didn't seek help as he recalled to The Washington Post. "The only thing I did, "Hoh said, "was drink myself blind."

Not much is known about Hasan other than current speculation. It has been reported that Hasan received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed Medical Center and was reprimanded for trying to convert patients to Islam. At Fort Hood he became argumentative with others in the military that supported both the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. It is alleged Hasan referred to himself as "a Muslim first and American second." Muslim being the bogeyman for many Americans, but in the military it created greater discord between himself and his fellow officers. What is confirmed is that Hasan was promoted in May from captain to major and was reluctant about his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.

Under scrutiny is whether the military going to allow itself to be placed on public trial for allowing one of its own to create one of the deadliest and most captivating murders the United States has witnessed in recent history simply because a body count was needed to fulfill an agenda overseas regardless of mental health. The nation waits as we bury our soldiers and pass out the purple hearts.