Michelle,

First, you should grieve. It's healthy. This was a tragedy, and it's sad. My heart broke when I heard about it. For many of us, it is frustrating b/c we can't do anything (lack of control).

Second, take my responses with a grain of salt. It's just the way my brain works. For the moment, with this specific case, JMM, Schmedlap, and Slap are more appropriate. I tend to analyze and consider many things at once (ie suicide bombers and this dude). There will be many times that I have to say I was wrong.


Quote Originally Posted by Dr. C View Post
1. What is the correct leadership response? Isn't it possible that the Soldiers who were in the room and were shot at might need or want some time or help to heal emotionally before deploying to Iraq, or just Soldiering on?
Most definitely yes, and from what I understand, we have already sent crisis response teams to Fort Hood. A combination of medical assistance, collective community grievance, and soldiering on is highly effective. For example, look at the differences in the gov'ts response to the Oklahoma City bombing and Hurricane Katrina. Over time, the resiliance of the people of OK can be perceived as a direct correlation to the initial response. It's the same response we take with combat stress teams in Iraq/A'stan. At one point, I observed a company collectively quit and refuse mission after they suffered severe casualties to include the company commander. After the crisis teams were brought in, and the unit was giving time to grieve, they were able to continue mission.

Quote Originally Posted by Dr. C View Post
2. How will the Army investigate itself about the career track of the shooter? Was the investment of tax dollars in his training and education worth the risk of keeping him in if there were any signs of trouble?
If I was king, I'd be closely examining his chain-of command. There would probably be a lot of people fired.