Iraq and Afghanistan vets linked to 121 killings stateside

The Associated Press

Former Army Specialist and Iraqi War vet Matthew Sepi in a Las Vegas courtroom in 2005. Sepi, who had sought treatment for post-traumatic stress, was charged in the murder of a Vegas woman.

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Iraq and Afghanistan vets linked to 121 killings stateside

Town by town across the country, headlines have been telling similar stories. Lakewood, Wash.: “Family Blames Iraq After Son Kills Wife.” Pierre, S.D.: “Soldier Charged With Murder Testifies About Postwar Stress.” Colorado Springs: “Iraq War Vets Suspected in Two Slayings, Crime Ring.” The New York Times found 121 cases in which veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan committed a killing in this country, or were charged with one, after their return from war. In many of those cases, combat trauma and the stress of deployment appear to have set the stage for a tragedy that was part destruction, part self-destruction.

Should the Defense Department be more vigilant about monitoring troops after they come home from battle?

Ben likes: Crazed veterans spark nationwide crime wave

John Hinderaker/Powerline

I've got a suggestion for the editors of the Times: next time, why don't they undertake a research project to identify all murders and other forms of homicide committed (or allegedly committed -- no finding of guilt necessary!) by people who are, or recently have been, employed by newspaper companies? They could write a long article in which selected crimes allegedly committed by reporters, editors and typesetters are recounted in detail, accompanied by speculation about whether newspaper employment was a contributing factor in each case. No need to wonder whether reporters, editors and typesetters commit homicide at a rate any different from the rest of the population -- a single murder is too many!

Joel likes: The new Veterans Court helps vets in trouble

Lou Michel/The Buffalo News

A small army of veterans advocates is putting the finishing touches on what is believed to be the country’s first Veterans Court, where military veterans having problems adjusting to civilian life will get special attention. The goal is to intercept troubled veterans before they plunge further into an already overwhelmed criminal justice system, which lacks the resources to help them get their lives back on track.

“Rather than be reactionary, we thought if we could be proactive, we could design a system that would better serve our community, the veterans and their families,” said Buffalo City Court Judge Robert T. Russell Jr., who will preside over Veterans Court when it starts Tuesday.