Avatar feed
Responses: 7
Lt Col Charlie Brown
12
12
0
The military needs to sort out it's process for dealing with mental illness and firearms
(12)
Comment
(0)
MSG Thomas Currie
MSG Thomas Currie
7 mo
Not just (or even mostly) "the military" -- Card was a reservist, so his chain of command only saw him occasionally and most of the information about him was outside military channels. Meanwhile the state had all the information that should have indicated a potential danger.

On the other hand, hindsight is always 20/20. It's easy to cherry pick specific items from someone's past and say "OMG! They should have seen this coming." (Of course it is always "They" who should have seen it coming, never "we".)

We do need a much more robust mental health system, but it is very difficult to strike a balance.
(4)
Reply
(0)
MCPO Roger Collins
MCPO Roger Collins
7 mo
The screening before becoming a member of our military is what’s needed.
(4)
Reply
(0)
MSG Thomas Currie
MSG Thomas Currie
7 mo
MCPO Roger Collins - I suppose pre-enlistment screening might help a little, but I doubt it would help much. Most of the people who have problems coming in don't make it through initial entry training or their first assignment.

Unfortunately there are plenty of perfectly sane people who join the military and THEN develop problems, some of those problems are related to their service and many of their problems having nothing to do with service (although the service will usually be blamed).

I would say that the military does need to do a better job of supporting the mental health of service members, but that will take a major shift in attitudes at all levels, not just some memo from the top.
(1)
Reply
(0)
MSG Thomas Currie
MSG Thomas Currie
7 mo
Surprise, surprise, surprise... The National Guard did alert the police, weeks before the shooting. Family members were also concerned.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/29/maine-shooting-robert-card-investigation
and
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/national-guard-tipped-maine-police-that-robert-card-could-snap-and-commit-a-mass-shooting/
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
MSgt Dale Johnson
11
11
0
Glad he's no longer a risk to others!
(11)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
10
10
0
It's fortunate that He is no longer a threat to other people. I grieve the death and injury to s many others at His hand. Having said that., I have a relative that also has serious metal health issues and off and on has spent years in Mental Health institutions. and I'm thankful He has no access to Firearms and fear what could happen if He did. The Police Departments here have done an excellent job handling the incidents with My relative but there are so many patient rights for people that aren't even capable of making sound decisions unless the Court is involved nothing is done about Him and this has been going on for 25 years. This is a massive problem that except for court intervention sought by the Police, our family and other victims. isn't being handled well. He just spent two more years in a secure metal health facility (where He had been sent instead of jail) and is out again and He is NOT better and I'm hoping for no repeats but after dealing with Him for over 25 years I'm not very confident that will be the case. He isn't rational despite a great intelligence level and prior success in College (overall 4.0 GPA every semester) then business success and achievement. Sometimes there is also a find dividing line between genius and mental illness.

Seeing the situation in Maine and what happened and despite My favor of gun right IAW the US Constitution and being a firearm's owner Myself there are people through metal health or criminal activity issues that should NOT be allowed access to Firearms. After 40 years of full time Police work Myself I've seen far too many of these sort of people. Often both the courts and mental health system has failed to protect the public and rights they should have to be safe. What far too often happens instead protecting the offenders who committed the crimes and violent acts and make excuses for them instead of doing what needed to be done to protect the rest of us.
(10)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close