Report: Military Optimism Program Fails Under Obama: New data shows that a six-year, $287 million campaign implemented by the American military to help soldiers feel more optimistic...

JMHO Loc: Utah

New data shows that a six-year, $287 million campaign implemented by the American military to help soldiers feel more optimistic about their future, more than half of the soldiers surveyed felt pessimistic about their futures.

Out of the roughly 770,000 soldiers surveyed, 403,564 soldiers agreed with statements such as, I rarely count on good things happening to me. Almost half of the soldiers attested they had little satisfaction in their jobs or felt committed to their work, according to USA Today.

Retired vice admiral Norb Ryan, head of the Military Officers Association of America, and Joyce Raezer, executive of the National Military Family Association, said the causes of the downturn in soldiers morale could be attributed to two causes: fourteen years of war and the decisions by the Obama Administration to cut funding for the military. Others opine that the pay has not changed significantly in recent years, the deployment schedules have not changed, the ancillary benefits have not changed, but what has changed is senior leaders so cowed by civilian authority that they will throw anyone under a bus to preserve the image of the military.

The Washington Times reported last December that the morale drop coincided with Barack Obamas tenure; between 2009 and December 2014, the percentage of soldiers who thought their lives were good or excellent plummeted from 91% to 56%.

58% of the soldiers had trouble sleeping, 56% scored poorly with nutrition, and 39% scored poorly regarding trust in their leadership or their peers. Only 14% felt their nutrition was good and they were sleeping well enough. Two-thirds of soldiers scored borderline or worse when it came to catastrophic thinking.

The Army started the program in 2009 intended to stimulate a more positive outlook among soldiers, creating a confidential, online questionnaire for the military. But USA Today asserts that the data secured by the study indicates that the program failed.

The Army disputed USA Todays findings; Sharyn Saunders, chief of the Army Resiliency Directorate, which compiled the data, said, Ive sat and looked at your numbers for quite some time and our team cant figure out how your numbers came about. When USA Today responded by supplying Army documents supporting its assertions, her office replied that the formulas used to ascertain the results were obsolete, stating, We stand by our previous responses.

The Army estimated that the threshold for a positive result that was used for the data USA Today found was too high; once the threshold was lowered to what the Army felt was a more reasonable standard, only 9% of the soldiers scored poorly in optimism.

Interestingly, the data USA Today relied on showed over 400,000 soldiers or 53% expressing satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with their marriage, personal relationship, or family.

Scientists from the National Academy of Sciences asserted last year that the resiliency program showed no evidence of stopping mental illness, adding that the program could give soldiers a false sense of resiliency. The Army continued with the program anyway; last month the Army explained, The Army funds this program because the Army values the lives of soldiers and wants to instill sk**ls and competencies that will enhance their connections, relationships and ability to mitigate stressors and exercise help seeking behaviors through their life.

dennisimoto Loc: Washington State (West)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/military-suicides-us-veterans_n_2602602.html

This from Huffpo so all the Libs will take it as gospel. "Resiliency Program," my foot!

Jerry A. Loc: California

JMHO wrote:

New data shows that a six-year, $287 million campaign implemented by the American military to help soldiers feel more optimistic about their future, more than half of the soldiers surveyed felt pessimistic about their futures.

Out of the roughly 770,000 soldiers surveyed, 403,564 soldiers agreed with statements such as, I rarely count on good things happening to me. Almost half of the soldiers attested they had little satisfaction in their jobs or felt committed to their work, according to USA Today.

Retired vice admiral Norb Ryan, head of the Military Officers Association of America, and Joyce Raezer, executive of the National Military Family Association, said the causes of the downturn in soldiers morale could be attributed to two causes: fourteen years of war and the decisions by the Obama Administration to cut funding for the military. Others opine that the pay has not changed significantly in recent years, the deployment schedules have not changed, the ancillary benefits have not changed, but what has changed is senior leaders so cowed by civilian authority that they will throw anyone under a bus to preserve the image of the military.

The Washington Times reported last December that the morale drop coincided with Barack Obamas tenure; between 2009 and December 2014, the percentage of soldiers who thought their lives were good or excellent plummeted from 91% to 56%.

58% of the soldiers had trouble sleeping, 56% scored poorly with nutrition, and 39% scored poorly regarding trust in their leadership or their peers. Only 14% felt their nutrition was good and they were sleeping well enough. Two-thirds of soldiers scored borderline or worse when it came to catastrophic thinking.

The Army started the program in 2009 intended to stimulate a more positive outlook among soldiers, creating a confidential, online questionnaire for the military. But USA Today asserts that the data secured by the study indicates that the program failed.

The Army disputed USA Todays findings; Sharyn Saunders, chief of the Army Resiliency Directorate, which compiled the data, said, Ive sat and looked at your numbers for quite some time and our team cant figure out how your numbers came about. When USA Today responded by supplying Army documents supporting its assertions, her office replied that the formulas used to ascertain the results were obsolete, stating, We stand by our previous responses.

The Army estimated that the threshold for a positive result that was used for the data USA Today found was too high; once the threshold was lowered to what the Army felt was a more reasonable standard, only 9% of the soldiers scored poorly in optimism.

Interestingly, the data USA Today relied on showed over 400,000 soldiers or 53% expressing satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with their marriage, personal relationship, or family.

Scientists from the National Academy of Sciences asserted last year that the resiliency program showed no evidence of stopping mental illness, adding that the program could give soldiers a false sense of resiliency. The Army continued with the program anyway; last month the Army explained, The Army funds this program because the Army values the lives of soldiers and wants to instill sk**ls and competencies that will enhance their connections, relationships and ability to mitigate stressors and exercise help seeking behaviors through their life.

New data shows that a six-year, $287 million campa... (show quote)

The U.S. Government believed that we can win wars with money and military equipment regardless the believe of the people we send to died in another country for nothing. We lost the war in KOREA, and VIETNAM and now in the middle-east because we had no reason to be there in the first place.

Jerry A. Loc: California

JMHO wrote:

New data shows that a six-year, $287 million campaign implemented by the American military to help soldiers feel more optimistic about their future, more than half of the soldiers surveyed felt pessimistic about their futures.

Out of the roughly 770,000 soldiers surveyed, 403,564 soldiers agreed with statements such as, I rarely count on good things happening to me. Almost half of the soldiers attested they had little satisfaction in their jobs or felt committed to their work, according to USA Today.

Retired vice admiral Norb Ryan, head of the Military Officers Association of America, and Joyce Raezer, executive of the National Military Family Association, said the causes of the downturn in soldiers morale could be attributed to two causes: fourteen years of war and the decisions by the Obama Administration to cut funding for the military. Others opine that the pay has not changed significantly in recent years, the deployment schedules have not changed, the ancillary benefits have not changed, but what has changed is senior leaders so cowed by civilian authority that they will throw anyone under a bus to preserve the image of the military.

The Washington Times reported last December that the morale drop coincided with Barack Obamas tenure; between 2009 and December 2014, the percentage of soldiers who thought their lives were good or excellent plummeted from 91% to 56%.

58% of the soldiers had trouble sleeping, 56% scored poorly with nutrition, and 39% scored poorly regarding trust in their leadership or their peers. Only 14% felt their nutrition was good and they were sleeping well enough. Two-thirds of soldiers scored borderline or worse when it came to catastrophic thinking.

The Army started the program in 2009 intended to stimulate a more positive outlook among soldiers, creating a confidential, online questionnaire for the military. But USA Today asserts that the data secured by the study indicates that the program failed.

The Army disputed USA Todays findings; Sharyn Saunders, chief of the Army Resiliency Directorate, which compiled the data, said, Ive sat and looked at your numbers for quite some time and our team cant figure out how your numbers came about. When USA Today responded by supplying Army documents supporting its assertions, her office replied that the formulas used to ascertain the results were obsolete, stating, We stand by our previous responses.

The Army estimated that the threshold for a positive result that was used for the data USA Today found was too high; once the threshold was lowered to what the Army felt was a more reasonable standard, only 9% of the soldiers scored poorly in optimism.

Interestingly, the data USA Today relied on showed over 400,000 soldiers or 53% expressing satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with their marriage, personal relationship, or family.

Scientists from the National Academy of Sciences asserted last year that the resiliency program showed no evidence of stopping mental illness, adding that the program could give soldiers a false sense of resiliency. The Army continued with the program anyway; last month the Army explained, The Army funds this program because the Army values the lives of soldiers and wants to instill sk**ls and competencies that will enhance their connections, relationships and ability to mitigate stressors and exercise help seeking behaviors through their life.

New data shows that a six-year, $287 million campa... (show quote)

The U.S. Government believed that we can win wars with money and military equipment regardless the believe of the people we send to died in another country for nothing. We lost the war in KOREA, and VIETNAM and now in the middle-east because we had no reason to be there in the first place.

Ve'hoe

Well, maybe the war we have HERE next,,, will be a sufficient reason for you to agree NEXT TIME,,,, we have them somewhere else!!

Jerry A. wrote:

The U.S. Government believed that we can win wars with money and military equipment regardless the believe of the people we send to died in another country for nothing. We lost the war in KOREA, and VIETNAM and now in the middle-east because we had no reason to be there in the first place.

righty Loc: Tenn

Ve'hoe wrote:

Well, maybe the war we have HERE next,,, will be a sufficient reason for you to agree NEXT TIME,,,, we have them somewhere else!!

:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Jerry A. Loc: California

dennisimoto wrote:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/military-suicides-us-veterans_n_2602602.html

This from Huffpo so all the Libs will take it as gospel. "Resiliency Program," my foot!

What do you mean in your stupid Political Forum post.

Jerry A. Loc: California

dennisimoto wrote:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/01/military-suicides-us-veterans_n_2602602.html

This from Huffpo so all the Libs will take it as gospel. "Resiliency Program," my foot!

What do you mean in your stupid Political Forum post.

fullspinzoo

JMHO wrote:

New data shows that a six-year, $287 million campaign implemented by the American military to help soldiers feel more optimistic about their future, more than half of the soldiers surveyed felt pessimistic about their futures.

Out of the roughly 770,000 soldiers surveyed, 403,564 soldiers agreed with statements such as, I rarely count on good things happening to me. Almost half of the soldiers attested they had little satisfaction in their jobs or felt committed to their work, according to USA Today.

Retired vice admiral Norb Ryan, head of the Military Officers Association of America, and Joyce Raezer, executive of the National Military Family Association, said the causes of the downturn in soldiers morale could be attributed to two causes: fourteen years of war and the decisions by the Obama Administration to cut funding for the military. Others opine that the pay has not changed significantly in recent years, the deployment schedules have not changed, the ancillary benefits have not changed, but what has changed is senior leaders so cowed by civilian authority that they will throw anyone under a bus to preserve the image of the military.

The Washington Times reported last December that the morale drop coincided with Barack Obamas tenure; between 2009 and December 2014, the percentage of soldiers who thought their lives were good or excellent plummeted from 91% to 56%.

58% of the soldiers had trouble sleeping, 56% scored poorly with nutrition, and 39% scored poorly regarding trust in their leadership or their peers. Only 14% felt their nutrition was good and they were sleeping well enough. Two-thirds of soldiers scored borderline or worse when it came to catastrophic thinking.

The Army started the program in 2009 intended to stimulate a more positive outlook among soldiers, creating a confidential, online questionnaire for the military. But USA Today asserts that the data secured by the study indicates that the program failed.

The Army disputed USA Todays findings; Sharyn Saunders, chief of the Army Resiliency Directorate, which compiled the data, said, Ive sat and looked at your numbers for quite some time and our team cant figure out how your numbers came about. When USA Today responded by supplying Army documents supporting its assertions, her office replied that the formulas used to ascertain the results were obsolete, stating, We stand by our previous responses.

The Army estimated that the threshold for a positive result that was used for the data USA Today found was too high; once the threshold was lowered to what the Army felt was a more reasonable standard, only 9% of the soldiers scored poorly in optimism.

Interestingly, the data USA Today relied on showed over 400,000 soldiers or 53% expressing satisfaction or extreme satisfaction with their marriage, personal relationship, or family.

Scientists from the National Academy of Sciences asserted last year that the resiliency program showed no evidence of stopping mental illness, adding that the program could give soldiers a false sense of resiliency. The Army continued with the program anyway; last month the Army explained, The Army funds this program because the Army values the lives of soldiers and wants to instill sk**ls and competencies that will enhance their connections, relationships and ability to mitigate stressors and exercise help seeking behaviors through their life.

New data shows that a six-year, $287 million campa... (show quote)

Unfortunately, they realize that our supreme leader doesn't have their back. I'm just guessing, but it's strange that during the last e******n, v**es from the military (or at least Europe) did not make it in time. So their v**es never counted.

lindajoy Loc: right here with you....

Ve'hoe wrote:

Well, maybe the war we have HERE next,,, will be a sufficient reason for you to agree NEXT TIME,,,, we have them somewhere else!!

Well said~~ :thumbup: :thumbup:

Known about this study since 2009 and yet, what have they done to actually help, other than "study" our Soldiers...If its anything like how they DON"T treat our retired or x soldiers at the VA hospitals, its just more fluff and nothing more...

Our soldiers deserve proper care,a respect from the minute they enter the Service till they die as far as I 'm concerned...

I'm tired of the political BS and want action for our Military,period...

dennisimoto Loc: Washington State (West)

Jerry A. wrote:

What do you mean in your stupid Political Forum post.

You had to say nothing, twice???

Jerry A. Loc: California

To Whom it may Concern: The new data of six year study implemented by U.S. Military to help soldiers feel more optimistic about their future cost the taxpayers $ 287 millions dollars, and showed half of the soldiers had little satisfaction in their job, or felt committed to their work, and the Washington Times reported that the morale in the military drop 56% between 2009-2014 with President Obama tenure. Another attack against President Obama. How can anyone be happy in the U.S. Military when they may die fighting in another country for nothing to help the U.S. Military Industrial Complex only.

fullspinzoo

Jerry A. wrote:

To Whom it may Concern: ... (show quote)

Who would feel good about having a Com-in Chief, who is more supportive of the other side than he is his own troops. If the troops could be honest, I wonder how many feel good and trust this guy. O (as in zero) makes it clear that he could care less about the Israeli people. He has managed to throw our one strong ally under the bus. No wonder the military v**es from the military never made it to be counted last Pres. e******n.

Jerry A. Loc: California

fullspinzoo wrote:

Who would feel good about having a Com-in Chief, who is more supportive of the other side than he is his own troops. If the troops could be honest, I wonder how many feel good and trust this guy. O (as in zero) makes it clear that he could care less about the Israeli people. He has managed to throw our one strong ally under the bus. No wonder the military v**es from the military never made it to be counted last Pres. e******n.

fullspinzoo: The U.S.A. supported the State of Israel since 1948, and provide $ 3 billion $$$$ aid every year and military equipment, but in 1967, Israel occupied illegally by force more Palestine land and abused the Palestinian people building settlements in their own land. The right-wing echelons in Israel's government refused to return to the 1948, border lines as recommended by the Israel's Supreme Court and the International Court in La Hague. The wrongdoing by Israel government provoked the arabs 9-11 attack in N.Y. World Trade Center for the support U.S. government provide to Israel. Now the International community France, Germany, China, Russia, U.K. and the U.S. are dealing with IRAN nuclear power problem and Israel's government don't suppose to said anything about, " enough is enough".

fullspinzoo

Jerry A. wrote:

fullspinzoo: The U.S.A. supported the State of Isr... (show quote)

This entire situation is a quagmire. Iran(Shia) is fighting against ISIS, which is good. Iran h**es us. Payment of 50 billion dollars is part of the negotiations in the nuclear deal. Saudi Arabia was bombing Yemen until an hour ago. We now have 10 warships in that part of the Middle East. This is complete mayhem.