There are several different topics that deserve concentrated attention, such as The Process of Military Ethics– which is a look at the recruitment process into our all-volunteer Army; and “Those Who Have Borne The Battle”– lest we forget what a cesspool the VA health care system has become. However, I have not been able to devote adequate time to these topics; we are struggling to keep up some semblance of barely adequate care, but recently the Surgeon General has dragged poor quality care of soldiers into her efforts to cover her ass. Ignoring the extreme shortage of mental health professionals in the Army, making access to care a critical factor, the Surgeon General has done two useless things that prevent me and other conscientious providers from providing timely care. First, on June 12, 2012 there is to be a Behavioral Health “Stand Down” in all mental health facilities in the United States Army. The purpose of this maneuver is to devote 3 hours to listen to the Surgeon General and her fawning minions tell us how we must change the perception of mental health care in the Army, in particular how we should deal with the topic of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. That is, so the politicians can dictate how we should practice. Here is the order from the Chief of Behavioral Healt at my institution: “The BH Stand down will occur on 12 June 2012 form 1200-1500 EST. …No one is to have any ongoing patient care occur on 12 June 2012 for 1200-1500….all BH clinics will be closed…All emergencies will report to the Emergency Department…Attendance rosters will be at each location.” Note: this Standdown is to occur at all mental health facilities in the US Army, world wide. Shortly after the above e-mail was received came the following: “There is an opportunity to ask questions of the Surgeon General at the BH Stand Down on 12 June 2012. Does anyone have any specific questions that they would like to ask? Please send them to me….” Meaning of course questions will be screened and edited, because we would not want the Surgeon General to be put on the spot. No doubt the following question would not make the cut: What possible justification can there be in removing hundreds of mental health professionals all over the world from taking care of patients in the face of the crisis in access to care, particularly in light of the recent publication of an increased suicide rate among Army personnel? Hundreds, if not thousands of patient care hours are going to be lost so the Surgeon General can do a fecal smear. IN ADDITION, the Surgeon General (SG) has mandated a review of how the Army is handling posttraumatic stress disorder evaluations and a group of psychiatrists and psychologists, numbering in the range of 40 to 50 professional mental health care providers, will be taken from their assigned posts for 6 months, and travel to all Army health care facilities and review all records that mention PTSD. This will require the review of thousands of medical records, so the SG can say to Congress, particularly Senator Patty Murray, “this vast and truly historic review” is being done. She is not saying that in the meantime the access to care and the overall quality of care will be impacted by this dog and pony show of a review. In the meantime comes the headline of 8 June 2012: “Suicides among troops average one a day” — the fastest pace in the nation’s decade of war. “The numbers reflect a military burdened with wartime demands from Iraq and Afghanistan that have taken a greater toll than foreseen a decade ago. The military is also struggling with increased sexual assaults, alcohol abuse, domestic violence and other misbehavior.” The various media outlets seem to accept the following explanation: “The reasons for the increase are not fully understood.” The coprology deepens with the statement of a Pentagon propagandist: “Jackie Garrick, the head of a newly established Defense Suicide Prevention Office at the Pentagon, said Thursday that the suicide numbesr are troubling.” This minion even had the gall to suggest the increased number might be due to the weak US economy. It is interesting that buried in the report is the fact “a substantial proportion of Army suicides are committed by soldiers who never deployed.” The SG carries on with her operation “cover my ass” and does not make any attempt to address the real known issues that contribute to the suicide rate. The Army of course is unable to own up to its own ineptness while the access to and quality of care continues to deteriorate. Those of us on the line, trying to care for these soldiers, are peddling as fast as we can.