I've never served in our military, but one doesn't have to serve to understand that war is indeed hell.
But lately, I've been reading stories of our men and women who have little to say that is positive about the experiences they are having in Iraq and Afghanistan. From recent stories about our Marines venting at mercenaries because they were shooting at our troops to tales of our soldiers disheartening comments about the readiness of Iraqi troops to take over for us, it's been very bothersome (to say the least).
So I dug out my copy of a guide that was never intended to be in my hands. My copy of the Iraq War Clinician Guide. I'm not happy with what I'm reading here.
Developed by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the Iraq War Clinician Guide is a 207-page book on how to deal with treatment of veterans as they return from the war. It's frightening to read, because the stressors of war are discussed in such a cavalier way that it takes all the life out of what is really happening to our military (no pun intended).
But as I was reading, I grew into further outrage. Judging from these pages, the experts and the doctors who prepared for the aftermath of this war knew EXACTLY what the pitfalls were, and those who sent our troops in harm's way had NO concern for the same horrific aftermath.
From Page 25 of the guide
We desribe below the types of stressful war-zone experiences that veterans of the first Persian Gulf War reported as well as the psychological issues and problems that may arise as a result. We assume that many of these categories or themes will apply to returnees from the War with Iraq.
Preparedness - Some veterans may report anger about perceiving that they were not sufficiently prepared or trained for what they experienced in the war. They may believe that they did not have equipment and supplies they needed or that they were insufficiently trained to perform necessary procedures and tasks using equipment and supplies. Some soldiers may feel that they were ill prepared for what to expect in terms of their role in the deployment and what it would be like in the region (E.G., the desert). Some veterans may have felt that they did not sufficiently know what to do in case of a nuclear, biological or chemical attack. Clinicially, veterans who report feeling angry about these issues may have felt more helplessness and unpredictability in the war zone, factors which that have been shown to increase risk for PTSD.
Combat exposure - It appears that the new Iraq War entails more stereotypical exposure to warfare experiences such as firing a weapon, being fired on (by enemy or potential friendly fire), witnessing injury and death, and going on special missions and patrols that involve such experiences, than the ground war of the Persian Gulf War, which lasted three days. Clinicians who have extensive experience treating veterans of other wars, particularly VietNam, Korea and WWII should be aware of the bias this may bring to bear when evaluating the signifigance or impact of experiences in modern warfare. Namely, clinicians need to be careful not to minimize reports of light or minimal exposure to combat. They should bear in mind that in civilian life, for example, a person could suffer from chronic PTSD as a result of a single isolated life-threat experience(such as a physical assault or motor vehicle accident).
Aftermath of battle - Veterans of the New Iraq War will no doubt report exposure to the consequences of combat, including observing or handling the remains of civilians, enemy soldiers, US and allied personnel, or animals, dealing with prisoners of war, and observing other consequences of combat such as devastated communities and homeless refugees. Veterans may have been involved in removing dead bodies after battle. They may have seen homes or villages destroyed or they may have been exposed to the sight, sound or smell of dying men and women. These experiences may be intensely demoralizing for some. It is also likely that memories of the aftermath of war (e.g., civilians dead or suffering) are particularly disturbing and salient.
The report goes on to cover additional factors which put our soldiers at risk for PTSD, such as;
- Percieved threat
- Difficult living/working environment
- Concerns about life and family disruptions
- Sexual or gender harassment
- Ethnocultural stressors
- Percieved radiological, biological, and chemical weapons exposure
Nowhere is the word "shame" used as a factor for PTSD, unfortunately.
As I am reading this guide over again, it brings the Downing Street Memo into a whole new light. These stressors, and the potential of turning our military into a walking army of PTSD was NOT A FACTOR to these traitors in the highest rankings of our government. Our ENTIRE MILITARY was nothing more than cannon fodder to these chickenhawks, and those who are not killed in Iraq are in immense danger to themselves and others upon returning home.
Support the troops? Heh, indeedy. How about not lying and fixing facts to push a war in the first place...then you have a healthy, active and ready military when they actually ARE NEEDED.
The words I am reading today show me that the REAL experts knew the dangers of this war and are honorably trying to deal with the mentally wounded soldiers as they return home (IF they return home). If only these men and women were given a second thought by Bush and Company before they decided to lie about reasons for war.