How Quickly We Forget...
Does anyone remember Sgt. John Russell? He shot and killed five US soldiers at Camp Liberty in May 2009. He killed his psychologist. It was big news for a couple days, but now you can barely find it on the web.
Lapses Found in Case of Sgt. John Russell
I have read many articles about Sgt. Russell, but I still have no knowledge of his religious beliefs.
US soldiers are facing an epidemic of suicides. The current model of sending the same people back to tours of duty in war zones time and time again is a disaster. If your goal was to create PTSD in your troops, this would be the recipe.
Doctors in the military are pressured to clear people to return to combat duty. However, it actually doesn't matter whether the physician has cleared the soldier or not, as the ultimate decision is made by the commanding officer.
In particular, when I was active duty I refused to clear a sergeant to go to Iraq due to ongoing medical problems. That's when I found out it didn't matter what I, his doctor, had to say about his medical condition. His commander felt his condition was not serious enough, so off he went to Iraq. He barely lasted two weeks until he was sent back. I received an angry phone call from his physician in Iraq asking why I had cleared someone not fit for duty. I got angry right back, told her to read the damn paperwork, and promptly hung up on her. When this soldier returned stateside he was promptly discharged by a medical board.
I don't know about the rest of the military, but from what I saw during my time, the medical corps is run by incompetent fools. Physicians in the military don't have the necessary autonomy to provide excellent medical treatment.
Lapses Found in Case of Sgt. John Russell
I have read many articles about Sgt. Russell, but I still have no knowledge of his religious beliefs.
US soldiers are facing an epidemic of suicides. The current model of sending the same people back to tours of duty in war zones time and time again is a disaster. If your goal was to create PTSD in your troops, this would be the recipe.
Doctors in the military are pressured to clear people to return to combat duty. However, it actually doesn't matter whether the physician has cleared the soldier or not, as the ultimate decision is made by the commanding officer.
In particular, when I was active duty I refused to clear a sergeant to go to Iraq due to ongoing medical problems. That's when I found out it didn't matter what I, his doctor, had to say about his medical condition. His commander felt his condition was not serious enough, so off he went to Iraq. He barely lasted two weeks until he was sent back. I received an angry phone call from his physician in Iraq asking why I had cleared someone not fit for duty. I got angry right back, told her to read the damn paperwork, and promptly hung up on her. When this soldier returned stateside he was promptly discharged by a medical board.
I don't know about the rest of the military, but from what I saw during my time, the medical corps is run by incompetent fools. Physicians in the military don't have the necessary autonomy to provide excellent medical treatment.
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Thank you steevo for pointing this out. I told my parents today that 2 other soldiers had killed another person then themselves at Ft. Hood in the last year alone and they hadn't heard anything about it. Between the mental health problems and the lack of care for the wounded our soldiers and vets are getting the royal screw and MSM won't discuss it.
November 7, 2009 9:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Too many of these incidents are "buried" in the news or simply covered-up to start with.
I knew from the beginning of these two wars that we were headed for a world of hurt/PTSD. When you send people into moral jeopardy, it's insane!
November 8, 2009 10:40 AM | Reply | Permalink
And if they are the least bit troubled to start with, that's even worse. Then, whatever traumas they suffer (including anticipatory traumas), their potential for severe and lasting PTSD goes through the roof!
November 8, 2009 10:42 AM | Reply | Permalink