How Has Serving Affected You?

The Army decided to celebrate memorial day by asking people how serving the military has affected them. The backlash was pretty bad honestly. Stories of pain, PTSD, death, war crimes, and a general malaise flooded in. One man even reported owing money on an ROTC scholarship he received in 1992. A debt that he had to pay back because he came out as gay. Another posted a picture of his sister lying face down on her husband’s grave. Others still reported birth defects from their father’s being exposed to agent orange in Vietnam. Some talked about the quiet trauma of those who went through Korea. I’m sure we would have gotten WWII stories if older people with parents of that generation were on Twitter. One man was comical when he said, “I joined for college and now I’m afraid of fireworks.” Others reported their difficulties with the VA or with getting treatment in the aftermath of war. The ptsd statistics vary based on how it’s defined, but one thing is clear, military service has a cost.

The Army thanked everyone for the stories and wished everyone well when dealing with the effects of War.

The Human Cost

It is easy to talk about the civilian cost of war in the countries where we attack. Women, children, and troops of other countries die. The news reports the latest body count and we all move on. However, very little has been made of the very real human cost right here on our own shores. These long wars have gone for most of the 21st century so far have left a trail of broken men and women with missing limbs, PTSD, and often a broken life. Some even seek out legal help like this San Diego military lawyer. It is fashionable to “support the troops” but we certainly don’t practice that in public policy. Returning troops are dumped off at an airport or airbase to return to duty until their contract is up or until they can get all the signatures they need to leave the service. There is little help beyond that. For those still in service, if there are any problems reported, it can lead to discharge or it is treated with a variety of medication. Much like athletes, there is little acknowledgement of what the whole soldier needs. This has left a generation of soldiers disillusioned with the military.

It Has Always Been This Way

There has been little aftercare for troops returning from war. It has been different in the past but never what was really required. Troops in Vietnam were sent to resort towns in South Vietnam for R&R with alcohol, prostitutes and sunshine to recover from the horrors of that war. WWII was so intense and the difficulty of transport such that unless the injury was severe, troops kept fighting until the war was over. WWI was fought in a similar fashion. During the Civil War, troops simply deserted. However, there was almost no care for anyone after the war was over. Those who suffered from shell shock after WWI were told to man-up and get a job. WWII followed a similar pattern. Efforts were made to get men education and encourage them to get married, get a job and move on with life. Much of the post-war economy was geared towards this singular aim. After Vietnam, the nation was divided and broken and many troops were abused by the public. Terrible terms like “baby killer” were thrown around casually. The troops didn’t even have a good economy to return home to in the early 1970s. The post-war boom was over and efforts were being made to avoid the stagflation that would grip the economy as the decade wore on. Combine that with the oil shocks and many soldiers returned home to a hostile country and little opportunity. Mental health services were almost non-existent. In the various operations of the 1980s and 1990s, the wars were limited in scope and successful leaving many men and women on their own afterwards.

The recovery from this war has been different. Mental Health services are finally being created and organizations to help warriors have been founded. However, this is something that should be handled by We the People, not just helpful charities who have a heart.