Please take a moment...

[DRKWNG]

And read this.  I don't want this to turn into anything that even remotely resembles politics, because that is not what this post is about.  I know that several members on this forum either are, or were in the services and some of us have spent significant time in lands untold, doing untold things.  A former boss of mine sent this to me and it rings so true that I had to share it.  So please read and absorb what's written here, and take a moment to let it sink in.  Thank you.

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http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/09/in-the-10th-year-of-war-a-harder-army-a-more-distant-america/

<original post modified with the story being replaced by a link to the story>

[ducpainter]

No real problem with the post other than you cannot copy and paste copyrighted material.

A link and a blurb is all that's OK.

Can you modify your post please?

[fastwin]

Good read. Lots of food for thought.

Where's Julie?

[DRKWNG]

Where's Julie?

Got the SC back from the shop, so the old name is back.   

[zooom]

Good read. Lots of food for thought.

Where's Julie?

+1 on both!

[LMT]

I am a vet.  Here is another take on the issue:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/17/as-iraq-winds-down-us-arm_n_721821.html

[DRKWNG]

I will not deny that the standards for admittance have slipped in the last few years, and a lot of the people that came in under those standards do not sync with the ethos of the professional warrior.  Simply stated though, those that do "walk the walk" so to speak, do so to a different standard.  It is getting quite difficult to smoothly integrate back into a society that many feel is based upon a rotting foundation after "going out" on multiple combat deployments. 

[fastwin]

I'm sure that has always been tough. No personal experience admittedly but I am not blind to the issues. Had some awesome talks with my elderly father in law who lived with us before he passed in November 2007. He was a decorated WWII vet who made the Normandy landing plus two more in Italy and Sicily. Bad shit. He wouldn't talk to my wife (his daughter) or sons about any of it but somehow saw fit to talk to me. I was honored by his willingness to talk to me of all people and not his kiddos. Must have been a nice distraction/distance from having to ever discuss it with his children. I was "safe" to talk to in his mind. No judgement, just awe and honor. He often spoke of trying to "fit in" after coming home and the difficulties he had. Nothing like seeing all of your friends killed on Normandy beach and not having your frineds back home know what that was like. Oh yeah... and looking forward to two more of those landings! Damn, just damn...

RIP Mark Adams

[DRKWNG]

RIP Mr. Adams, and major respect goes out to your service and memory! 

I was on those beaches one foggy morning back in 2004.  Got there just as the sun was coming up, and the fog was rolling in across the break-water.  It was REALLY eery, as the farmers just inland were starting up their tractors, and the fog masked the direction of the sound.  Got goosebumps all over just imagining what it must have been like making your way onto the beach knowing good and well what was about to happen...

[fastwin]

As I said... bad shit. My wife can't watch the beach scenes from Saving Private Ryan knowing her Dad went through that. He never got real deep. Just the guns he used, his friends that died and being pissed that he got strafed so many times by his own air cover! He didn't like pilots. No siree. Lost some good friends to friendly fire on those strafing runs and the hurt/pain/loss never left him. I'm sure the intel and communication back then was pretty iffy at best. Lots of mistakes.

[Triple J]

I can't imagine what it's like to acclimate to a war zone (for months, let alone years), then try to rejoin "normal" life back home. It must be extremely difficult, and I can completely understand how many people would view normal life as utterly boring.

[GAAN]

several folk at work came back and were completely unable to return to thier former lives

ended up being listed as 100% disabled

not from injury

but

from our complete lack of ability to understand and deal with them

and

from their complete lack of ability to understand and deal with us

the utter contempt that these guys had for us as civilians was shocking

even from the guys that were friends

as was the the severity that these guys were shunned by us due to not being able to comprehend anything that they were willing to share

it is beyond a shame

[Scotzman]

Everyone that comes back from a deployment is supposed to meet with a counselor (usually in a group setting) about getting back into the swing of things, particularly with your family. Some people have no issues getting back into their life pre-deployment.

[DW]

A very informative article.  It is spot on in its point that we civilians can't understand or grasp the reality of a soldier's life in war. 

However, not all civilians shunned military life.  At a point in about 2003 I was actively applying to get in.  Just before submitting all my paperwork I tore my ACL on a ski trip.  Air Force had no further interest in me at that point even though I was back to mountain bike racing 6 months later and had two aviation degrees.  No medical waiver at the time for ACL reconstruction even in the Air Force.

Of course that doesn't change the fact that I can't relate to what someone's life has meant for the past 10 years.  It does mean that when I say that I support our troops it needs to be more than a bumper magnet.  I stand in awe each time I drive down 265 in Louisville and see all the signs welcoming specific groups of soldiers back to Fort Knox.  I have to admit that I am relieved now to not share that burden.  I no longer have any close friends being deployed.  But I have noted significant changes in those that have come back.  I'll use this article as a wake-up call to be on the lookout for more opportunities to actually help out vs. paying lip service of "support".

[zooom]

I myself have never served, I will admit, but I have had many many many friends and some family that have. I recogize and respect all that have served or are currently serving.

That being said, I think this is a recurring problem that we have had for years, when it comes to mental health of those who are cast into a situation that is sooooo different than when they are normally accustomed to and regardless of the period of time( whether it be 1 year or 10), they have a reasonable and understandable time of trouble in trying to revert back into a regular chain of progression/society/normality. This is because the life and the strife and stress and acclimation factors of the circumstances surrounding all aspects of that experience they have had to endure. I am probably creating a landmine somewhat with the comparison I am about to make, but it applies just the same. It applies because we do not have to capacity to fully engage and deal with the mental obstacles that come with these territories. The comparison that I am refferring to that, IMHO, is an exact parrrallel to this issue, is that of people whom have served serious prison time ( regardless of offense) and become institutionalized and have the exact same troubles transitioning back into society after having payed their debt. The worst part is, that fact that the mainstream populous generally doesn't want to admit that it is a problem that requires dealing with. Our soldiers whom come back from multiple tours, like what is referenced, are practically institutionalized in the same mental transition, but of a different way and circumstance. They have dealt with such diversly different and overly stressful changes, that it is not an easy reversion. I think it is quite frankly unfair to expect otherwise. We do it to ex-felons, we do/did it to Vets of different wars, and we do it to people of circumstance, like the homeless who are shellshocked (in a matter of speaking) and not exactly capable of shedding some of those developed by circumstance idosyncrosies. We, as a society-and somewhat ignorantly at that, expect them to overcome on their own. The help isn't supplied because it is publicly thought that it isn't of value or necessity.  Our history is full of it, and I am quite frankly not exactly surprised that our soldiers coming home are suffering at the same hands as well also.