The Wounded Platoon

Being currently in the array I arouse mixed reactions when viewing this video. I perform the same role as Doc Krebs did, just for the Air Force Reserve. There Is a lot to consider when discussing this documentary. It was well constructed In the sense that those interviewed held confused positions representing nearly every step of the larger process that is the war. First I would like to discuss the cut of battle itself. Few of our nations military actually jibes combat, it is largely support for those who do. Of those who be placed In a combat situation the number of those is sustained combat day after day Is even fewer.Infantry during an skanky tactical plan are typically those who have suffered the worst. To make matters worse this particular war is passing taxing of a persons psyche. Unlike close to wars of the past the enemy is non readily identifi adapted. They wear no uniforms they blend in with the population. Threatening the locals into keeping quiet about which bu ildings they are in is not uncommon. It is no wonder that returning soldiers are scanning rooftops or firing at the first male they see viewing the site of an explosion. Who Is to say they didnt set It off?Often the explosion from an DIED Is the first wave of an oncoming attack and the gunfire is not far behind. It is easy to say that they should know better sitting on your couch watching this video. But nine months into a deployment especially one where you are on the offensive, not all people are strong enough to know the difference in that split second. The faithfulness is we will never know. Many of the soldiers Interviewed trace the root of their problems back to the death of SST Huh. This was the first of many sextuple traumas they encountered. They ere not yet numb to the effects of war.Numbness In itself Is a survival mechanism as mentioned by a troop in the video, that is necessary to perform at the level needed. In that instant its push down or be killed, nothing else matters. It also was especially tragic since the SST that was killed was so well respected and liked. nigh of the members did hear help and this is where we get our first glimpse of the larger problem. The speech granted by George pubic hair sending an special ASK troops Into battle sets off a chain reaction. There are only 25% of young people In this nation that are insider fit to join the military.This is due to a number of reasons such as weight, fitness level, health status, previous surgeries and intelligence level to appoint a few. It also takes a considerable amount of time from the start of a recruit write the papers to get them to basic training, which can take months in itself. Then they must be able to complete that successfully and move on and successfully complete their lob specific training. There Is additional training specific to the region and special tactics that also must be completed in front a member is even eligible to deploy.That is even if they are i nfantry as previously mentioned, most of the military does not perform that role. So this brings us to the finales make by the top level command. Does the military typically support criminals? No. Do they accord those with pending charges to deploy? No. Do they allow those who are mentally unstable to deploy without first getting treatment? No. Until this war they didnt allow All of these factors security threat overseas, and it worked. A multitude of factors that will forever remain unknown to everyone invite out the few who made the rules and we will fully know what he rational was.With that being said when the chairman says you must send this many men, you do. In an ideal world there would be enough to go around. Sure they could have pulled from another base. But what the video doesnt address is anyone elses deployment cycle. This platoon was Just one of many in the same situation. Do you send any(prenominal)one over to Iraq for another year 2 months after they have been r eunited with their family? The general population and the vast majority of the military itself do not know the manning of the force or who is actually eligible to deploy out of those who are in. It is authoritatively a tough call to make.Im certain that those who made it knew that there would be a downfall in some regard. In this case it is the health check system. The onset of this year we Just completed, has saw a tremendous surge in life- changing injuries and usefulness connected disabilities. As mentioned in the video it is an abnormal situation to be placed in. Many of those who were shown in the video were deemed unfit for continued military answer following their deployment, specifically for PETS. A diagnosis of PETS cannot be made initially after a traumatic vent, the symptoms must be present for several months and dismantle daily functioning.Irritability, a sense of being on guard, short temper, easily startled and nightmares are some of a plethora of symptoms experie nced. Access to care is another shortfall mentioned in this video. Some of the soldiers did not seek treatment due to stigma. Others such as Nash sought treatment too late after he had resorted to drugs and alcohol first. I will say that the military did fail them in the sense of the initial treatment. I wish I knew why this was the case. I can only speculate that it is due to not being fully aware of the tuition, money and a lack of available resources to treat these members.This brings us to another disaster not mentioned in the video. It is unclear what role the soldiers next in their chain of command (direct supervisor) played in this process. They could have advocated for the member, but more importantly they could have simply been there and stuck with them through every cyclorama of their treatment giving them support at every turn. It is impossible to tell from the video if an attempt was made and the supervisor was shut out, or if one of these men portrayed was the supervi sor of the others. That is how the leadership system stony-broke down.There is absolutely no way that the commander is responsible directly. Commanders are only informed of a uncomplaining seeking mental health treatment and they follow the recommendations given by those who actually evaluated the patient. They are given zero information on the diagnosis. Secondly they would be completely unaware of their subordinates behavior off duty. The nonstarter of the mental health system in the military is not surprising. The VA system is shambles and has been before the inflow of patients since the onset of this ar.Staffing and overcrowding is commonplace, at least it would appear the federal government cannot turn a blind centre anymore and is addressing this issue. The mental health system has strict rules about duty limitations and determines who is eligible for continued service based on condition but it is obvious in this case they if this process was started on these members as i t can take months for a member to be considered at maximal medical improvement. It is only at this point after the government has done everything in their power to aid the member that they can aka the decision to retain or discharge the individual.They simply may not have had the time, or the member may have forced leaderships hand by committing other faults such as felonies as evidenced in the video. It is certainly disheartening to see our military portrayed in this fashion although for some it is a reality. scorn what is shown in this video I feel that our mental health in the US military is performing better than ever before and operates at a high level. Certainly they could use more resources and module but that cost money that may not be slotted for this particular concern.Budget drives every action in Washington and sometimes it takes a crisis before those who serve us will listen. It will take long time to rectify the VA system, and there will also be problems and people lost in the system as they try to seek help as they are exiting the military by choice or otherwise. I am proud to serve in the military and help those who are wounded, physically or psychologically and will continue to do so. You must have faith that those above you are making the best and most informed decisions they can, even though you will never understand the factors that went into such a decision.