It's difficult to pinpoint disorders like this because of the line of work these people are in as well as the fact that the brain is a complex entity. Friends of the soldier said that he was one of the best people they had worked with and everything must have just weighed on him at one time and caused him to simply snap. I understand that the pressures of war are incredible but that doesn't excuse his actions.
Only certain people should be able to go to war. I can imagine it would be hard to stomach taking another person's life, but there is no real way to test for it. The only solution would be to screen soldiers more in depth after their tours. This way, potentially hazardous soldiers could be taken out of the service.
This brings me to the next point, how many tours are too many? Soldiers can serve 5-6 or more tours. Obviously, that amount of time at war will have some sort of effect on a person. We see that many soldiers are returning with PTSD and in fact, more US soldiers have taken their own lives than have had their lives taken in the War on Terror.
How can we solve these problems? Should we have a limit on the number of tours soldiers can go on? Should we have more strict screening for mental disorders? It's very apparent that something needs to change, but finding a good change isn't easy.
I think that for the well being of soldiers and their families, there should definitely be a limit on the number of tours a soldier goes on. If they could somehow calculate the soldiers that come back with mental disorders or even kill themselves, and match it up with how many tours they were on, to try to reach a number that would at least help prevent it a little more. So basically some math here and there... graphs and such. Along with tighter screenings before and after, because it's a shame that so many guys risk their lives to serve and then come back in such bad mental condition.
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ReplyDeleteI think there should definitely be a limit on the number of tours. For one, it doesn't just destroy the life of the soldier. It hurts the family while he/she is away and continues to cause suffering after he/she returns. There should be more opportunities and encouragement for seeking mental help (there's seems to be a stigma on that). It's just so messed up that we send them over to fight, and fight, and fight and then when they're totally mentally exhausted and depressed, that's it. And don't you think if they discharged people for PTSD it could be difficult for the soldier to find another job? It doesn't necessarily happen, but it is something else to think about.
They need to limit the tours for sure! One person can only take so much strain psychologically until they can't handle it anymore. But they shouldn't just limit the tours, they should also create more programs for when the soldiers come back home. I've heard about families learning "tell signs" if their returning member is suffering from a disorder or depression but that just doesn't seem like enough.
ReplyDeleteExtensive screenings for not only physical but mental well-being should be mandatory before and after tours. It's an incredibly stressful, demanding, and draining environment to be in combat. For me it's simply unimaginable. Doing more tours than a person is physically, mentally, or emotionally capable of should not happen.
ReplyDeleteWow that's scary! I agree with everyone saying that we should put a much lower limit on the number of tours because seeing that much death can take a serious toll on a person, as it obviously has. The US needs to take some serious action before the problem continues to hurt soldiers.
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