So I just read an article over at Salon, Camp Lejeune whistle-blower fired, and it absolutely blew my mind. I mean, I don’t expect our military to be perfect, especially at things beyond the battlefield, but seriously? Battle is traumatizing. Nobody’s gonna argue that seeing your buddy get turned into mist is something anyone would be ok with. I’ve known enough former and current soldiers & sailors to be aware that they’ve seen some awful things, and they need not only our understanding, but our help. I mean, both of my grandfathers wouldn’t even speak of their experiences in WWII or the Korean War to me, from which I can only surmise that they never wanted to even revisit those memories.
And while the issues facing the marines of Camp Lejeune are completely different from those that appeared to have afflicted the alleged Fort Hood shooter, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, that does not mean that we should ignore them. Rather, we should grab hold of the focus that the Fort Hood incident has created and use it to shine a spotlight on the poor care our veterans receive for the invisible wounds they receive on the battlefield.
A friend of my family recently was attacked while in convoy in Iraq back in June, and nearly lost his life. A roadside bomb exploded, the soldiers sitting in the front of the vehicle were killed instantly, and our family friend was injured (he was blown right out of the vehicle.) Amazingly, he suffered no serious physical injury, and was released from the hospital within just a few days, but I cannot imagine the effect just that one event might have had on him. I mean, he was a mere few feet from death; had he opted to sit in a different seat in the vehicle, he’d be gone. He was awarded the Purple Heart, and continues to serve in Baghdad today. It sickens me to think that if he returns home with injuries beyond just the physical ones he’s suffered, that he’ll be treated with indifference at best, and derision at worst by the very country and military he’s sworn to serve.
And yes, the headline is meant to provoke. I’m a huge proponent for mental health care, having enjoyed its benefits in my own life.
(Via Salon.com)
